Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT – Dawie van der Walt is the latest Lamar golfer to earn his PGA Tour card.

Van der Walt, a three-time first-team All-Southland Conference selection and the 2007 Southland Conference Golfer of the Year, secured his card at the Winco Foods Portland Open, the final regular-season event on the Web.com Tour.

“It’s a sense of relief to finally earn the PGA Tour card,” van der Walt said. “It’s something I’ve worked very hard to achieve. I’m going to continue to work hard to keep my game sharp and stay on the Tour.”

Van der Walt becomes the third LU alumnus currently on the PGA Tour, joining Shawn Stefani and Chris Stroud.

“I think that speaks highly for the golf program at Lamar University,” van der Walt said. “We were very proud of what we accomplished.”

The native of Paarl, South Africa, who now makes his home in Kingwood, stays in touch with Stroud and Stefani.

“I talk to Chris all the time,” van der Walt said. “We both work with the same golf coach who has really helped us with our game.

“I don’t talk to Shawn as much, but I am sure I’ll see him quite a bit on the Tour next season.”

Van der Walt has a successful 2015 on the Web.com Tour, winning two events, the Chile Classic and the Price Cutter Charity Championship. Since turning pro in 2007, van der Walt also had two wins on the European Tour, two on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, three on the Adams Pro Golf Tour and one on the Hooters Tour. He received the Order of Merit on the Sunshine Tour in 2013.

“It’s been a long road to getting my card, but it’s been worth it,” van der Walt said. “I’m excited to be on the Tour with the best golfers in the world.”

Van der Walt’s first appearance on the PGA Tour will be at the Frys.com Open, the first regular-season event of the 2015-16 campaign, which will be held from Oct. 15-18 in Napa, Calif.

“That will be exciting,” van der Walt said of the Frys.com Open. “I will keep my game sharp, and I will be ready.”