Beyond Talent: Christiaan Bezuidenhout On The Mindset and Disciplines of Professional Athletes
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Family is the foundation of everything.
Work hard and enjoy the process.
Be humble.
Put maximum effort into your preparation.
Learn a stock shot under pressure…you’re going to need it!
In the world of sports, talent is abundant but individual greatness is defined by a unique mindset and steadfast discipline. In this series, we go one-on-one with athletes who raise the bar not just in skill, but in mental preparation and routine discipline. We’ll explore their thought processes and uncover the reasoning behind the specific habits that give them an edge. Prepare for a deep dive that could reshape how you approach discipline and mental resilience. This isn’t just about the game; it’s a blueprint for achieving peak performance in life. I had the honor of interviewing Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout started playing golf at the age of four, growing up next to Delmas GC in South Africa. He excelled as a junior and thrived in his four years as a member of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation.
Christiaan turned professional in 2015, winning the Order of Merit on the Big Easy Tour, the developmental tour for the Sunshine Tour. He was Rookie of the Year on the Sunshine Tour in 2017 and earned a DP World Tour card for 2018.
Finding his feet quickly, Christiaan claimed his maiden Tour title in 2019 at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation, shooting rounds of 66, 68, 69, 71 on the notoriously tough Valderrama layout for an impressive six-stroke victory.
Christiaan finished 2020 seventh on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai and broke into the Top-50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. In 2021 he represented South Africa in the Olympics in Tokyo and, at the end of that season, earned his 2021–22 PGA TOUR card after finishing fifth in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. In this, his rookie year, he finished a creditable 51st in the FedEx Cup. The icing on the cake was a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.
In 2023 Christiaan had a solid year, somewhat hampered at times by injury, but finishing inside the requisite top-125 on the FedEx Cup rankings to guarantee his playing privileges for the 2024 season.
Christiaan resides in Florida with his wife, Kristen. In November 2023 the couple were blessed to welcome their first child to the world, a son, John Christiaan.
Thanks for being part of this series. Let’s jump in and focus on your early years. Can you share who was your biggest influence when you were young and provide specific examples of what you learned from them that helped shape who you’ve become and how you live your life today?
First things first, my family has always supported me in everything that I do. You can’t even begin to quantify how much of a positive impact that has. My other great influence has been Ernie Els. Getting to be a member of his foundation [The Ernie Els Foundation] from 2011 to 2014 was life changing. It gave me playing opportunities, guidance, and of course inspiration from the man himself. It was kind of a launchpad for my career. Ernie has continued to give me advice in my pro career; he’s become a great friend.
A lot of children are introduced to sports their parents play and then move on to try other sports. Why did you stick with golf?
It was always going to be golf for me. I was never interested in team sports. I loved golf as soon as I started playing around the age of 4 or 5 and it got all my focus and attention when I was growing up. I remember the golf course being my sanctuary; that’s where I was happiest as a kid. All I ever wanted to do was become a professional golfer.
You were confident on the golf course but when it came to speaking in public, that’s something you shied away from. Why?
Yes, that’s true. I was nervous about speaking in public when I was younger. I was just very self-conscious about my stutter. It made me anxious, so I tried to avoid those situations. Back then, there wasn’t much information or education about stuttering, which is why it means so much to me to be partnered with the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research. Dr Courtney Byrd and her team are doing groundbreaking work, educating people about stuttering, and teaching kids how to handle certain situations and grow into confident young adults. It’s a privilege to be a part of that and hopefully, the kids can see what I’ve done, also that I’ve developed the confidence to speak in public, and they can be inspired by that.
Staying on the topic of influence, who has been your biggest catalyst more recently and what can you share that you’ve learned from them that led you to make changes in your life?
I’m a strong believer that a stable and happy home life is a catalyst to success in your professional life. Where we are now, established on the PGA TOUR and growing ever more comfortable with our new life in America, honestly, I couldn’t have achieved any of this without my wife Kristen’s love and support. She is my rock, my best friend.
Resilience is a hallmark of high performers, especially in the world of athletics. Could you share the hardest thing you experienced as an athlete, how you dealt with it, what you learned, and the overall impact it’s had in your life?
