As the Farmers Open came and went, with Harris English taking top spot, there was one PGA rookie we feel that golf fans need to know. Among the contestants at Torrey Pines, we find an interesting character—a young protege who’s already making a name for himself in the big leagues. This young man has managed to go pro and win in The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at 19, cementing himself as the youngest winner. This young man is named Aldrich Potgieter. His skill has already put him in a professional setting competing with big names while setting records.
PGA Rookie Aldrich Potgieter Turning Heads
About Aldrich Potgieter
Potgieter is a 20-year-old from South Africa who always had a gift for golf. He describes it as “a gift from god”, and his talent here is unquestionable. Potgieter started playing golf at the age of 8 with the motivation of beating his dad, which he later did at the age of 12. He has described his technique as being “not very technical”. He doesn’t rely on in-depth statistics, or any of the latest gadgets to help him improve himself unless his coach is there, he just does it. Potgieter started competing and winning in amateur leagues before the age of 18, which included the amateur championships. Potgieter later earned his TOUR card after the Korn Ferry Tour concluded despite narrowly missing the opportunity earlier in 2024.
Entering The Pro Setting
Normally PGA rookies of his age are playing with college and university teams, but Potgieter skipped right over that step entirely. Already winning amateur games while he was only 17. Later his golf team was captained by Tim Clark who won the 2010 PGA Players Championship. Clark would say that Potgieter’s talent is obviously there. Even saying that he has a good attitude when it comes to shortcomings as well as a deep appreciation and respect for other professional players. Other Pro players find his attitude pretty charming too. Clark also continues his support of Potgieter and has only deepened that support since he earned his TOUR card.
What the Future May Hold for Potgieter
Potgieter is currently also making himself one of the longest players on Tour as soon as he joined. His swings easily get him an average of over 338.5 yards per drive. He also keeps that number high with his averages during the Farmers Insurance Open being regularly over 320 yards. He is predicted to keep that record for a long time to come, skill like this doesn’t come this often at such a young age.
Good things seem to be coming Potgieter’s way and he is all too eager to keep this train going into the foreseeable future. Potgieter is so young and has already started a professional career. He’s got a good swing, and a good attitude, and has already started setting records. This is a rookie who is worth keeping an eye on.
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