Titch Moore didn’t get to defend his title at the South African PGA Championship, but he’ll get his chance this week at Eye of Africa, where the tournament has been given new life.
‘I’m pleased that Eye of Africa and the rest of the sponsors have got it back on track,’ said the nine-time Sunshine Tour winner. ‘It’s a course that really suits me. I’m playing nicely and just haven’t had the scores of late, but it’s coming out nicely and it’s just a matter of time until something clicks. Hopefully I’ll finish off this week nice and strong and try and defend.’
He last played the R1,2-million event when it was hosted at Country Club Johannesburg, but this time around it’s a new course and new prospects.
The tournament carries extra gravity because it precedes the Investec Cup, so it’s the last chance saloon for players to make it into the limited-field event next week.
Two-time PGA Championship winner Jaco van Zyl was excited for the new venue and heads into the week as a favourite to win.
“It’s always nice to get out on a new venue and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve managed to sort out the short game and I’ve got a couple of new bats in the bag so we’ll see how they behave this week,” he said.
Keith Horne’s recent purple patch makes him another likely contender. He lives at Eye of Africa is will almost certainly be in the mix on Sunday.
‘I think the comfort of being at home and on a course that I’ve played a few times and being relaxed here will definitely work in my favour,’ he said.
