Page 35 - Interface October Issue 2025

But when South Africa “I kept losing to him,” Darren When the demands of international
returned to international admits. “One day he travel threatened to pull him away,
sport in the early said, ‘You’re trying to Natasha was the one who steadied the
Everyone
’90s, he saw an win. Don’t try to win. family. “She was a gladiator,” he says.
thought I was
opportunity. “I didn’t Stick to your game “She kept everything balanced — me,
crazy to turn
want other people plan and let the the kids, the house, the travel. She even
pro at 18. I wanted
deciding my future. other guy crack became my manager for a while.”
I wanted to be in to be in control of first.’ It sounded
control of my own my own ridiculous The boys grew up on tour, experiencing
achievements.” achievements. at the time, Dubai, Canada, and Europe before
Against all advice, he but it changed choosing their own paths. One
turned professional. everything.” inherited Darren’s love of home; the
other took after Natasha, eager to
It was a bold move that paid The advice stuck. Years later, travel and explore. Through it all, family
off quickly. Within three years he’d statistics showed that whenever meetings and open conversations kept
already won his first tournament, Darren led going into a final round, them grounded. “We always told them
proving wrong all those who said he never lost. “McNulty was right,” he — be honest, say what you feel. That’s
he’d sink without a safety net. says. “It’s about patience, not panic.” how we made it work.”

Learning how to win Building a life around family The mental game
Raw talent alone doesn’t win For all his victories — five on the To outsiders, golf looks serene. But
tournaments — Darren is quick European Tour, 24 professional Darren knows it’s one of the most
to point that out. What made the titles in total — Darren talks most mentally demanding sports in the
difference were the lessons he passionately about his world. “You stand over a shot and
learned from seasoned professionals wife Natasha and suddenly all you see is the bunker
like Mark McNulty. their two sons. or the water hazard. You’ve got
to reset, commit, and trust
Natasha was
yourself. Six weeks on tour
a gladiator —
can leave you mentally
she balanced me,
hammered.”
the kids, and
the tour.
That mental strength has
carried him through decades
of competition and now into
the senior circuit. At 50, Darren is
competing with his peers again,
managing his body with care and
enjoying the game as much as ever.
“As long as the body holds up, I’ll keep
going,” he says.

More than a golfer
In Centurion Golf Estate, Darren is
not just the professional seen on
television. He’s the neighbour walking
the fairways, the dad who values home
above all else, the man who still lights
up when telling the story of his pawn-
shop clubs.

“I’ve been blessed in my career,” he
says. “But my family is everything.
That’s the core. The rest of it fits in
around them.”

For the estate, that’s the real story:
a world-class golfer whose proudest
victories are the ones that happen
at home.

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