Ockie Strydom finished in a share of third in the 2011 South African Open Championship at Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate, and he reckons the track at Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate is pretty similar.
So he’s hoping that his 2011 performance will stand him in good stead in the 54-hole R750,000 Vodacom Origins of Golf event in Mpumalanga, which tees off on Thursday. But he believes it’s going to be a tough job.
‘In the first round of the pro-am, I didn’t look too much at the course because I was too busy admiring the view and the layout of the holes,’ he said. ‘It’s something else, a little like Serengeti, and it’s probably the toughest course I’ve played so far. It’s long, the wind is up and down, the greens are hard, the fairways are hard – so I think the week is going to be tough.’
Strydom came close to getting his maiden Sunshine Tour victory in the Mopani Redpath Zambia Open in June, when he was unable to chase down Riekus Nortje, and, with six runner-up finishes on his career record – as well as three more on the Big Easy Tour – he’s ready to break through.
‘You know what, second is good. But the win is coming. I know it’s coming. I’ve just got to be patient,’ he said. ‘The win is not constantly in the back of my mind all the time. I accept that if I finish second, that’s okay. It’s good golf that gets you there, and my golf is good at the moment, so I’m looking forward to the tournament.
‘My coach Graeme Francis and I have worked hard at the mental side of things, as well as on the golf swing, so sooner or later there’s going to be a breakthrough. And if that happens, who knows what’s going to happen then.’
He’s up against a field raring to go again after a seven-week break in the Sunshine Tour schedule ahead of the traditional winter tournaments. That field includes the likes of Brandon Stone, the 2016 SA Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship champion, as well as this season’s first-time winners on the Sunshine Tour in JC Ritchie and Nortje.
‘Seven weeks without a tournament was a bit frustrating,’ said Strydom. ‘It was difficult not to play, but I understand a break is good too. I have just played three tournaments ahead of the break, but that was okay because I had a lot of stuff to do at home. It was a perfect break at the wrong time for my golf.’
And there are others in the field pushing for maiden Sunshine Tour wins, like American Zack Byrd, who leads the Rookie of the Year race with his runner-up finish at the Investec Royal Swazi Open and fifth place in the Lombard Insurance Classic, showing he can mix it up with the best.
So it will be tough for Strydom. But experience and mental strength might be the catalysts for a win.
Photo: File
