‘Golf Was My Escape': DP World Tour Star Revisits Years-Long Stutter Battle After Presidents Cup Call-Up

DP World Tour pro Christiaan Bezuidenhout has been selected for his third Presidents Cup, and once again he's talking about the stutter he spent most of his life keeping hidden. A stutter that began after a life-threatening accident when he was just 2 years old made speaking in public a constant struggle. But on the golf course, he found a place to escape it all. Watch What's Trending Now! 'I use golf as an escape because it's a lone sport,' Bezuidenhout said on the show, days after learning he'd been named to his third International Presidents Cup team. 'You can do it by yourself. And that was my escape.' ADVERTISEMENT His strong and consistent form helped International team captain Geoff Ogilvy choose him as one of his captain's picks for Medinah. When announcing his six picks, Ogilvy said Bezuidenhout's experience in the event was too valuable to ignore. Ogilvy explained that Bezuidenhout earned his place on the team because of what he brings as a player, not simply because he is South African. The captain looked at his recent numbers, including his strokes gained data, and felt they showed that Bezuidenhout deserved to be among the team's top 12. His past Presidents Cup performances also played a big role. Bezuidenhout has already collected 3.5 points in five matches and has won both of his singles matches. For Ogilvy, that experience could be important at Medinah, especially because Bezuidenhout already understands the pressure and demands of the event. ADVERTISEMENT Bezuidenhout's stutter was not something he was born with. It started after a near-fatal accident when he was just 2 years old. He accidentally drank rat poison from an old soda bottle and spent weeks in intensive care. Doctors told his family that the poison had affected his nervous system, and he later developed a stutter. Growing up in Delmas, South Africa, the DP World Tour pro said he often avoided speaking because he was afraid of being made fun of at school. That fear stayed with him as he started playing competitive golf. Post-round interviews and trophy presentations became stressful moments for him because he had to speak in front of others. ADVERTISEMENT 'I was shy of the way that I speak and that I stutter for majority of my life,' he said. 'I never open up about it.' The anxiety was so serious that Bezuidenhout was given beta blockers to help him manage it. But the medication caused a major problem in 2014. A drug test at the British Amateur found a banned substance in his medication. He was given a two-year ban from competitive golf. However, the ban was later reduced to nine months, and his name was cleared. ADVERTISEMENT He turned professional at the age of 21 and has said he has not needed the medication since then. That changed in 2021, when he began speaking openly about his stutter and teamed up with the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research. Two years later, he became the Center's Global Ambassador, a role he credits with changing his life. Since then, Bezuidenhout has used his platform to help others. ADVERTISEMENT He has also hosted the Center's annual charity golf tournament in South Africa. The event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support stuttering treatment and education. Now, he says a first-of-its-kind stuttering camp will be held in South Africa this month. 'We're actually having a camp later this month in South Africa for the first time,' he said, 'educating people about stuttering… because for myself, growing up in South Africa, we had limited resources there.' ADVERTISEMENT Bezuidenhout has gone from being afraid of speaking in public to openly talking about his stutter in interviews. This change has come during one of the best seasons of his career. In 2026, he has two top-10 finishes, including a T6 at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and a T8 at the Puerto Rico Open. He has also made the cut in most of his PGA Tour events. For a player who once struggled to give a trophy speech, being chosen for the International Team for the third time means much more than just playing golf. Bezuidenhout will compete at Medinah from September 22 to 27. But his biggest impact may already be happening away from the course, as children who struggle with stuttering in South Africa will soon have the chance to meet and learn from someone who understands exactly what they are going through.