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Matthews ‘Just’ Generous at 2009 Gary Player Invitaional

Nov 27, 2009 | Filed Under: Events & Tournaments   Share

It doesn’t matter that the grey-haired gentleman throwing himself heart and soul into an informal jam session with Just Jinjer frontman Ard Matthews (right) is a billionaire more used to suits than strings.

What matters is that Dr Hasso Plattner (pictured below), co-founder of software giant SAP AG and an IT icon, can, in the words of Matthews, “jam Status Quo like a legend”.

Matthews – lead vocalist and guitarist for the biggest selling rock group in South Africa and which has toured with U2, Counting Crows, Live, the Goo Goo Dolls and others – was only too willing to accommodate Plattner, who describes himself as a failed rock star, in a different kind of warm-up for the 10th anniversary of the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola at The Links at Fancourt this weekend.

“When you see the look in his eyes while he’s jamming Status Quo, well, I feel sorry for him that he had to fall back on software,” says Matthews. “He could’ve really rocked. But hey, software’s okay. It’s a decent money earner. It pays the rent, so I’m not really feeling that sorry for him. But the man can jam. We need a few more band rehearsals and we’ll be okay.”

But come the start of this tournament, the successful partnership between Matthews and Plattner will end as they represent their respective teams in the South African tournament of this global charity series.

And here, Matthews has certainly struck the right chord once again. In his fourball are Grand Slam champion Player and double US Open champion Retief Goosen.

“I don’t know if I’m going to have enough excess weight allowance on my flight back for all the prizes I’m going home with,” he says.

Matthews has long been a supporter of the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola. “I truly don’t know how I keep getting invited to this great tournament. It must be because of my extraordinary ability at the 19th. I’ve won every single tournament which has ended at the 19th, hands down.”

But on a serious note, the work of the Gary Player Foundation resonates with Matthews’ own charity, the My Life Foundation, and the work he does with street children.

“We work at rehabilitating street children. We get them off the most hardened drugs and out of some bad street situations. You just cannot believe the stories of these children of four or five years old.

“They get given the choice of, ‘Do you want to stay at home or do you want to go and live on the streets at the age of five?’. And when they’re choosing the streets, you have to know how dire their home situation is.

“So for us to be able to make a difference and do something is so important. And it’s very satisfying for me because I’m only halfway on my journey of what I want to do, and I still feel that I’m blessed enough to be able to give something back, and that’s all I’m dedicated to do.”

As for finding a kindred golfing spirit in the music world, Matthews says most of his colleagues are more adept at hitting notes rather than drives. “It’s funny, but the only low handicap golfers I’ve played with on the music scene are all in cover bands. There’s a guy called Leon who used to drum for Mean Mr Mustard who is an unbelievable golfer.

“But I haven’t met any of the big bands who can play. I’m actually the only freak of nature, and I can’t even play properly. I know the guys from Hootie and the Blowfish love golf, but I haven’t had the honour to play with them yet.”

But he can tick off a jam session with an IT billionaire.

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