26 Nov 2024
Ivanna Samu - faith, courage and talent
Professional golfer and coach, Ivanna, has overcome a debilitating back injury and beaten cancer to come out swinging for success. She's currently ranked 38th on the Investec Order of Merit and with Investec behind her she has sights on the LPGA.
Life will always throw you curve balls, enjoy the butterflies, hold onto the excitement and never give up on anything that makes you happy
I focus on what I can control such as my breathing and my thoughts, instead of feeling overwhelmed by the things I cannot control
Where are you currently ranked and what is your biggest golfing achievement to date?
I am currently ranked 38th on the Investec Order of Merit on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, and 12th amongst the South African women’s professionals.
I was the order of merit winner for the Standard Bank Pro-Am series in 2021.
What advice would you give aspiring young golfers who want to make a profession of golf?
Golf is a game that you will never perfect, you will go through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in your journey, but the most important part of all this is that you never forget the joy and happiness or why you started playing golf. If you love what you do you will never feel like it cannot be achieved.
How did your upbringing shape who you are now?
I can confidently say that my upbringing has shaped me into who I am now, someone who will always be kind and caring because I have felt the pain of being bullied my whole life. The feeling of never being accepted by peers pushed me to be better than I ever expected. My family has played a huge role in giving me the confidence to be myself and go out in life knowing that no matter what may happen, I come home to a supportive team that will always want the best for me.
Throughout the struggles and hardships I’ve had to overcome, I learnt that you can do all things through Christ .
How old were you when you started playing golf and what drew you to the sport?
I was 10 years old when I started playing golf however I was introduced to golf long before that, with my dad Danny and brother Julian, who would go to the club weekly. I am just 16 months younger than my brother and he was always someone I looked up to and always wanted to be like, and do what he did so I picked up a club and started playing golf with someone who I saw as my only friend at the time.
Life will always throw you curve balls, enjoy the butterflies, hold onto the excitement and never give up on anything that makes you happy.
How has your golf career progressed?
As an amateur it felt like I was living a dream, representing South Africa on multiple occasions in many different countries. I won several tournaments all over the country and achieved things I could have only dreamed about.
Living on that high, I fully committed to being a professional golfer and achieving the same things as I did as an amateur and turned Pro on my 18th birthday.
I can now say that my professional career has been a completely different journey than I planned, I started my first year as a pro in 2018 achieving Top 10 finishes in 4 events, I went to the LPGA Q-school and missed it by one shot.
2019 had different plans for me and I was faced with a back injury that left me 40% disabled. I, therefore, had to take 6 months off from playing professionally while I was undergoing stem cell therapy. Going into the 2020 season I felt rusty, but I was so happy to be able to play golf again, I still managed to finish in the top 30 on the Investec Order of Merit.
Playing in the Investec SA Open hosted in Cape Town, I just didn’t feel like myself and when I got home my partner, Liam, noticed a lump on my neck that turned out to be related to Thyroid cancer. I was now faced with another battle that would take me out of playing professional golf, fighting cancer during COVID and everything that came after, with three years of remission and all the mental and physical battles that came with it.
After COVID, unfortunately, my family could no longer financially support me playing golf. So, while I was recovering, I started coaching. I truly believe coaching juniors has helped me hone my skills as a professional. Coaching provides me with a lot of joy and helps me balance the pressure of tournaments, and gives me perspective when I don't perform well. What I gain from coaching I hold close to my heart.
Looking back I can positively say, that everything I have been through has made me stronger as a golfer, and more appreciative of my surroundings when I’m out playing. Playing as a professional golfer and coaching part-time means I get to live my dreams no matter the outcome or result of a tournament.
How did you feel when Investec approached you to be sponsored as a pro-golfer?
When receiving the call from Peta that Investec would like to have a meeting and speak about my future, I was honestly overwhelmed with emotion. The next few nights I struggled to sleep, constantly thinking of questions that may be asked, and how to present myself.
I was so anxious that I might say or do something that could affect their decision because I know this opportunity is truly life-changing for me and my family. We are your average middle-class family, financially, my parents have always given my brother and me the best opportunity to achieve our goals at their expense.
When the words came out of Peta’s mouth “We would like you to join our team and we would like to offer you financial support”, I had no words only tears. It was like God had shown me that all the battles I had overcome led me to that exact moment and for that I am truly grateful to Investec
What can be achieved in the South African women’s golfing fraternity through Investec’s sponsorship of South African Women’s Open?
I believe that the opportunity presented by Investec South Africa Women’s Open is the perfect place to measure yourself against some of the best golfers on the Ladies European Tour. It is an opportunity for us local ladies to soak up the life we dream of and gain the experience of competing in that environment
What Investec does behind the scenes, with the development of young aspiring golfers is larger than the game of golf. The opportunities they give young girls to be exposed to a dream they never thought they could achieve, that is truly inspiring to me!
Tiger Woods – How I Play Golf
It’s the climb – Miley Cyrus and Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Faith like Potatoes and Forrest Gump
To go above and beyond. To do something or be something special or different from others
What or whom do you draw on to remain positive and get through adversity, on and off the golf course?
My main motivation is my belief that I can do all things through Christ. The support that my family, Liam and his family have shown me over the years is deeply motivational, and during the hardest times I think back to all the people who have played a role in my life, and all the people who have supported me with a donation or just the kind words of inspiration. The friends I have made over the years on and off the golf course have shown me that life can be hard, but, when you feel like something is unachievable alone, lean on God and the people whom He has put in your life.
What’s your proudest achievement to date?
I can proudly say that I beat cancer.
What’s the one improvement or change that you would like to make to the game of golf?
If I could change anything in golf, I would want women’s golf in South Africa to grow into a tour where we are constantly competing every week allowing us to make golf a full-time job instead of having to split our time because we need a secondary source of income to support our dreams of playing professional golf.
How do you keep a healthy balance between your personal life and your career?
I believe it is important to have hobbies outside of the golfing environment. I find things that bring me joy such as being out in nature and enjoying God’s beautiful creations, listening to music and dancing.
If you could play the last round of your life with anyone you choose, who would it be and why?
I would choose to play my last round of golf with Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy as they have always been my golfing heroes. To finish my four ball, I would choose to have my late coach Big EL (Eldridge Westner), he built my golf swing and without him, I would not be where I am today. Then my parents and Liam as spectators because it wouldn’t be complete without them.
Do you have a role model? If yes, whom?
I have many people who have inspired me in my life. If I had to name one person in golf it would have to be Lee-Ann Pace, she is someone I have always aspired to be like, in the way she portrays herself on and off the course and her golf swing is just beautiful. I am blessed to say that Lee-Ann is a friend and the advice she has given me over the years is unforgettable.
In life, my role models would have to be my dad and uncle Ivan, they have always shown me that no matter the cards dealt to you in life you can always make the tables turn in your favour.
What do you enjoy most about being a professional golfer?
The thing I love most about being a professional Golfer would have to be travelling to new places, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
I see myself in 10 years as someone who is inspiring people all over the world, that no matter how hard life may seem there is always hope, there is always light in the darkness, all while playing on the LPGA tour and being the best golfer I possibly could be.