South African sports have seen numerous highlights over the years. One notable achievement was made by Fred Jangle in 1922, who became the first home-grown golfer to win the South African Open. He took the 16th edition of the competition held in Potchefstroom, eight shots ahead of defending champion Jock Brews, with a tournament record total of 293 at the time, earning £100 for his efforts.
In 1988, David Frost made history by capturing the first of his 10 PGA Tour wins at the Southern Open in Columbus, Georgia. He drained two birdie putts on his last two holes to clinch the win, sinking a 1.8m putt on the final hole of regulation play to draw level with American Bob Tway, then knocking in a 1.5m putt on the first hole of sudden death. Frost was also the first South African to win in the US since Gary Player in 1978.
Fast-forwarding to 2012, Faf du Plessis played a crucial role in giving the Proteas a chance of chasing down the 153 target set by India in their World T20 match in Colombo. He hit 65 off 38 balls, but South Africa's last five wickets fell for 24 runs, resulting in a one-run loss. Both teams were eliminated from the tournament.
The Proteas have had their share of victories, particularly in 2015 when JP Duminy and AB de Villiers led the team to a seven-wicket win against India in the first T20 in Dharamsala. Duminy scored an unbeaten 68 from 34 balls, while de Villiers made 51 off 32, helping the team chase down 200.
In 2016, Faf du Plessis scored 111 off 93 balls as the Proteas beat world champions Australia by 142 runs at the Wanderers in the second ODI, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The home side scored 361/6 in their 50 overs, with significant contributions from JP Duminy and Rilee Rossouw, who made 82 and 75 respectively.
South African cricket and rugby have continued to make strides. In 2017, Keshav Maharaj took 4/25 as South Africa bowled out Bangladesh for 90 to win the first test in Potchefstroom by 333 runs. The rugby team also had a notable win in 2021 when Damian de Allende and Makazole Mapimpi scored tries, edging the All Blacks 31-29 in their final Rugby Championship match on the Gold Coast.
More recent achievements include Ryan Rickelton scoring 91 to help the Proteas amass 271/9 on their way to beating Ireland by 139 runs in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi in 2024. Other notable performances include Andy Birkett winning a sprint finish to claim his second world marathon K1 crown at Ponte de Lima in Portugal in 2022, and David Miller scoring an unbeaten 106 from 47 deliveries in a losing effort against India in the same year.
Key points
- Faf du Plessis scored 111 off 93 balls against Australia in 2016.
- The Proteas beat India by seven wickets in the first T20 in Dharamsala in 2015.
- Ryan Rickelton helped the Proteas beat Ireland by 139 runs in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi in 2024.
