Young golfer Martin Forster, aged 24, has already established himself as one of the leading professional golfers from South Africa. However, at the end of last month, he unexpectedly doubled his total career earnings in just one weekend at the LIV Golf UK tournament.
Despite finishing 31st in the overall standings, Forster earned approximately 2.45 million rounds for his individual performances. Additionally, he earned another 2.44 million rounds from the team prize pool of Southern Guards GC.
This unexpected large income came at a tournament he likely did not expect to participate in. Forster was brought in as a last-minute replacement for Louis Oosthuizen, who was withdrawn due to a recurring back injury.
Forster's payout of 4.9 million rounds at LIV Golf UK instantly surpassed all his lifetime earnings on the Sunshine Tour, which currently stand at 4.5 million rounds. Before traveling to the UK, his largest win was 769,618 rounds at the MyGolfLife Open.
Opportunities for earning continue. Forster will once again participate in the lucrative LIV Golf Chicago tournament, playing as a substitute for his injured coach. His teammate from SGGC, Dean Bermster, believes the young athlete is fully ready for this moment.
Bermster noted: 'I played nine holes with Martin yesterday, and his game looks very good. This should be a pleasant experience for him. I hope he is happy to test himself against some of the best players in the world.'
Before his unplanned debut, Forster admitted that he was slightly overwhelmed by the new conditions. He recounted: 'I was just practicing on the course, and when I turned around, Bryson DeChambeau was watching me. We introduced ourselves, and he said that I seemed to hit quite far. I just laughed and told him, 'I don't think as far as you!'