Wallie Coetsee (born 11 July 1972) is a South African

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

Early life

Coetsee was encouraged to take up the game of golf by his father, Ockert, a tomato farmer in Tzaneen. He played very little competitive golf as an amateur and won only a few small tournaments.

Professional career

In 1992, Coetsee turned professional. He struggled to make an impression on the

Sunshine Tour The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern and East Africa. For much of its early history it was known either as the Southern Africa Tour or Sunshine Circuit; through sponsorship deals, it has also been known as the F ...

. He convinced his father to allow him three more years on the tour, and promised that if he didn't make it he would join him working on the family farm. Coetsee improved slightly and again begged his father for another year. The result was his maiden professional victory in the 1997 FNB Namibia Open - a win which sparked off one of his most successful years on the Tour. Coetsee finished 11th at the 1999 South African Open. Years later, he won the 2014 Mopani Copper Mines Zambia Open.

Personal life

In June 2012, Wallie and his family decided to relocate to Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape where he would focus more seriously on his golf and it would also give him quality time with his family.

Professional wins (2)

Sunshine Tour wins (2)

References

External links

* * South African male golfers Sunshine Tour golfers Golfers from Johannesburg People from Kouga Local Municipality 1972 births Living people {{SouthAfrica-golf-bio-stub