Professional golfer Danielle du Toit tells her powerful story of redemption – from overcoming personal struggles in life to securing her Ladies European Tour card.
Du Toit will join an international field competing in this week’s Investec South African Women’s Open at Erinvale Country & Golf Estate from 25-28 April.
I was lying on the grass under a Jacaranda tree at Pretoria Country Club waiting for the group in front of me. And that’s when I realised, in that moment, that I was put on this earth to play professional golf. But also more than this. I was put here to remind others that your worth is so much more than what you can do or give. There is so much more to life than that.
For years, I never believed that.
I always succeeded in everything I tackled at school. Then when I went to play college golf in the United States, my golf suddenly took a downturn. I realised that the way I had approached golf and my life was from a base of fear. And because my value had been so tied up in my golf, I started to question what I’m good for. I thought, if I can’t play golf, then I’m worth nothing.
Then Covid happened and everything shut down. During this time I got to the point where I clicked that I had real value, regardless of how well I played golf or the success or failure I had. That was a turning point for me and the start of my return to fullness and life.
I went back to college and finished off there. In my fifth year there we had a new coach and he helped me to find my passion for the game again.
When I got back from the United States last year, my golf wasn’t where I wanted it to be. But I worked hard and went from almost not being able to break 80 to getting my Ladies European Tour card. I still don’t know how that happened. So many good things happened to me. I made the cut by one shot to get through to the Final Stage of the Qualifying School. Then I made it on the last number there to get my full card. I had to shoot 16 under par in three rounds to get my card.
I sat down to do my planning and suddenly realised there was no way I had the money to travel to all these tournaments.
I knew Investec is so committed to women’s golf in South Africa, with a long history of supporting the Sunshine Ladies Tour – which thanks to them now offers the biggest prize purse in southern Africa, the Investec South African Women’s Open, Investec Order of Merit and the Investec Homegrown Award – and it is such an iconic homegrown brand. So I sent Peta Dixon, the head of sponsorships at Investec, an email. She was out of the office traveling, but a month later I received an email back from her saying, “We’ve been watching you from last year already.” And they got behind me.
Investec has been such a blessing. Their brand is so strong and aligns so well with everything I believe regarding growth and support, and giving opportunities to people.
Photo: Sunshine Ladies Tour
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