Back on Track
Tumelo Molloyi’s long road back from a single devastating swing.Tumelo Molloyi had no idea the swing he was about to make would harass him for years.
He was standing over a long approach shot on the par-five 5th during the second round of the 2021 Blair Atholl Championship. His backswing felt fine, but as he initiated his downswing with that extra bit of force needed to reach the green, he slipped and tore his glute.
He could play on, but with the muscle no longer properly supporting him, he hurt his back in the coming holes. He’s been struggling to regain his health ever since.
He managed to make only one cut on the Sunshine Tour that season, and none the following. Inevitably, he lost his playing rights for 2023.
Sidelined, he decided to go back to the drawing board.
“I tried using this year as a year of just getting things together, of sitting back and reflecting on where my game is at,” the 28-year-old said between lessons at Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate, where he works as an instructor while completing his PGA apprenticeship.
“When you’re on tour, all you focus on is perform, perform, perform. You don’t take the time to figure out what you need to do to get to the next level.”
He realized he had to find a better way to play around his injury, so he sought help from Kyle Phelan, the head teaching professional at Centurion Country Club.
Kyle was impressed with Tumelo’s attitude from the start.
“He came in with an open mind and was ready to change for the better. It wasn’t going to be an easy fix and was going to be frustrating, but he knuckled down and did the work—and we can definitely start seeing a difference.”
Tumelo’s recent results agree. In October, he posted a bogey-free 68 to secure a one-shot victory in the Blue Label Development Tour’s one-day event at Waterkloof Golf Club—his first professional win.
He followed it up by placing 11th and 18th in his next two outings, but then missed the cut two weeks later at Blue Valley when the weather turned cold and his back seized up again.
“The biggest thing for me at the moment is to get my body fit and strong, so that I can compete in the way that I want to compete and be able to swing the club the way that I want to swing it.”
He’s started working with a physical trainer at the World of Golf. But all of this—trainers, coaches, competing in tournaments—adds up. While Tumelo has benefited greatly from organizations such as the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) and the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, he is currently playing on his own dime.
Despite the pressure, especially given that he has a three-year-old son to care for, Tumelo values his position.
“One lesson I learned while in the SAGDB was that playing golf is a privilege and being out on the golf course is an honor, and I should treasure it and treat it with respect.
“My dad is always there to support me, and my fiancée Phindile Kwenda is always there. When I get down on myself, she is there to remind me of what I am capable of. So, it is very important to have a support system at all times.”
That support started early. It was Tumelo’s dad, Mike, who introduced the Free State native to the game.
“He had a golf academy in Botshabelo: ‘Mike’s Golf Academy’. He played professional golf himself. We used to go to the field to hit balls and practice.
“The fun times would be when we went to golf tournaments in the back of his bakkie, and we would get there and absolutely dominate. He made us play against each other to qualify for events, and that gave us the competitive edge. That is how it all started for me.”
Reflecting on his first professional victory, he said, “The win at Waterkloof meant so much to me. It proves to me that I can do it.
“I had been working hard on my game, and it was really tough to keep going and stay positive. To be honest, I just stuck to the process, and it clicked that day. The big difference was that I was a lot better mentally.
“I tried to embrace it.”
Amor fati.