Ask any athlete in any sport, they’ll all say they’ve experienced tough times to get to where they are. That’s life. One of my toughest experiences was around the time of the Amateur Championship in 2014 when I was given a suspension for taking beta-blockers, which I’d been prescribed for my stutter and anxiety. It was incredibly hurtful because we knew we hadn’t done anything wrong, but luckily, I had good people around me and we cleared my name. That was the darkest period of my life; I’d always been brought up to respect the values of honesty and integrity. But looking back, I do think it made me stronger.”
Can you share the single most significant sports moment or achievement from your career and provide some context around why it’s your most significant highlight?
Winning for the first time on the DP World Tour in 2019 was a big moment. It gives you a massive boost in confidence and self-belief, particularly so in the way it happened for me, in Spain, playing the last round with home favorite Jon Rahm. That was an incredible week. Winning the South African Open the following year is right up there, too. I mean, it’s every player’s dream to win their national open. It’s surreal when you get your hands on that beautiful old trophy and see the legends of South African golf who have won it before. That’s a special moment that I’ll never forget.
You’re clearly driven by a specific set of disciplines that guide you. Can you share your top five that you personally prioritize and how they influence your daily routine?
That’s a good question…had to think about this one for a while! The first one on my list isn’t a choice, more of a blessing. The rest are in our control.
- Family is the foundation of everything.
- Work hard and enjoy the process.
- Be humble.
- Put maximum effort into your preparation.
- Learn a stock shot under pressure…you’re going to need it!
Nobody’s perfect. Share an instance where taking on too much served as a critical lesson that you learned from. What happened and how did you respond?
It’s hard to think of a specific example. When I think back to those first few years on Tour, everything is new, and things are happening so fast — it feels like a bit of a rollercoaster. You don’t always get things right. But wow…you learn fast. Everyone’s different; we all have our routines and ways of doing things, so it’s a case of listening to your inner voice and those closest to you.
Measuring discipline can be tricky. How do you track or assess how your discipline impacts your results? Do you track or keep a scorecard of any of your daily habits or disciplines?
We’re fortunate in golf because the Tour gives us all the stats and data that we could need to analyze our performance — what we’re doing well, what we can improve on, how you measure up against the best in each department of the game. It’s one of the best tools we have for figuring out what you need to do to compete and win. During a tournament, preparation is critical for me. I like structure to my day; that’s how I get into the right mindset and feel comfortable that I’m ready to play.
Ever found yourself at a crossroads, where your commitment to discipline clashed with other realities in your life? How did you handle it and what was the outcome?
I don’t think so. As I said before, being on Tour is a constant learning process. But I’ve always been a determined person, very disciplined. It’s in my nature. I enjoy working hard and doing what’s necessary to succeed.
Reflecting on your athletic journey, what’s one thing you would go back and do differently if given the chance?
Everything you do, good and bad, teaches you a lesson. So, I wouldn’t change a thing.
When it comes to pursuing the highest level in your sport, what valuable advice could you give someone that you wish someone would have told you?
That’s a tough one. Everyone’s different. But I think it’s important to assemble a good team around you as early in your career as you can; people you can trust to take care of all the things that happen off the golf course. You want to have your mind free to focus on playing golf.
If we were sitting together two years from now, looking back at the past 24 months, what specifically has to happen for you personally and professionally, for you to be happy with your results?
Professionally, my goal now is to win on the PGA TOUR. We’ve had a few near misses and I feel like my time is soon. Just got to be patient, keep putting in the work, and then try to stay composed and seize the moment when it comes my way. From a personal perspective, we’ve recently been blessed with our first child, John. Life honestly couldn’t be better.
Finally, where can fans and fellow athletes follow your journey of talent and discipline?
We have a dedicated official website: www.cbez.golf. And I’m on social media, mostly Instagram @cbezgolf.
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur and thought-leader. With over 25 years of business experience, Chad’s entire career has been dedicated to creating a positive social impact in all of his enterprises. His entrepreneurial journey began while in college at The Ohio State University, where he founded Choice Recovery, Inc., which earned national recognition and was twice ranked as the #1 company to work for in Central Ohio. Chad is now a strategic advisor for Authority Magazine’s thought-leader incubator and an Executive Leadership Coach with Built to Lead, where he recently launched an online community for leadership development.
To learn more and connect with Chad, visit www.chadsilverstein.io
