Johannesburg-born golfer Dylan Naidoo, 27, claimed victory at the 2025 Investec South African Open Championship at Durban Country Club on Sunday.
Naidoo made history as the first person of colour to win this title. His big win also earns him a spot on the DP World Tour, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in his career.
“I don’t know what to say. This feels like a dream,” said Nadioo .
History was made in 2016 when Nadioo clinched his first professional title on the Sunshine Big Easy Tour, becoming the youngest winner in the circuit’s history at the Big Easy Observatory. He continued his rise in the sport, securing his first Sunshine Tour victory at the SunBet Challenge in 2022. Now, with multiple titles to his name, his triumph at the SA Open Championship stands as the most significant achievement of his career.
Explaining the moment, Nadio said, “This is a special moment for me, this is a special moment for everybody here in Durban. It’s overwhelming.”
The SA Open is golf’s second oldest National Open and South Africa keeps the title for the seventh consecutive year.
This victory reminded a lot of South Africans of the late Indian golf player, Papwa Sewgolum. Sewgolum was the first person of colour in South Africa to win a professional golf tournament in the Natal Open in 1963, right at the Durban Country Club.
Naidoo is a member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class. An initiative affiliated with the Sunshine Tour, that provides financial support to South African golfers of colour.
Despite the unfavourable weather in Durban, Naidoo’s supporters still came out to rally behind him. “It felt like I was Tiger Woods. There were so many people, all the energy that I had. I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out, yesterday and today,” said Nadioo to his supporters.
This victory has qualified Naidoo, alongside two other golfers, for the 153rd Open Royal at Portrush, taking place later this year.
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GolfRSA deemed Nadioo an inspiration for the next generation.
