Gary Player - The Legend

Underprivileged Children Were the Real Winners at this Year’s Nelson Mandela Invitational

This year's winners - Ahmad Rashad, Trevor Immelman, Gary Player, and Coke's Alext Maditsi.

Team captain and Executive Director of Coca-Cola South Africa Alex Maditsi tipped his team to win before play got underway in the 2005 Nelson Mandela Invitational presented by Coca-Cola. And his prediction was spot-on, as Maditsi guided teammates Gary Player, Ahmad Rashad and Trevor Immelman to a four-shot victory in the 36-hole tournament.

As always, the golf was less important than the fund-raising ideals of this, South Africa’s premier charity event. The black-tie Pro-Am dinner held on Friday night raised in excess of $125,000 for the two beneficiary charities, the Nelson Mandela Charity Fund and the Gary Player Foundation - both of which look after the interests of children in need, while the silent auction raised a further $50,000.

Saturday night was a late celebration for Gary Player’s 70th and the participants, sponsors and guests did not let the opportunity slip to have a raucous party, celebrating the Black Knight’s birthday in fine style.

Sunday’s final round saw more fine golf, especially from betterball winners Tim Clark and Vincent Tshabalala, who cruised to an easy victory over the other seven pro teams. Clark, who had been inspired by a visit to a school for hearing impaired children, donated his share of the prize money to a young girl who needed a cochlear implant to allow her to hear again.

And this is what the Nelson Mandela Invitational is all about - to have fun while going about the serious business of raising money to help less fortunate children in South Africa and around the world. Bring on 2006!

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