The “oupa” of South African disabled golf, Christo de Jager, takes pride of place in the field of top local and international golfers competing in the prestigious 2017 Canon South African Disabled Golf Open, which takes place in Cape Town in May. His participation in this year’s tournament will be his tenth.

Married and a father of two girls, De Jager plays in the Les Autres division which covers disabilities where no amputation is involved, however the limb does not function properly. This division also includes the cerebral palsy and hemiplegics.

De Jager began playing golf in 2006 and despite his disability, through persistence he managed to represent the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA) as an amateur. By 2010, he had made a name for himself on the golf scene both locally and internationally, taking second place at the British Disabled Golf Open. In 2015, he represented South Africa in the Swedish Invitational in Sweden, raking 15^th overall in the tournament. In 2016, he won the Les Autres Division at the South African Disabled Golf Open.

De Jager plays inter-provincials in the Western Cape and has managed to even outshine some of the best younger players locally. “I have only ever lost one of my matches,” smiles de Jager, who has worked for VW South Africa for 34 years. “This will be the 10^th time that de Jager will be participating in the South African Disabled Golf Open. A valued member of the SADGA family, he is also a very talented golfer and we are thrilled to have him representing SADGA at the tournament,” says Reinard Schuhknecht, SADGA Brand Ambassador and reigning world one armed champion.

According to Schuknecht, “oupa” is a firm favourite on the disabled golf scene, not only as an inspiration to other disabled golfers but also because of his friendly attitude and sense of humour. “We look forward to seeing him compete in the South African Disabled Golf Open for the tenth year”

Hosted annually by SADGA, the South African Disabled Golf Open incorporates the world’s top golfers with disabilities. In 2016, 30% of the field boasted single figure handicaps and more than half of the competitors have handicaps of 18 or lower.

The Canon South African Disabled Golf Open, will take place from the 15^th to the 17^th of May in Cape Town at the King David Mowbray Golf Course, which is the home of disabled golf in the Western Cape.  Canon South Africa, which has been a proud sponsor of SADGA for many years, has proudly taken the reigns as the official sponsor of the South African Disabled Golf Open for 2017.

Canon SA's association with SADGA stems back to 2001 when the company sponsored a small prize for a golf tournament. Since then, its involvement with SADGA has continued to grow and blossom, with its sponsorship focusing on SADGA's First Swing initiative, a development programme for children with disabilities.

“We are excited to take our involvement with SADGA to the next level by sponsoring this year’s South African Disabled Golf Open and look forward to seeing the golfers in action in May,” says Michelle Janse van Vuuren, Marketing Director at Canon SA.