Desvonde Botes
Encyclopedia
Desvonde Pierre Botes is a South Africa
n professional golfer
.
Botes was born in Pretoria
. After winning the South African Amateur Championship in 1991 at the age of 16 years and 5 months, 20 days younger than the record set by Ernie Els
, Botes turned professional at the start of 1992. His first professional victory came in the Mercedes Benz Golf Challenge on the Southern Africa Tour
in 1993.
Following further successes on the Southern Africa Tour, including the South African Masters
in 1998, Botes attempted to qualify for the European Tour
. He did not manage to gain full exemption in 1999, but returned the following year to win the European Tour Qualifying School
less than a week after claiming his second Platinum Classic
title in South Africa. He finished just outside the top 100 in the Order of Merit, with a best finish of 5th in the Benson & Hedges International Open
.
Back problems in 2002 and 2003, meant Botes was unable to retain his place on the European Tour. He returned to South Africa and won the Parmalat Classic on his way to 3rd place on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. That promising form prompted another attempt at the European Tour Qualifying School
. He claimed the last card for the 2004 season, but made only five cuts in the regular tour events, with a best finish of 9th, and failed to retain his playing privileges for the following season. Since then he has competed on the Sunshine Tour with limited success, although he has managed to win several titles on the less competitive Winter Swing of the schedule.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
.
Botes was born in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. After winning the South African Amateur Championship in 1991 at the age of 16 years and 5 months, 20 days younger than the record set by Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing...
, Botes turned professional at the start of 1992. His first professional victory came in the Mercedes Benz Golf Challenge on the Southern Africa Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
in 1993.
Following further successes on the Southern Africa Tour, including the South African Masters
South African Masters
The Nashua Masters, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It is currently played in November with a prize fund of 1.2 million rand, and since 2001, has been held at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal,...
in 1998, Botes attempted to qualify for the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
. He did not manage to gain full exemption in 1999, but returned the following year to win the European Tour Qualifying School
European Tour Qualifying School
The European Tour Qualifying School is an annual golf tournament which enables professional golfers to gain a place on the European Tour and its official development tour, the Challenge Tour....
less than a week after claiming his second Platinum Classic
Platinum Classic
The Platinum Classic is a golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour. It was founded in 1995, and is played at the nine hole Mooinooi Golf Club, North West Province, South Africa, although the first event had to be moved to Rustenburg when the greens at Mooinooi were vandalised.The tournament is...
title in South Africa. He finished just outside the top 100 in the Order of Merit, with a best finish of 5th in the Benson & Hedges International Open
Benson & Hedges International Open
The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was played in England. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, a cigarette company...
.
Back problems in 2002 and 2003, meant Botes was unable to retain his place on the European Tour. He returned to South Africa and won the Parmalat Classic on his way to 3rd place on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. That promising form prompted another attempt at the European Tour Qualifying School
European Tour Qualifying School
The European Tour Qualifying School is an annual golf tournament which enables professional golfers to gain a place on the European Tour and its official development tour, the Challenge Tour....
. He claimed the last card for the 2004 season, but made only five cuts in the regular tour events, with a best finish of 9th, and failed to retain his playing privileges for the following season. Since then he has competed on the Sunshine Tour with limited success, although he has managed to win several titles on the less competitive Winter Swing of the schedule.
Sunshine Tour wins (13)
- 1993 Mercedes Benz Golf Challenge
- 1996 Zambia OpenZambia OpenThe Zambia Open is a men's professional golf tournament played in Zambia, that has been part of the Sunshine Tour since 1996, and was co-sanctioned by the European based Challenge Tour from 2001 to 2004...
- 1997 Bosveld ClassicBushveld ClassicThe Bushveld Classic was a golf tournament formerly played the Sunshine Tour. The list of winners starts from 1991, but there may have been more past playings of the event.-Winners:*1997 Desvonde Botes*1996 James Kingston*1995 Kevin Stone...
, Vodacom Series: Western Cape, Platinum ClassicPlatinum ClassicThe Platinum Classic is a golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour. It was founded in 1995, and is played at the nine hole Mooinooi Golf Club, North West Province, South Africa, although the first event had to be moved to Rustenburg when the greens at Mooinooi were vandalised.The tournament is... - 1998 Pietersburg Classic, South African MastersSouth African MastersThe Nashua Masters, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It is currently played in November with a prize fund of 1.2 million rand, and since 2001, has been held at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal,...
- 1999 Vodacom Series: Free State
- 2000 Platinum ClassicPlatinum ClassicThe Platinum Classic is a golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour. It was founded in 1995, and is played at the nine hole Mooinooi Golf Club, North West Province, South Africa, although the first event had to be moved to Rustenburg when the greens at Mooinooi were vandalised.The tournament is...
- 2003 Parmalat Classic
- 2005 Vodacom Origins of Golf TourVodacom Origins of Golf TourThe Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour is a series of pro-am golf tournaments in South Africa. The series began in 2004 and forms part of the winter swing of the Southern Africa based Sunshine Tour.-Tournament winners:...
– Gauteng, Vodacom Origins of Golf TourVodacom Origins of Golf TourThe Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour is a series of pro-am golf tournaments in South Africa. The series began in 2004 and forms part of the winter swing of the Southern Africa based Sunshine Tour.-Tournament winners:...
– Eastern Cape - 2006 Seekers Travel Pro-Am
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T64 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.