BEZUIDENHOUT Christiaan

General
CHILDHOOD ACCIDENT
At age two he was playing outside when he picked up a bottle filled with fluid and drank from it. The bottle contained rat poison, and he was rushed to hospital before spending weeks in intensive care. His nervous system was affected and he was left with a stutter. He was then diagnosed with severe anxiety at age four. "I took a drink of it thinking it was indeed Coke, however it actually contained rat poison. It was a moment which would change my life forever. The hospital had to pump my whole stomach to get rid of all the poison, but the poison affected the whole nervous system in my body. I never showed that it [his stutter] hurt me. When somebody laughed, I'd just laugh with them. I never wanted them to see that it affected me. I'd let it go. And then when I got home from school, I'd just do my own thing, you know? Golf has helped me a lot. It helped me to deal with it. It's not a secret. I don't have to hide it, or be ashamed of it, or who I am. I'm fine with it. I'm happy with who I am." (pgatour.com, 08 Apr 2021; thetimes.co.uk, 01 Dec 2020; espn.com, 23 Mar 2021)

SANCTION
In 2014 he received a two-year suspension, later reduced to nine months, after testing positive for prohibited beta blockers at the 2014 British Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. He had been prescribed the beta blockers as medication for his anxiety, and the suspension was reduced after it was accepted he had not taken the beta blockers to enhance his sporting performance. "There were a lot of people who thought I took the medication to help my game. There was a lot of negativity. It was difficult. I wanted to show people that I could play golf and play well without taking it. That was the worst part, being treated like I was a cheater when I didn't even know what I did was against the rules. Luckily I had the right people on my side, we got my name cleared and my ban shortened. I haven't taken the beta-blocker medication since that drug test result back in 2014, and honestly, I don't feel a difference in myself. Speaking to reporters and things like that with my stutter doesn't bother me like they used to. I can finally function without it." (pgatour.com, 08 Apr 2021; golfdigest.com, 29 Nov 2020; thetimes.co.uk, 01 Dec 2020; espn.com, 23 Mar 2021)