(from left) Nedbank Namibia Managing Director, Martha Murorua; Jordan Wentzel; Nedbank Group Marketing and Corporate Affairs Executive, Khensani Nobanda; and Kevin Wentzel.
Kevin and Jordan Wentzel won the 2022 Nedbank Desert Classic which took place on 28-29 December 2022, at the Rossmund Golf Course in Swakopmund.
The Nedbank Desert Classic, dubbed “Namibia’s Major”, saw a total of 144 players take part in the two-day tournament which was organised by the DZ Golf team, which is also responsible for the coveted Nedbank for Autism Series. The golf event was co-sponsored by Hollard Namibia and supported by Namibia Breweries Limited and Checkers.
Father and son duo, Kevin Wentzel and Jordan Wentzel, aged 48 and 12 respectively, won the tournament on 96 points. In second position was the team of Andrew van Schalkwyk and Org van Rensburg, with 95 points; with Chris van Lill and Douw van Wyk coming in third place with 91 points.
Speaking at the prizegiving ceremony was Nedbank Desert Classic coordinator, Dan Zwiebel, who congratulated the podium winners, and thanked every golfer who travelled far and wide to play in this edition of the event.
“Congratulations are in order for the winning teams and every player who took part in the tournament. As a tournament coordinator it is extremely satisfying to receive constructive feedback from players regarding the organising of tournament. The vision is always to improve and to ensure improvement every year. A major highlight once again was the fact that we can boast with the biggest field size of 144 players over a two-day period on the Namibian golfing calendar”, Zwiebel mentioned. “Given the immense stature of the event, we have received queries from close to 40 interested players after the available slots were filled, but as always, playing in this exclusive event is always secured on a first come, first served basis.”
When asked about what golfers can expect in 2023, Zwiebel mentioned that his team is working on making sure the event grows and becomes even bigger and better.
“Planning for 2023 has already begun and we will ensure that we grow this event from strength to strength. I would like to thank our main sponsor, Nedbank Namibia for their continuous support in making this event happen, and as golf’s number one supporter of golf in Namibia and beyond, Nedbank’s role in growing the sport deserves praise”, he said.
Nedbank Namibia’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Gernot de Klerk, gave plaudits to the organising team, and the players who took part in the tournament, thanking them for the superb performance on the field.
“Nedbank has been a consistent contributor to the growth of golf as a quintessential sport in the country. Our commitment remains the same, we want not only to deliver exceptional banking services to our clients, but to also ensure every spectator at our events has a true Nedbank experience like no other. The Nedbank Desert Classic continues to make history by having the largest field in a two-day event, and for the first time having a father and son duo win the tournament. It truly is one for the books” he stated.
“We would like to thank the organising team, our co-sponsors and all the players for making this yet another exciting edition of the Nedbank Desert Classic”, De Klerk concluded.
Nedbank Namibia’s Managing Director, Martha Murorua, lead an all-ladies team at the event, having been joined on the course by Ujama Paulino, Natasja Louw and Sesilia Nkoshi. An exciting surprise was in store for the winning duo, when Khensani Nobanda, visiting Nedbank Group Executive of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, announced that the Wentzels will also be treated to an exclusive experience at the 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa!
