Some time ago we posted about the campaign to get Table Mountain appointed as one of 7 New Wonders of Nature.

We were even moved to make a video about the Cape Town landmark; the song in the clip was written and performed by a son of the Cape Town soil, Charl Pilwan.

In fact, the Campaign managers liked the video so much, they posted it on the Campaign website!

Voting is open until July 2011 and winners will be announced in November this year.

PLEASE get your vote counted.

It is the right thing to do.

For all South Africans.

Read this article by SAPA:

Cape Town could benefit to the tune of R1.4 billion a year if it is named one of the New7Wonders of Nature, a tourism hospitality and leisure research company has found. (Read the article here)

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Listen to Table Mountain Ambassador Soli Philander only on The Taxi

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The 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open teed off at the Hong Kong Golf Club in the New Territories town of Sheung Shui this morning.

The US$2,5 million event is co-sanctioned by the Hong Kong Golf Association, Asian Tour and the European Tour and this year South Africa is again well-represented in the tournament.

The tournament reaches a climax on Sunday and Howzit-HongKong.com will once again bring you all the latest direct from Sheung Shui.

Here are the six South Africans who teed off on day 1:

Charl Schwartzel

Hennie Otto pictured at the Madrid Master (Pic: Getty Images)

Jbe Kruger pictured in Thailand

Keith Horne

Peter Karmis pictured in Johannesburg (Pic: Getty Images)

South Africa’s Thomas Aiken

I am starting this category off with a young man from my “hood”… the Cape Flats of South Africa’s Mother City:

Cape Town.

His FaceBook Profile reads (sic):

Im a crazy guy who loves making muziq…thats right im a MUZO!  Its in my bones and i cant shake it…  Im a nomad,gypsy whateva you wanna call it…

Im Proudly South African…But now live wheva i can set up a stage!

Charl “BabyBoy” Pilwan is probably most known by those of you who used to frequent a quaint champagne bar in Central’s SoHo district called Soiree.

When I first got to know Charl, he was part of the resident band at Soiree called Choklit Soul comprising of Charl and Denver Damons from Cape Town as well as Rickie from Indonesia.

While the outfit has since disbanded with the departure (from Hong Kong) of Denver and Rickie, Charl Pilwan is very much partying up a storm, these days as part of a musical outfit playing at various party venues around Macao including the world-famous Venetian.

Choklit Soul’s Rickie, Denver and Charl partying up a storm at Soiree (Pic: Mike Jansen)

While they played mostly covers at Soiree, Choklit Soul has since recorded a successful album of original songs in Hong Kong.  Here is Charl singing their song “My Home” included in the Choklit Soul CD.  The video is made up of footage of his recent trip back home:

My Home. Charl & Zoe Pilwan on a recent trip back home to Cape Town.

Zoe & Charl atop Table Mountain with Camps Bay in the background (Pic: FaceBook)

Musical rebel with a Cause: Charl Pilwan and his Missus Zoe (Pic: FaceBook)

Here is a more recent video clip of Charl with an outfit he performed with at Soiree called The Mark Chapil Project:

The Mark Chapil Project consisted of Charl on vocals, Troy (hidden) on keyboards, Fernando on drums and guest artist Michal on trumpet.

Check out more of the Mark Chapil Project in England here

Charl Pilwan singing “No Woman,No Cry” here

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South Africa, and indeed Cape Town has so many talented, experienced and highly trained musicians and artists.  Unfortunately, their ability to perform and make a living is very limited and many of them choose to seek employment abroad.  This is a record of those musicians and singers who chose Hong Kong as their home-away-from-home.

For the love of Music.

If you liked this post about Charl Pilwan PLEASE nominate this blog:

Grégory Bourdy held off a hard charging Rory McIlroy to win the UBS Hong Kong Open by two shots on Sunday (15 November). 

The Frenchman carded a polished three-under-par 67 at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling to finish on 19-under 261 for the tournament.  Northern Irish youngster McIlroy showed flashes of his prodigious talent in compiling a 64, but fell just short in the US$2.5 million showpiece for the second year in a row. 

“It’s great, I had a fantastic week,” said a champagne-soaked Bourdy, 27. “It’s my best golf week, best golf day today. I played very consistent. I missed a few putts at the start of the round but I stayed confident.

