Young Garrick Higgo is relishing the opportunity to compete at next month’s SA Open when the European Tour heads to South Africa for its ‘Summer Swing’.
The 21-year-old will be in action during all three of the co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour, which gets under way with the Joburg Open on 19 November before the 2020 Alfred Dunhill Championship tees off at Leopard Creek a week later.
The swing will then conclude at the iconic Gary Player Country Club for South Africa’s premier golf competition in what promises to be a mouthwatering event between local and international contingents.
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Higgo, in particular, is looking forward to continue his brilliant rise on the European Tour and is hoping for a big week at the SA Open, especially after winning the Sun City Challenge at the same venue last year.
‘It’s going to be awesome going back there for the South African Open, although it will be different. That was my first win, but that was in the winter and I think the golf course will play differently in the summer. It should be longer and softer, but you still need to be straight off the tee and you need a lot of patience. Playing anywhere where you have good memories is fun. I can’t wait,’ he said.
This will be the first time in the history of the second-oldest national Open in golf it is played at the iconic Gary Player Country Club, and with it will come a change to the layout of this celebrated golf course.
The nines will be swapped so that the picturesque par-five 9th hole becomes the finishing point.
‘Finishing on the ninth will be good because you can have the chance to make an eagle to win.
‘In its traditional format, the 17th and 18th make for such a tough finish. If you have a one-shot lead coming down those final two holes, it’s a very different challenge,’ he added.
Higgo won his maiden European Tour title a couple of weeks ago when he claimed victory at the Portugal Masters and is excited about playing on South African courses once again.
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‘I haven’t yet played a tournament in South Africa since I won on the European Tour this year, so it’s going to be nice coming home as a European Tour winner. The South Africa Open is definitely the one we as South African golfers all want to win.’
