If you haven’t heard of Kieron van Wyk, it’s probably time to start paying attention. In his PGA Tour debut at the Puerto Rico Open two weekends ago, the 23-year-old South African played in the final group on Sunday and finished T4.
“I didn’t have many expectations going into the week as it was my PGA Tour debut,” said van Wyk, who posted rounds of 66-68-65-70. “I was just happy to tee it up first and foremost and I was delighted with how I showed out on the weekend.”
While many might not have heard his name before the Puerto Rico Open, golfers he’s played with certainly remember him. He’s No. 1 on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Collegiate Ranking. He’s a two-time conference player of the year at the College of Charleston, where he is currently a senior. Van Wyk also has some lofty expectations for his career.
“I would like to be one of the all-time greats of South Africa along with the names of Ernie Els and Gary Player,” van Wyk said.
Van Wyk grew up in Johannesburg. His dad, Rodnill, taught both van Wyk and his older brother golf at the ages of 4 and 7, and the siblings would hit balls in the garden.
“We fell in love with it straight away,” van Wyk said.
“I’m a guy who believes in himself quite a bit. I always back myself.”
Kieron van Wyk
Golf greats like Els and Player were big influences on many young South African players, but van Wyk says his biggest icon was Tiger Woods. Watching Woods in the Masters and other tournaments made van Wyk decide he wanted to play on the PGA Tour.
“From an early age, maybe 8 or 9, watching the best players on tour really struck me and it became a goal that I wanted to be there,” van Wyk said.
Van Wyk played in many junior and high school tournaments in South Africa. He quickly started to attract the attention of college recruiters in the United States.
Mitch Krywulycz is in his seventh year as head coach of the College of Charleston’s golf team. He remembers a friend giving him a tip about van Wyk when the South African was 15 years old. Soon, Krywulycz knew he had to sign van Wyk for the College of Charleston.
“Kieron ticked all those boxes,” Krywulycz said. “He’s not a huge talker. He’s not going to tell you how great he is. He’s just there to play golf and compete.”
Van Wyk’s college career didn’t get off to a great start. In van Wyk’s first tournament, Krywulycz remembers pouring rain and winds gusting at 30 mph. It certainly didn’t help that the freshman’s grips were worn down from practicing all summer.
“Kieron couldn’t even hold onto the golf club,” Krywulycz said.
Ultimately, the weather was so brutal that the tournament was cancelled and the scores were not recorded, but van Wyk says the memory still sticks with him.
“It was one of the worst golfing experiences I’ve had in a long time,” van Wyk said. “I do remember what my score was; I won’t share it though.”
A bad performance can sometimes be detrimental for a golfer’s psyche, but Krywulycz says his player’s mental game is strong.
“That was his introduction to college golf and, in a cool way, he didn’t let that beat him down,” Krywulycz said. “He took it on the chin and put it to the side.”
Van Wyk says this comes down to the greatest strength of his game: his self-belief.
“I’m a guy who believes in himself quite a bit,” van Wyk said. “I always back myself.”
The South African immediately bounced back. In his freshman year, he won the CAA Conference Championship, becoming the first Black golfer to win individual medalist honors. He was the CAA Golfer of the Year in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Van Wyk’s win at the 2024 White Sands Bahamas Invitational earned him the spot in this year’s Puerto Rico Open.
In January, van Wyk became the first amateur to win on the APGA Tour – a circuit that focuses on providing competitive opportunities for underrepresented golfers – capturing the Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines.
Krywulycz, who has been a golf coach for years, says van Wyk is special.
“I’ve never coached another player where I thought if I can just get him around the lead he’ll probably win,” Krywulycz said.
Others are starting to take note of the young South African, including Puerto Rico Open winner Karl Vilips, who played with van Wyk in the final round.
“It’s a tough position to be in, final round, final group and the chance to win a PGA Tour event as an amateur,” Vilips said. “He handled it very well.”
Most importantly, van Wyk’s performance in his PGA Tour debut showed him he belonged.
“There’s not much of a difference from good college golfers and good amateurs than professionals but you see it in some ways and I was able to pick up on a few of those,” van Wyk said.
By virtue of his top-10 finish in Puerto Rico, van Wyk earned another PGA Tour start in this week’s Valspar Championship. After his maiden performance, van Wyk believes he’s ready.
“It showed I can play out there, I can hang with those guys and my game is good enough to put myself in contention,” van Wyk said.
E-MAIL EVERETT
Top: Kieron van Wyk plays in the final round of the 2025 Puerto Rico Open.
Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