“It’s my mother’s birthday today so I dedicate this to her. My girlfriend Anabelle is here also and everything went right.”

“I was relaxed today and all week. I was so confident. I tried to enjoy all my shots, all my rounds and did it. I missed just a few shots this week. I can’t believe it was so nice to play like this.”

 A triumphant Bourdy poses with the UBS HK Open trophy in the fading Fanling light (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Bourdy, the overnight leader by two shots, was unflappable down the stretch, picking up birdies at the 10th and 13th and calmly playing the final five holes to par. 

McIlroy, 20, roared on by the galleries, did his best to put Bourdy under pressure and closed the gap to one shot with consecutive birdies at the 15th and 16th.  But a three-putt bogey at the 17th took the wind out of his sails and Bourdy arrived at Fanling’s notoriously difficult final hole with a two-shot cushion. 

Bourdy collected the winner’s cheque for US$416,660 and enjoyed the bonus of leaping into the top 60 on the European Tour’s Race To Dubai, thereby qualifying for next week’s season-ending Dubai World Championship, “I wanted to stay focused on my game, play shot by shot, and I knew if I was three or four-under it would be OK to win the tournament,” said Bourdy.

“I didn’t look at the leaderboard until the 18th so I didn’t know Rory played well. I was three-under after 14 holes and it was nice to finish with a par on the 18th as it’s a tough hole. 

Unfortunately for the Frenchman, there was little time to soak up the Hong Kong adoration and celebrate his victory as he immediately jetted out of the SAR to Dubai for next week’s Dubai World Championship. 

“Dubai was the target before I played here. I knew if I won I’d go to Dubai but first was to play well today and win the UBS Hong Kong Open. I’ve played well, won and I’m going to Dubai, so I have everything.”

The victory was Bourdy’s third European Tour title after victories in the 2007 Mallorca Classic and the Open de Portugal last year. 

 A disappointed McIlroy speaks to the media after his final round at FanLing (Pic: Mike Jansen)

McIlroy – joint runner-up in the UBS Hong Kong Open a year ago after losing a three-way playoff to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen Tang – was forced to settle for second best again. 

But he could take consolation in the fact that he overtook Lee Westwood at the top of the Race To Dubai standings.  World No.17 McIlroy, who earned US$277,770 for his second place, refused to be too downhearted and paid tribute to the winner.

“I played lovely, really, really well,” he said. “I thought I needed a low one and went out with the mindset that if I went lower than 65 then I might have a chance, but Grégory obviously played very well. 

“If I’d birdied one of the last two holes I might have given myself a chance, so that’s the way it goes. I’m a bit disappointed at the moment but I have the consolation of going back to the top of the Race To Dubai. 

“There’s a lot that can go on next week but my goal this week was to win the UBS Hong Kong Open and I’ve come up just short again, for the second year in a row. But I gave it my best shot and that’s all I can do.”

Of the 3 South African contenders who made the cut, Charl Schwartzel finished highest at 10 under.  He was followed by Rory Sabbatini one shot back at 9 under, while Andrew McLardy concluded the 2009 UBS Hong Kong Open at 7 under par.

(Hong Kong Vryday 13 November 2009)

Vir baie mense is Vrydag die 13de ‘n dag van kwade dade en gebeure.  Vir Suid Afrika se Charl Schwartzel was dit net een ding: ‘n gesamentlike 9-onder voorlopers-posisie aan die einde van die tweede rondte van die UBS Hong Kong Open in FanLing.  Schwartzel deel die plek met China se Liang Wenchong, die Hollander Robert-Jan Derksen en Frankryk se Grégory Bourdy.

Schwartzel hoop dat sy suksesvolle tweede rondte in Hong Kong hom in ‘n goeie posisie sal plaas op die leiersbord vir die Europese Toer se Race to Dubai.  Die Suid Afrikaner is tans nommer 24 op die Toer se inkomste-lys na hy reeds €938,019 hierdie seisoen gewen het.  Sou hy in Hong Kong wen, sal hy, op nommer 15, sterk geplaas wees vir die laaste toernooi van die seisoen in Dubai.

“Ek kan seker nie meer die Race to Dubai wen nie, maar 2 oorwinnings sal die voorlopers sekerlik lekker skrik maak.”  het hy gese na afloop van Vrydag se spel.

