Prior to his dramatic win on Sunday in the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa, world number four and local hero Louis Oosthuizen had the best Friday of his life. Not only did he move into the lead in the tournament, but he also received the keys to the very thing that he has coveted for two years – a Volvo EC55B Compact Excavator.

A very special feature on the second day of the Volvo Golf Champions was the Amateur-Pro Team Competition, giving Volvo’s customers the unique thrill of playing together with the pros during the actual professional tournament, live on TV and broadcast to approximately 150 countries. For Volvo’s customers this is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but there is a healthy incentive for the professionals as well; both pros in the victorious team win themselves a Volvo V40 car.

After an exciting day, the team consisting of Thongchai Jaidee, Louis Oosthuizen and amateur Colin Ledwith from the UK won on the final green. Jaidee was ecstatic to win his first car, but Oosthuizen had his eye on something else. The pro lost his heart to a Volvo Compact Excavator EC55B which he first saw at the Volvo China Open in 2010. Imagine his joy when he received the good news that Volvo agreed to swap the car for the excavator he desired so much.

“It’s a great gift for the farm and it’s going to be a lot of fun playing around with it,” he said. “I’ve got loads of great equipment on the farm, but this is going to be right up there to get rid of the bushes. I had a few discussions with Volvo this week about purchasing the excavator. They told me I could get it if I won the Amateur-Pro Team competition, so I knew all about that as I stood over that final putt on 18.”

The Volvo Compact Excavator EC55, worth approx. €40,000, from Volvo Construction Equipment, is designed with productivity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness in mind. As golf clubs around the world enjoy the technology on offer to improve and remodel their courses, this type of excavator is often used in landscaping, mounding and all manner of renovation.

According to Volvo CE dealer Roger O’Callaghan, CEO Babcock International Group, African Division: “I am really happy that one of the world’s best golfers, who is also South African, finally has had his dream come true thanks to his excellent performance in the Volvo Golf Champions. Delivering this excavator to Louis Oosthuizen makes us very proud and we are sure that it will be useful on his farm. I even heard that he is planning to use it when digging a few new bunkers!”

For more information, please visit www.volvoingolf.com

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