Erik van Rooyen is temporarily swapping the American challenges of the PGA Tour for the colder temperatures of the European Tour.
The South African will be part of an exciting field at this week’s Scottish Open, which tees off in North Berwick on Thursday.
It will be Van Rooyen’s first participation in a full European Tour event since the Saudi International back in January, while it will be his first actual appearance on European soil since the Turkish Airline Open in November last year.
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⛳ The Renaissance ClubWhere we are this week.#ASISO #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/iumo2ERPzM
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 29, 2020
Teeing off alongside Frenchman Victor Perez and Scotland’s Calum Hill, Van Rooyen will be hoping to carry some of his PGA Tour form into the opening two rounds at the Renaissance Golf Club, which will hopefully set him up for a big weekend.
READ: Players’ maths to be tested in Scotland
The 30-year-old has been pulling his weight nicely since the PGA Tour restarted and will no doubt be eager to challenge for a first victory when he competes there over the course of the 2020-21 season.
Justin Harding will also once again be in action at the Scottish Open and has been paired with Richie Ramsay and Romain Langasque for Thursday and Friday.
Harding has been knocking on the door for some time now on the European Tour and with a bit more consistency over the four rounds, he too can be challenging for the win come Sunday.
Portugal Masters champion George Coetzee will tee off with Aaron Rai and David Law in what promises to be quite an exciting pairing for the first two rounds, while Garrick Higgo, who the Open de Portugal, has been grouped with Eddie Pepperell and Sami Valimaki.
Haydn Porteous is in action with Julian Suri from America and Denmark’s Jeff Winther and Thomas Aiken is paired with Neil Fenwick and Sean Crocker.
COTM September 2020: King David Mowbray
Compleat Golfer playing editor Brandon Stone will play the first half of the event in a group of Andy Sullivan and David Drysdale with Justin Walters next to Craig Lee and Fabrizio Zanotti.
Shaun Norris is also back on the European Tour where he will take aim with Nicolas Colsaerts and Tapio Pulkkanen.
Dean Burmester is the final South African in the field and after challenging all the way at last week’s Irish Open, he will be eager for a stronger finish this week.
Burmester will play alongside Chris Wood and Adrian Otaegui in Thursday and Friday’s action.
