Black Knight International Presents a Union of Golf and Giving: South Africa 2011

Not Even Gary Could Sink this Putt…

November 29th saw fourteen excited finalists take to Fancourt’s luscious greens for the Global Trader Putt for a Million Challenge, held in partnership with the Gary Player Invitational charity event.

Not even the threatening rain could put a dampener on the day’s proceedings as participants went head to head to each putt for R1 million, with two of the 14 putters, putting for charityFinalists included celebrated cricketer Herschelle Gibbs, who proved to be a popular draw card for the crowds.

Gibbs was selected to take part in the Challenge by the Supersport pilot series LuvSport, who have been involved with the Challenge from its inception and hosted the event on the day. Fernando Duarte, who opened the first Nando’s store in South Africa in 1987, was also a contestant.

The spectators proved to be just as impressive as the finalists – with Shaun Pollock and the Godfather of Golf himself – Gary Player – watching from the sidelines.
As the finalists each took turns trying to sink the sixty foot putt, it quickly became apparent that Gibbs’ God-given sporting talent is not only applicable to cricket.

There were a couple of close hits and misses during the Challenge which had the crowd gasping but no one could beat Global Trader’s Neil Walters from getting the closest to the hole, with Gibbs following at a close second. Walters walked away with a personal cheque for R50 000 from Global Trader – not bad for an afternoon’s work!
Global Trader has donated a total of R100 000 to charity through the Putt for a Million Challenge: R50 000 has been donated to the Logwood Village for disabled people through Fin24’s Hayley Goodwin who won the provisional putt-off in Johannesburg. A further R50 000 has been donated to the Gary Player Foundation to assist under-privileged children, courtesy of both Global Trader and LuvSport.

After handing over the cheques with Global Trader CEO Charles Savage, Gary Player took to the greens to try his hand at the 60-foot putt. Despite two close attempts, not even Player himself could sink the elusive putt – much to the disappointment of the eager crowd. 
Global Trader’s CEO, Charles Savage, says that the market intimacy opportunity for online trading derivatives that is created within a high profile golfing event is a primary motivation behind the Putt for a Million Challenge:

“The South African online trading community is growing all the time and our involvement in the Gary Player Invitational through the establishment of Putt for a Million gives us the opportunity to broaden our potential reach.  South Africans have increasing access to research and products is on the rise.”

Global Trader has confirmed, further to the success of Putt for a Million Challenge’s pilot year, that there are plans to make this worthy initiative an annual event.

Savage continues: “The Putt for a Million Challenge is a fantastic example of how South African businesses and individuals can pool their resources together to raise money for charity and by doing so, make a significant contribution towards social development and upliftment in South Africa.”
Join Global Trader to interact with like-minded business partners and have a chat with Global Trader’s friendly professional staff. For all clients that are based outside of main city centres Global Trader also hosts free, regular seminars throughout South Africa.

All seminar information can be found on the Global Trader website. Putt for a Million is risk managed through our UK based risk management partner and underwritten by a major international re-insurance company. To find out more about Putt for a Million and Global Trader visit www.puttforamillion.co.za.