|
Club Professional
Derek James, PGA Club Pro of the Year
(2002) and Teaching Pro of the Year (2008), was an
outstanding amateur and spent 13 years on the
professional circuit prior to joining Southbroom Golf
Club.
At 20 years of age, Derek James was
the leading Amateur in the South African Masters (1980)
and, prior to turning pro in 1984, he had represented
South Africa as a 'Springbok' on 5 occasions, played in
3 British Amateurs and the World Amateur in Switzerland
(1982).
Among his many achievements on tour,
Derek won the Tournament Players Championship in Canada
(1994), 3 tournaments in America including the Holy Oak
Pro Am, 8 tournaments on the South African Winter Tour,
and came second to Ernie Els in the South African Open
(1992).
Derek retired from the professional
circuit prematurely in 1997, due to family commitments,
and the tour's loss was Southbroom Golf Club's gain. Not
only did the Club score a PGA Professional capable of
being elected to serve the board of the SA PGA (2005 to
date), his wife Sheena is the backbone of the Southbroom
Pro Shop success story.
Derek runs coaching clinics for all
levels of golfers and is coach to professionals Jaco van
Zyl (former South African Amateur Champion), Hennie
Otto, Andre Cruse and Andrew Curlewis. Derek also
coached the Natal Provincial Golf Team in 2001.
Derek and Sheena have two children,
Courtney (1996) and Connor (1998).
DEREK JAMES - 2008 TEACHER OF THE
YEAR
Derek James, the Teacher of the Year,
has spent 11 years at Southbroom GC on the KZN South
Coast. The first PGA Professional to win both the Club
Pro of the year (2002) and teacher awards, he is a
former Springbok and SA Strokeplay champion and won
eight times on the Sunshine Winter Tour.
Renowned for a superb short game, and
teaching that aspect of the game to pupils, the
highlight of his playing career was winning the Canadian
TPC in 1994 and finishing second to Ernie Els in the
1992 SA Open at Houghton.
James now juggles the roles of golf
director, club professional and teaching pro at
Southbroom and serves on the PGA Board. "I'm flat out
teaching these days," he says. "I have a problem saying
no, so find myself coaching five to six hours a day."
James helps the KZN Junior team prepare every year for
the IPT and guided them to a hat-trick of wins between
2004 and 2006.
Golf Digest April 2008
DEREK JAMES - 2002 CLUB PRO OF THE
YEAR
As a touring professional, Derek
James won eight times on the Sunshine Tour, won two
major pro-am events in the USA and, while campaigning in
Canada, became the Canadian Tournament Players champion.
Although highly regarded as an expert
in every aspect of the swing, it is as a short-game
coach that he is best known.
Together with his wife Sheena, Derek
runs an excellent teaching facility and pro shop at
Southbroom Golf Club. It would be difficult to find a
more popular choice as Club Pro of the Year.
Complete Golfer March 2002
SOUTH COAST HERALD - MARCH 1997
Seasoned Sunshine Tour Player,
Derek James, has joined Southbroom as its resident
professional.
Derek is no stranger to Natal and
South African golfing circles. He is a class player in
his own right and represented South Africa five times
before turning professional in 1984. He described
himself as a consistent performer on tour with the
highlight of his career being winning the Canadian
Tournament Players' Championship at Royal Woodbine,
Toronto in 1994.
One of South Africa's top amateurs,
Derek made his provincial debut, ironically for Western
Province, while in the navy there. He also represented
Transvaal and played for Natal for three years.
Although not a golfer herself, to say
that Derek's wife Sheena knows a fair amount about the
game would be an understatement. Sheena has caddied for
Derek in at least 50 tournaments and Derek says they
work very well together. |
