Interview with young South Africa-based golfer Jaden Deltel |22 May 2023
Jaden Deltel was voted most valuable player (MVP) of the Mbombela tournament
‘Failures can be a stepping stone to success’
Young golfer Jaden Deltel has expressed his intension of achieving greater feats in golf, thus preparing himself for the Toyota Junior World Cup in June 2023 and taking the next step to go professional.
Deltel is holidaying here and last week he gave an interview to Sports NATION in the presence of his father David Deltel.
Seychelles-born Jaden Deltel is quickly progressing in golf since making his debut as an amateur golfer and he is making an impact in the eyes of Titleist which provides golf merchandise.
Currently residing in South Africa ‒ the country he plays for ‒, Deltel recently competed in the Nedbank Junior Challenge, an annual event organised by Golf RSA ‒ the unified body of the South African Golf Association and Women’s Golf South Africa.
Competing against top South African Junior Protea, Deltel managed to be ranked 18th in the championships with one win. Pitting against formidable rivals, he showed good quality despite the not-so satisfying finish. Deltel said the he enjoyed the tournament and the course, describing it as “a good challenge and a good test for my game”.
Deltel mentioned that “the Nedbank Junior Challenge saw the involvement of the best junior golfers in South Africa and this time around my game was slightly off”.
To back his son’s claim that a golfer needs to play his best game to win, Deltel senior said “golf is not as easy as most people think. You play against fields of 70 to 80 players and 30 out of them can win on any given day.”
“To win a tournament you have to beat 70 guys which makes it hard,” added Deltel senior.
He noted that consistent wins is a challenge against the best junior golfers in South Africa.
The Toyota Junior World Cup is scheduled for June 20-23, 2023. Deltel (Jaden) stated that he is working hard with mentor Gavan Levenson, his technical advisor Bernard van De Meeburg and keeping in shape with his fitness coach Myles Usher.
Deltel feels positive he can get some good results in the upcoming Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan, adding that he has been training three times a week to step up his game.
“I have to bring my A-game to the World Cup and I have a lot of confidence in the South Africa team. I am 100% sure of great results this June in Tokyo,” said Deltel.
Deltel started playing golf in Seychelles and realising that the facilities here were not to the level as his game was growing fast with some wins in the junior and even senior competitions, the parents moved to South Africa to give their son the possibility to improve his game on the biggest stage.
Shortly after settling in South Africa, Deltel, playing for the Bryanston Country Club, won the 2018 Sun City U-15 Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club when he was 13 years old and when he was assessed, the report identified that he has the qualities needed to be a great golf player.
He made the Golf RSA national squad by the age of 15 and followed that by being selected for the South African Junior Pro tier team which is the Top four juniors in the country who compete internationally and at a young age he is an ambassador for the brand of his sponsor. He won the Inter-Provincial held in Mbomela unbeaten and is the only the second player in its 70-year to achieve this feat.
Aged 18, Deltel believes it will take a few years before he becomes a pro player, but in the meantime he aims to get more international experience, playing the Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan followed by the UK Tour next year when he gets to play on courses in Ireland, Scotland and England.
The junior golfer expressed that it is up to him when he feels ready emotionally, mentally, physically and technically to go professional.
To explain how hard it can be, Deltel senior told Sports NATION that “golf is such a hard game and your emotions might disrupt your game, especially when playing at professional level.
“The point we are trying to make is that you need emotional maturity to be consistent in a very competitive environment,” said Deltel senior.
He added that his son has the skills to go pro, but there are more elements to learn and experience. “In tennis or other sports if you have a win percentage of 90% you are the best, but in golf it is different. If you have a win percentage of 10 to 20% you are outstanding.
“Going pro you will have to face a lot of disappointments, but it is the grind of getting up and moving forward afterwards that matters, by achieving this emotional maturity he can glide past these obstacles like his idol Tiger Woods,” said Deltel senior.
He noted that players like Woods have the wits and ability to week in week out win games and tournaments with their level of mental coolness in the game and the consistent good performance.
Deltel senior added: “I’m very proud of my son and the progress he has made over the years. Taking into consideration the level of competition and the other golfers’ competitiveness, Jayden is doing very good in his career.”
Mr Deltel believes that some people are born to practice the sport and he mentioned that one must have a certain personality with the unquenchable drive to be better each day.
Golf being an individual sport you are fully accountable for your actions, making the game oscillating at times.
A lot of emphasis is put on Jayden’s health and physical state which is why working with his fitness coach is necessary.
“The misconception about golf is that it is often seen as stationary, but having a healthy body and form pave the way for a good performance,” added Deltel senior.
Deltel (Jayden) believes he still has to improve his game to achieve his goal and the fact that he is passionate about the sport, it helps him to stay focus.
He shared that even after failures his father teaches him to use them as a stepping stone for progress and learn from what he has done wrong.
“After each tournament my father usually asks me to name five things that I learned from the game and this helps,” said Deltel.
The young golfer has made a lot of sacrifices as a child and teenager in his quest to be one of the best South African junior players and achieve his dream of turning pro and playing all four majors in golf ‒ Masters Tournament, US Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship.
Neil Sirame
