Erik van Rooyen will lead the South African charge at the Tshwane Open but will face stiff competition with a number of foreign stars in the field. WADE PRETORIUS looks at 10 players to watch…
1. Erik van Rooyen @29/1
The form horse and the home favourite all rolled into one. Second at the Joburg Open, nicely placed through 36 holes last week, young and ready for his big win.
2. Jacques Kruyswijk @57/1
Quietly building up some nice experience, the European Tour rookie will be pumped up for this one. He’s aggressive off the tee and can be unstoppable when he gets on a run.
3. George Coetzee @11/1
Winner here in 2015, there’s little doubt why Coetzee is the bookies’ favourite. His numbers continue to trend in the right direction even if his early season results have not been as he would like. Last week’s finish (T8) could give him the momentum to get it done again.
4. Scott Jamieson (SCO) @53/1
Remember Scott? He almost won the Nedbank Golf Challenge and will be looking to make up for that missed opportunity in Tshwane. He was tied at the top through 54 holes last year – another indicator that he could go one better this time around.
5. Julian Suri (USA) @23/1
A little bit off the radar after a few starts on the PGA Tour, Suri made a massive climb up the world rankings last year on the back of a number of good performances. Second in Hong Kong earlier in the year, the American is likely to be in the mix late on Sunday.
6. Shaun Norris @38/1
Made over R10-million on the Japan Tour and ready to bring that form into South Africa. Third at the Joburg Open and three consecutive 68s at the Cape Town Open last week just a hint that Norris could be a big threat this week.
7. Alexander Bjork (SWE) @18.75/1
Second favourite at the bookies after his performance last year where he finished fifth after entering the final round as co-leader. Bjork has one top 5 and two top 20s in his recent form so is peaking at the right time.
8. Haydn Porteous @38/1
Due a strong showing on home soil and could be one to surprise this week. Porteous has struggled a bit for consistency but knows he game well and could make a good run if he gets hot this week.
9. Jacques Blaauw @41/1
Blaauw enters this week a bit under the radar despite a top five finish at the SA Open earlier in the year and might thrive on that status. He shot 65 last year to finish T6 and should force his way into contention at Pretoria Country Club.
10. Danny Willett (ENG) @114/1
The former Masters champion is in South Africa looking to regain some form as he continues to struggle for consistency after his Major breakthrough. The quieter setting of the Tshwane Open could be the place where his range work translate into something more tangible.
