Player Profiles: Vincent Tshabalala

Vincent Tshabalala

One of South African’s greatest black golfers who enjoyed success on both the European & European Senior Tours, Tshabalala was born in Johannesburg and worked as a mechanic before his golf career took over.

Designated as “Coloured” under the Apartheid racial classification scheme, he was not able to play on the Southern African Tour in his prime, but with assistance from South Africa’s leading white golfer Gary Player, he gained entry to tournaments around the world. Tshabalala has a unique grip - he plays his full shots crosshanded, a virtually unique method for a professional player

In 1976, Tshabalala won the European Tour’s French Open. Later that year he was selected in South Africa’s World Cup team, but refused to take part. Soon afterwards his career was curtailed by injury.

Tshabalala made a comeback in the over-50 ranks, finishing in the top twenty on the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit four times in the 1990s, though without winning any tournaments. He also played on the Southern Africa Tour after the racial restrictions were abolished in the early 1990s, but by then he was almost fifty and he didn’t win any official money events.

Tshabalala has been a firm supporter of the Gary Player Invitational, presented by Coca-Cola, since its inception in 1999 and this year marks his 12th consecutive appearance.

He won the Betterball competition with Ernie Els in 2004 and a year later, triumphed again with Tim Clark. In 2009, he partnered businessman Abdullah Al Naboodah, British celebrity DJ Spoony and fellow professional Thomas Aiken to victory in the Fourball Alliance Team competition.

Tshabalala is often described as a conscientious, self-sacrificing, dedicated patriot of South Africa who was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for the noble cause and ideals of an egalitarian society. As the founder of The Education Trust, Tshabalala upholds these values and teaches them to children from Alexandra Township, supported by the trust.