Name Sewsunker Sewgolum Role Golfer | Died 1978 | |
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Sewsunker "Papwa" Sewgolum (OIS) (1930 – 6 July 1978) was a South African professional golfer of ethnic Indian origin, who carved a niche for himself in golfing folklore when he became the first golfer of colour to win a provincial open in South Africa. He became a symbol of the sports boycott movement when pictures of him receiving his trophy outdoors in the rain, because, due to apartheid, he was not allowed to enter the clubhouse, were published across the world.
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Early life
Sewgolum married Suminthra. The pair had five children together.
Career
He took part in the 1959 Open Championship at Muirfield, in Scotland, won that year by Gary Player. In the qualifying round for that tournament, he shot a seventy-one. In 1961, he was the first non-white to take part in the South African Open and in the same even in 1963, he lost by one shot to Retief Waltman. Sewgolum, a former caddie, with his wrong-way-round grip (left hand beneath his right) caused a stir in 1963 when he beat 103 white golfers including Harold Henning in the provincial Natal Open tournament at the Durban Country Club. In 1965 he beat Gary Player to win the title for the second time. He would return in February 1966, to defend his 1965 Natal Open win but would finish in fourth place with a score of 292, losing to Gary Player's score of 286. In February 1966, Sewgolum took part in South African Open at the Houghton Golf Club. He had rounds of 78 and 73 but failed to make the cut for the last two rounds, with Gary Player winning the title. He also won the Dutch Open in 1959, 1960 and 1964, and the Cock of the North tournament in Zambia in 1964. He was the winner of a number of non-white golfing championships in South Africa.
Honours and awards
