Exclusive ... New Joburg Open champ Calum Hill was excitedly singing the praise of his new Joburg-born coach after ending a near four-year wait for a second Tour success.
Hill, 30, pared the second extra play-off hole to become the first Scot to win the title in the South African capital.
Hill had cut a swathe through the final round field, posting a sizzling 62 under a ‘one-club’ preferred lie rule on the fairways to grab the clubhouse lead ahead of a near hour long wait to be crowned champion.
Among those first to congratulate Hill was wife, Miranda along with good friend and fellow Scot Connor Syme, who shared ninth and his coach Grant Veenstra.
Exclusive …..
Calum Hill @ASAM_UK @Blue_machinery proudly reveals his @JoburgOpen_ work with new -born coach with Grant Steenstra
“Grant’s been great”.
Read: https://t.co/7IHagPK5QQ
✅ @TOURMISS @Record_Sport (Bernie ) pic.twitter.com/eCyhNV85LN
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) March 10, 2025
Veenstra is a former Tour player who capped his career, despite missing the cut, contesting the 2012 Open Championship won by compatriot Ernie Els.
Since turning to coaching in 2015 the now 54-year-old Veenstra has coached the likes of South African star golfers Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Justin Harding and Richard Sterne plus Springbok-born cricketing stars Jacques Kallis and Kevin Pietersen.
Bezuidenhout had turned to Veenstra in 2019 and soon captured a maiden DP World Tour title at the Andalucian Masters.
Now Veenstra has also worked his magic with Hill.
Hill said: “Grant’s been great. I spent a little time with him last Sunday before the Joburg, as I had a poor week at the SA Open in Durban.
“We did a lot of good work that helped so much this week while there are some improvements to be made in my game.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how far we can take this thing.
“My caddy would like a few changes now that we are back in the winner’s circle but nothing changes for me. We have one week off then it’s off to Asia before getting back to Europe come May time.
“Fow now though, I’m just so happy to have come out on top at the end of a tough four days”.
The Scot enjoyed a maiden Tour win in August 2021 but three months later he was forced to withdraw from the Portugal Masters due to a then mystery illness.
He withdrew also from the season-ending Tour Championship and played just three events in 2022, with doctors tracing his illness as the ill effects of being bitten by mosquitoes while competing in Portugal.
As well, this second Tour triumph comes just a few months after his 17-year equipment agreement with PING golf was terminated.
PING will surely be having reservations on that decision.
Victory has seen Hill jump 126 places to be the new World No. 160th ranked player, his highest since being ranked 157th at the close of last year’s Genesis Scottish Open.
Hill’s highest ranking remains 97th in winning his maiden Tour title at the 2021 Cazoo Classic at the Hillside course in Southport, England.
