Christiaan Bezuidenhout had a sensational outing at the American Express last week. Although he ended up as a solo runner-up, he earned the winner’s share of a whopping $1.52 million as prize money. The reason was the original winner Nick Dunlap was an amateur golfer and hence wasn’t eligible to receive the winner’s paycheck.
However, the South African golfer was seen stuttering in his post-tournament interview. The reason behind this can be owed to a damaged nervous system and speech issues. Back when he was merely two years old, his parents took him to a meeting in a business park. There he saw a Coke bottle that had rat poison in it. Unaware of the fact, the innocent took a sip of it and later was rushed to the hospital.
Although Christiaan Bezuidenhout‘s life was saved, his nervous system and speech were severely affected. He developed a stuttering, and the issue still remains with him despite being 29 years old.
Feel like a lot of people don’t know this. As a junior he’d worry about winning tournaments in case he had to give a victory speech. Just imagine that. Met him at the Presidents Cup and he was the loveliest guy. Said he liked my songs(!) and I said I wanted his putting stroke. https://t.co/m7hdcn1yvA
— Sam Harrop (@sam_golf) January 23, 2024
“Golf Was Like An Escape” – When Christiaan Bezuidenhout Shared How He Battled With His Speech Disorder
Back in 2020, the South African golfer gave an interview in which he recalled his story of how his speech issues started. He revealed that after the rat poison incident, the doctors stated that only a few minutes had saved his life.
Since he grew up in a golfing family, Bezuidenhout eventually fell in love with the sport. He recalled that he loved golf because it was an individual sport and he was able to spend more time with himself. Also, he had an affected speech so he felt like the game “was like an escape”. He said,
“I grew up in a golfing family and when I started to walk I loved golf. But I also liked it so much when I was younger because it is an individual sport and I was on my own most of the time. I was always a loner, practiced on my own. I took myself away from people and places with people there. Golf was like an escape from my circumstances.”
Bezuidenhout also revealed that most people in South Africa knew about his condition. So, whenever he would win a junior tournament, he would simply go collect the trophy and walk off without giving a speech.
Life may have been tough for the South African golfer but he did not lose hope. Bezuidenhout worked hard and became a professional golfer. He has recorded 10 professional victories so far out of which three have come on the DP World Tour. He is constantly making progress and the day is not far when he records his first victory on the PGA Tour as well.
