SA Open Champion Brandon Stone is keen to keep his fairytale season going as he prepares for The Open at Royal Troon, which starts next Thursday.
‘The last six or seven months have been incredible,’ said the 23-year-old, ‘One of the goals for the year was to play in my first major, so it’s going to be really really special.’
The European Tour rookie has enjoyed a lot of success since his breakthrough in January. ‘Winning the SA Open was special, finishing second at the Shenzhen International was special, I haven’t been able to take it all in, but I am not complaining one bit.’
In addition to his win at Glendower Golf Club and the runner-up finish in China, the Rustenburg-born golfer has collected a further seven top-30 finishes, with top-10s in the Tshwane Open, Dimension Data Pro-Am, AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and the Open de France.
The University of Texas alumni has accumulated €625,755 (a little over R10 million) in prize money and sits 28th in the Race to Dubai standings. Ahead of him in the standings are the South African ‘Big Three’ of Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, all of whom had the advantage of playing other majors and World Golf Championship events.
Stone has adapted to success on the European Tour with ease and plays with confidence. The next stage of his career is in the majors and the path will begin at Royal Troon in a week’s time.
‘My game is coming along nicely, I have a feeling it is where it needs to be,’ he concluded.
