Fresh off his heroic win at the Puerto Rico Open, Branden Grace will headline the South African contingent competing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week.
The Bay Hill Golf Club in Florida will once again host the signature event where the best players of the PGA Tour will fight it out.
But, joining the field will be a confident and determined Grace, eager to build on his recent success. The 32-year-old emphasised that last week’s victory could be the beginning of a fresh start for him after a difficult period for his family.
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The impressive triumph gave Grace a number of upcoming exemptions on Tour, starting with this week’s showdown in Florida.
Grace has been paired in a group with American Harris English and the exciting Matthew Fitzpatrick, who continues to improve each week.
Louis Oosthuizen will also start pretty confident after his solid showing at last week’s WGC-Workday Championship.
Oosthuizen put in an impressive performance to secure a T6 finish at the Concession and will be hoping to continue that momentum at Bay Hill.
The South African will tee off alongside Denny McCarthy and Cameron Davis for the opening two rounds of the event.
Erik van Rooyen, on the other hand, managed to conclude his week at the Concession on a final-round high, which will set him up nicely for this week.
Van Rooyen continues to adjust himself on the PGA Tour with the APIV a perfect opportunity to make a push for the top. He is grouped with Camilo Villegas and Robert MacIntyre.
Similarly, Christiaan Bezuidenhout will also be ready to have a go at such a competitive field again to show his worth on American soil.
The talented youngster will tee off a bit later on Thursday alongside Mark Hubbard and Will Gordon.
Charl Schwartzel will follow a group directly after Bezuidenhout’s three-ball, which includes Byeong Hun An and Joel Dahmen.
Dylan Frittelli will complete the South African lineup for the week. He will do battle with Henrik Stenson and Brendon Todd on Thursday and Friday.
