Ockie Strydom isn’t letting previous disappointment dampen his resolve ahead of this season’s edition of the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Sishen.
In the 2017-18 season, the Kempton Park resident went head to head with eventual winner Hennie du Plessis, tying first position and forcing a playoff to determine the winner. Du Plessis, though, triumphed which left Strydom settling for another runner-up finish – his eighth of that season.
Now, over a year later, Strydom returns to the scene of his defeat.
‘I’m looking forward to it,’ he says.
‘This time I don’t have the same expectations. This is a new tournament and a new season. I played the course three or four weeks ago and it’s as nice as ever. The new greens they have are smoother than you can expect and I enjoyed playing there. This week should be good.’
A lot has been written of his second-place finishes (11 in total) and about when his maiden Tour victory will come, but Strydom is a man of patience and with 10 years as a pro, he knows his time will come.
‘Good things come to those who wait a little longer,’ he adds.
‘I have to stay patient. I changed a few things with my swing, so I know things will not be perfect overnight. And, like I said, the expectations are different this time because it’s a new tournament in a new season.’
Playing at a length of 6,450m, the Sishen Golf Club layout is not the longest course on the Tour schedule and Strydom, having played solidly there the last time, has a plan on how to tame that track.
‘You need to be smart there,’ he notes.
‘You must hit the fairways and not be tempted to hit driver all the time. The rough is up and the surface is a bit dry; so if you are not patient and want to hit driver everywhere, you might end up in positions that will hurt you. For me, I think you have to play the holes smart and not just attack everything. But the course is great.’
Strydom already boasts a second-place finish this season in the Sun City Challenge and having come so close to winning on so many occasions, the 34-year-old will see the event as yet another opportunity to get himself some silverware.
