Recent FISU Championship Golf a ‘breath of fresh air’ for student golfer

All images courtesy of Crystal Beukes and USSA Facebook pageSouth African golfer Crystal Beukes described the recent 2022 FISU World University Championship Golf as a ‘breath of fresh air’ following her participation at the global event held in Torino, Italy.

The 21-year-old, who was the only female in the four-member South African team selected for the championships, took up golf at age nine, inspired by her brother, having travelled with her parents to watch him compete from a young age.

Just over a decade later, Crystal found herself competing for her university on the international stage for the very first time, holding her own in a tough field, but making the most of her maiden international student-athlete event following the disappointment of missing out two years prior.

“I remember being selected for the FISU [Championship] in 2020 and then everything being canceled due to Covid, and just how disappointing that was for me,” she tells krikyalive.com. “Seeing the struggles my family and so many others around my had to face in the pandemic, it was just such a breath of fresh air to have the world return to a somewhat normality again and be able to participate in this tournament. Just simply interacting with people was so good!”

The camaraderie and friendships created with her fellow golfers is what Crystal says she will cherish the most from the championships.

“Meeting students from across the world and just sharing experiences and differences was the highlight for me,” she says. “Everyone was so friendly and just excited to be a part of this event and it definitely made the atmosphere of competition less intimidating.”

The third-year human life sciences student at Stellenbosch University, who highlights her parents as her biggest motivation, continues to pursue her passion four-to-five times a week, but insists studying towards her degree remains her priority at this stage.

“Right now studies gets a little more attention than my golf, just until my degree can be secured,” she says. “Life is unpredictable and an injury can occur at any point in your career and I think just having a degree as a safety net takes some pressure off having to always perform.”

A five-time winner on her local course and a regional champion, Crystal says turning professional after completing her studies remains her mid-term goal.

“My degree comes first right now, but thereafter I would definitely love to give professional golf a try,” she says. “I’ve loved the sport for many years and as a little kid watching PGA golf on TV, it’s always been a dream of mine to one day be amongst those really great players.”