“Ek is reg waar ‘n speler wil wees na twee rondtes,” Se hy verder.  “Ek speel tans goed en as ek so kan volhou, stuur hierdie toernooi op ‘n opwindende finaal af.”

Die vier voorlopers, insluitende Schwartzel is een hou voor nog ‘n Suid Afrikaner Rory Sabbatini asook Thailand se Chinnarat Phadungsil.

Na harde reen aan die einde van Dag 1, het Hong Kong vanoggend ietwat laer temperature ondervind.  Die son het egter in die namiddag kop uitgesteek en volgens Schwartzel het dit die speel-oppervlak en kondisies verbeter.  

Hy verduidelik: “Dit was koud vir die spelers in die oggend en die bal het nie te ver deur die lug getrek nie.  Ek het vroeg in my rondte met ‘n trui aan gespeel so ek dink die na-middag spelers was baie beter af (in terme van die weer).”

Na afloop van die WGC-HSBC Champions Toernooi  in Shanghai, China is Charl Schwartzel (71) tans Nommer 5 op die Suid Afrikaanse ranglys, een plek na Rory Sabbatini (61).  Hulle onderskeie posisies op die wereld-ranglys is tussen hakies.

South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel drives at the par-four 15th hole during the second round of the UBS Hong Kong Open on Friday, 13 November 2009. (Picture: Parallel Media Group)

South Africa’s 4th and 5th ranked players Rory Sabbatini and Charl Schwartzel remains at the top of the leaderboard after round 1 of the 2009 UBS Hong Kong Open.  Both players carded a five under 65 at Fanling in Hong Kong’s New Territories.

The top twenty players in South Africa was recently listed after the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, China.  World number sixteen Ernie Els top the list followed by Retief Goosen and Tim Clarke.

Honours even between Westwood and McIlroy

Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy remained locked in their Race To Dubai battle when they carded matching four-under-par 66s on the opening day of the UBS Hong Kong Open on Thursday (12 November). 

The duo’s efforts left them four shots off the lead in the US$2.5 million showpiece being held at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.

World No.4 Westwood mixed six birdies with two bogeys on his debut in the tournament. 

“It was good,” said the English ace. “The only green I missed was the last hole I played and that is a tough hole, No.9. I wouldn’t say I flushed it but I had enough control to hit 17 out of 18 greens.  “I had a lot of chances but found the greens very puzzling. I think I’m at a real disadvantage having only played the course once before [in the pro-am].

“It’s alright learning a course tee to green – it’s pretty obvious how you play tee to green – but on the greens, it’s such an advantage having played a few tournaments round here. So to start with four-under 66, I’m delighted.

“The only two bogeys I made were three putts and I had a load of chances.”

Asked what was so tough about the greens, Westwood replied: “The grain. It really does affect the ball, as much as anywhere. Sometimes it breaks up the hill.  “After about six or seven holes I called my caddie in and he had more of an idea. We gradually got it right and I eventually holed a couple.” 

As for the Race To Dubai, Westwood said he was trying not to think about it while playing this week. “I’m trying to win the UBS Hong Kong Open and that’s all,” he insisted.

Westwood leads the Race To Dubai with season earnings of €2,404,579 – a lead of €52,320 over McIlroy with just two tournaments remaining, Hong Kong and next week’s Dubai World Championship. 

McIlroy – joint runner-up in the UBS Hong Kong Open last year – had five birdies and a lone bogey as he kept pace with his rival. 

“There are 54 holes left so it doesn’t matter until Sunday,” the Northern Irish youngster said of his battle with Westwood. “We’re both playing pretty well to be in the positions we’re in so I’m not surprised Lee is up there. 

“I’ve just got to keep doing it. I’m not sure if three more 66s will be good enough so I might need to go a little better over the next three days.”

McIlroy admitted that playing in his third straight UBS Hong Kong Open could give him an advantage over Westwood.  “It’s just a question of getting used to the grain,” he said. “I don’t struggle too much. You just have to look to see which way the grass is going and then guess how much the grass is going to affect a putt. There’s no exact science to it.” 

Thailand’s Udorn Duangdecha leads the tournament after carding a superb eight-under 62.

Lee Westwood hands his ball to his caddy during the first round of the UBS Hong Kong Open on Thursday, 12 November 2009. Westwood carded a four-under-par 66. (Pic: Paul Lakatos/UBS Hong Kong Open)