GolfRSA names experienced quartet for prestigious Spirit International

26 August 2026 – GolfRSA has selected an accomplished quartet of Bryan Newman, Jack Buchanan, Kyra van Kan and Samantha Whateley to represent South Africa at the 2026 Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship, to be played at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, from 10-15 November.

The biennial event will bring together 20 of the world’s leading amateur golf nations in a unique mixed-team format, with South Africa one of only three countries, alongside the United States and Mexico, to have competed in every edition since the tournament’s inception.

The team features two reigning continental champions, a pair of former South African amateur champions and four players who have all excelled in the highly competitive NCAA system in the United States.

North West’s Newman earned selection following another outstanding season that included victory in the 2025 Africa Amateur Championship and the 2026 South African Stroke Play Championship. The Arizona State University freshman has quickly established himself among South Africa’s leading amateurs with his powerful all-round game.

Buchanan from Western Province heads to Texas as the reigning Africa Amateur champion after another exceptional collegiate campaign with the University of Southern California. He shared medallist honours alongside Stanford’s Dean Greyserman at the historic 79th Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo, represented the victorious International Team in the 2026 Palmer Cup and earned NCAA Division I PING All-Region honours.

Van Kan from Ekurhuleni brings a wealth of international experience to the women’s team. The former South African Amateur Stroke Play and Match Play champion and inaugural Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational winner enjoyed a breakthrough season with the University of Tennessee, helping the Lady Vols capture the first SEC Women’s Golf Championship in programme history in 2025. She also earned All-American honours and claimed her maiden collegiate title at the Paradise Invitational.

Central Gauteng’s Whateley completes the quartet after another impressive season in the United States. The former South African Women’s Stroke Play champion and North Carolina Women’s Amateur champion celebrated her first collegiate victory at the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship with a nine-under-par winning total, and qualified for the US Women’s Amateur twice, adding another milestone to an already impressive amateur career.

GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn believes the team is well equipped to continue South Africa’s proud tradition at one of amateur golf’s most prestigious international invitations.

“We are proud to announce another exceptionally strong team to represent South Africa at the Spirit International,” Hepburn said.

“This tournament brings together some of the world’s leading amateur golfers and offers our players another invaluable opportunity to compete against the very best on one of the game’s premier international stages.

“Bryan, Jack, Kyra and Samantha have all earned this opportunity through sustained excellence both at home and in the United States collegiate system. They have demonstrated the quality, consistency and character we value in our national teams, and we are confident they will represent South Africa with distinction.

“Our players continue to prove they belong among the world’s elite amateurs, and events like the Spirit International are an important part of their continued development as they prepare for the next stages of their golfing careers.”

Women’s Golf South Africa President and team manager Madeleine de Wet said the unique mixed-team format made the Spirit International one of the most rewarding events in amateur golf.

“The Spirit International is unlike any other event in amateur golf,” De Wet said. “It places equal emphasis on the men’s and women’s teams, with every score contributing towards the overall international competition, and that makes teamwork absolutely essential.

“One of the great strengths of this team is that all four players have experience of competing at the highest level, whether representing South Africa or through the demands of NCAA golf. They understand what it takes to perform under pressure and they have built strong relationships through our national programmes over many years.

“South Africa has produced some memorable performances at the Spirit International, and this group has every opportunity to add another proud chapter to that history. We are looking forward to the challenge and excited to see what they can achieve together.”

South Africa has enjoyed several memorable performances at the Spirit International. The Proteas recorded their best overall finishes with tied fifth-place results in 2011 and 2013, while Martin Vorster and Sam Simpson produced one of the country’s finest displays in 2019 by claiming the men’s team silver medal. Christo Lamprecht and Kieron van Wyk combined for the lowest final round of the tournament during South Africa’s top-10 finish in 2021, while the 2024 team placed ninth overall.

The Spirit International is by leading players from 20 countries contested over 54 holes of better-ball competition at the acclaimed Trinity venue in Texas.

Five competitions are contested simultaneously: the International Team Championship, Men’s Team Championship, Women’s Team Championship, Men’s Individual Championship and Women’s Individual Championship, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in each category.

 2026 Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship
Venue: Whispering Pines Golf Club, Trinity, Texas
Dates: 10-15 November 2026

South African Team

Bryan Newman (Arizona State University)
Jack Buchanan (University of Southern California)
Kyra van Kan (University of Tennessee)
Samantha Whateley (Mississippi State University)