The third of five Vodacom Origins of Golf tournaments will be played at Stellenbosch Golf Club from Thursday to Saturday.
The last time the Sunshine Tour played this course was in 2010 where Jean Hugo won a Vodacom Business Origins of Golf Tour event by three strokes at 17-under-par 199.
Stellenbosch Golf Club celebrated its centenary in 2004 and is the fourth-oldest golf club in South Africa. It changed from a nine-hole golf course to the current 18-hole championship lay-out in 1953. This magnificent course has hosted some of South Africa’s most prestigious golf tournaments, including the 1999 South African Open and five South African Masters tournaments.
Situated at the foot of the majestic Helderberg mountains on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, a town that is also home to one of South Africa’s oldest universities, the Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Golf Club offers golfers an immaculate golf course, complemented by a warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
Although in the midst of Stellenbosch town, some of the holes are bordered by the characteristic vineyards of the Winelands area whilst others surprise the golfer with breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains and town. It’s a parklands golf course that meanders through the large trees that frame most holes and where every hole seems distinct and memorable.
Neil Schietekat is the defending champion. He won by a slender one stroke at 11-under-par 205 at Arabella Country Club when the series visited the Western Cape last season.
Schietekat has been on fire this season. Unlike last season where he registered two wins at the Sun City Challenge and also at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Arabella, he has not won this season but has missed only one cut in his nine starts. He has four top 10s and two top 20s among other results this season. The Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club representative played here in 2010 and finished in a share of 20th and will look to improve on that result while also eyeing a victory.
A trip to Asia for the Bank BRI Indonesia Open and the Classic GCC International Championship on the Asian Tour late August and early September didn’t yield a victory but the experience was massive for this week’s defending champion. He will want to put it all to good use this week as he chases title number five on Tour.
