One missed putt. One broken name. One shot at redemption.

When rising American golfer Sean O’Connor chokes on the biggest stage of his career, the shame follows him everywhere—through locker rooms, headlines, and the hollow silence of his own mind. Desperate to escape the name that’s begun to haunt him, he crosses the Atlantic to a rain-soaked Scottish village after the death of a grandmother he never met.

He expects quiet.

What he finds is a burn—a narrow stream cutting through land and memory—and an old man who watches him with the hard, weathered eyes of someone who sees both the golfer and the truth beneath the surface. The villagers seem to know more about Sean’s family than he does. And the land itself seems to ask the question he’s spent years avoiding:

Will you play with fear—or with freedom?

As Sean reconnects with the game through brutal wind, honest work, a fierce young local talent named Callum, and the grandfather he barely knows, secrets once buried begin to surface. A past shaped by pressure. A father who walked away from greatness. A legacy that now waits for him to decide its future.

Steeped in the psychology, philosophy, and raw beauty of Scottish links golf,Chasing the Burnis the debut novel from professional coach and former tour player Dawie Stander. This powerful narrative tells the story of a game that strips you bare, a past that refuses to stay buried, and a young man reshaped by an old master who teaches him the game—and himself—in ways no one else ever could.

For readers who love:

• Golf in the Kingdom

• The Legend of Bagger Vance

• A Good Walk Spoiled

• Thoughtful sports fiction with emotional depth and unforgettable characters

If you’ve ever chased one perfect swing, one quiet moment of clarity, or one chance at redemption—this novel will find you.

Dawie Stander is a former tour player and one of Europe’s leading performance coaches, serving as head coach of the German Club Team Champions. With decades inside the game—teaching, competing, and studying the psychology that shapes every shot—he brings uncommon authenticity to the world of golf fiction.