Johannesburg - Led by Erik van Rooyen, 13 South Africans will tee it up in the Dubai Desert Classic, at Emirates Golf Club, starting on Thursday.
Van Rooyen is the top-ranked SA player in the field at 63rd in the world, and comes off a tie for 12th at the Abu Dhabi Championship last week.
It will also be the fourth week in a row the 31-year-old is playing after two top-25 finishes on the US PGA Tour at the beginning of January. With one victory on the DP World Tour (DPWT) (formerly European Tour) coming at the Scandinavian Invitation in August 2019, Van Rooyen will be looking to add a second win in the near future.
In fact, Van Rooyen was in the winners’ circle as recently as August last year, when he claimed his maiden US PGA Tour victory at the Barracuda Championship.
Garrick Higgo, however, may consider himself the best hope among the SA contingent. The rapidly rising 22-year-old has already won seven times since turning professional with three of those wins coming on the DPWT.
ALSO READ: Mangaung to host European Challenge Tour golf event in March
Higgo began his year with a tie for 25th at the US PGA Tour’s Tournament of Champions in Hawaii earlier this month, but missed the cut last week at the Abu Dhabi Championship. At 65th in the world, Higgo will be looking to move closer to his career high of 38th he achieved in June.
The big-hitting Dean Burmester will also be looking for a strong showing this week. The 32-year-old two-time DPWT event winner finished in a tie for 25th last week at the Abu Dhabi Championship. He has already showed signs of good form this season after he finished fourth at the SA Open in December.
SA Open champion Daniel van Tonder could also have a good chance at contending. Van Tonder finished down the field in 68th position last week in Abu Dhabi. A prolific winner on the Sunshine Tour with his eight victories, the 30-year-old will be looking to add a second DP World Tour title to his first which came at the Kenya Savannah Classic in March last year.
ALSO READ: Sunshine Tour’s Origins Series ’has launched so many great golf careers’
One player which needs little introduction is Charl Schwartzel. The former world number six, now ranked 119th in the world made his first start this year in Abu Dhabi last week. The 2011 Masters champion Schwartzel’s scores for the event had a fair bit of symmetry to them with five-under (67) to open, followed by a four-over 76, then a four-under 68 and finally a four-over 76 to conclude his work for the week in a tie for 39th.
The major winner will be aiming to keep the mistakes off his card this week, and if he can do that the 37-year-old could easily walk away with the winners’ cheque.
Thriston Lawrence, meanwhile, will simply be hoping to tee it up on Thursday. Lawrence claimed a life-changing victory at the Joburg Open in November which gained him automatic membership of the DPWT. Lawrence was due to play last week in Abu Dhabi, but tested positive for Covid-19 and was forced to withdraw.
Having recovered and already drawn to play on Thursday, the 25-year-old Lawrence will be desperately wanting to make a good start to what could be a fruitful career on a major golf tour.
The other SA players in the field are Justin Harding, Brandon Stone, George Coetzee, Jacques Kruyswijk, Darren Fichardt, Justin Walters and Richard Sterne.
SA tee times round one (SA time):
5.40am: Richard Sterne, Justine Walters, Charl Schwartzel
5.50am: Garrick Higgo
6am: George Coetzee
6.40am: Daniel van Tonder, Dean Burmester
9.50am: Darren Fichardt
10am: Brandon Stone
10.10am: Erik van Rooyen
11am: Justin Harding, Thriston Lawrence, Jacques Kruyswijk
@Golfhackno1
IOL Sport