Historic win for Tlaitlai

NTHAKO MAJORO
MASERU
Teboho Tlaitlai etched his name into the annals of the Maseru Golf Club history last Sunday, delivering a stellar performance that earned him the October Monthly Mug. With three remarkable birdies, Tlaitlai, playing off a handicap 15, finished with a stunning net score of 62—his second Mug crown of the year after clinching victory in May.

“This net score of 62 is the score of my life,” the golfer said during an interview with Public Eye this Wednesday. Tlaitlai expressed a mix of joy and bittersweet reflection, recalling that this victory fell on the same day his father, Tieho Ralebese Stephen Tlaitlai passed away.

“Winning today made me remember him fondly,” he said, revealing the emotional weight behind his triumph. Reflecting on his journey this year, Tlaitlai said: “This is a new (personal record) since I started playing golf.” This was after Tlaitlai won the May Mug with a net score of 69.

Grateful for the support of his four-ball, Mopeli Mokhachane, Eddie Mangwana, and Rethabile Liphalana, Tlaitlai highlighted the importance of teamwork. “I putted so well, it felt surreal. From the first nine holes, I sensed something special was happening, yet I reminded myself to play as if nothing was at stake.”

In a fiercely competitive field of 37 golfers, former Maseru Golf Club Captain Masuhla Leteka claimed the runner-up position with a net score of 67, while Vivian Mo settled for third, also with a score of 67, decided by count out. The October Monthly Mug coincided with Lesotho’s 58th independence celebration and 200 bicentenary, making Tlaitlai’s victory even more significant.