Time moves fast on the PGA TOUR. Having secured his playing privileges last fall through the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, Christiaan hit the ground running on the pink sandy shores of the beautiful island of Bermuda last October. By the time he broke the finish tape at the BMW Championship in Delaware in August, he’d teed it up in 24 tournaments across 12 US states and Mexico, making the cut 20 times and accumulating $2,233,289 in official prize money. He finished a creditable 51st in the FedEx Cup rankings. 

“It’s been an unbelievable first full year on the PGA TOUR and overall I’m very satisfied with how it’s played out,” comments Christiaan. “Thanks to all my sponsors and everyone involved for making this happen. I love playing in the States and I feel like I belong out here now. It’s been exciting, playing a lot of courses that are new to me and teeing it up in all four Major Championships. Obviously tied-2nd at the John Deere was the highlight. No wins yet, but we’re getting closer.; we’re building, step by step.”

Number-crunching Christiaan’s year, among the many highlights was a low round of 64 in the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas where he registered a season’s best 20-under par aggregate. He finished fourth in Sand Saves and sixth in Strokes Gained Putting. Christiaan’s stroke average for the year was 70.32, placing him 37th on TOUR. 

Away from the PGA TOUR, Christiaan made excursions on to international soil for tournaments in Scotland, South Africa and Dubai. It’s been a busy and varied year. 

Christiaan now has a few weeks off before he becomes a rookie of a different kind, making his debut for the International Team in the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow as one of Trevor Immelman’s captain’s picks. He’ll then play selected appearances on the PGA TOUR’s fall schedule, before a run of tournaments in his home country of South Africa takes him through to the end of the calendar year.

On the philanthropic front, Christiaan is hosting a Celebrity-Am golf day at the Atlanta Country Club on Monday, October 24, to raise funds for the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research. It includes a hole-in-one prize of a $45,000 watch, courtesy of Christiaan’s sponsor IWC. If the watch isn’t claimed on the day, it will be auctioned at a later date with the full proceeds going to the Blank Center. 

Christiaan, who has lived with a stutter his whole life, entered into a partnership with the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research in 2021 to help raise awareness of the condition and be an ambassador for the life-changing work being done by the team led by the eminent Dr. Courtney Byrd. ‘Dream, Speak, Live’ is their slogan. 

“This partnership means a lot to me,” says Christiaan. “Together we can educate people about stuttering, teach them how to handle certain situations better. It’s a privilege to be in a position to inspire kids and help them overcome challenges and chase their dreams.”

For 2023, Christiaan will again focus the lion’s share of his attentions on the PGA TOUR. Not surprisingly, he’s relishing the prospect. “I’m already talking with my team and planning next year’s schedule,” says Christiaan. “Sure I’ll enjoy my time off with my wife and with my family, but when it’s time to play it’s time to play! I’ll be head down and 100 per cent committed. I like to put in the hard work and do what’s necessary to succeed. That’s just my nature.”