SA’s best will line up alongside 48 of the world’s top 50 at Trump National Doral this week, where the WGC-Cadillac Championship begins on Thursday.
Heading up the local charge is Branden Grace, who recently broke into the top 10 in the world and will be looking to prove himself ahead of the Masters.
Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Jason Day have been paired together, adding fuel to the ‘top three’ rivalry.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy will be eyeing a third WGC title, while Spieth and Day are looking for a return to form. TPC Blue Monster is a prime venue for the showdown, and over the years scoring has been tough at the 6664-metre track, where Dustin Johnson won on nine-under-par last year.
He’ll be in the field, along with 2012 champion Justin Rose and a host of top players in Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, and Bubba Watson.
‘For everybody, it’s a tough golf course, but it’s just about tricking your mind and saying you can compete and hit these fairways,’ said Watson. ‘Around a long golf course, it’s all about short game.’
South Africans taking on the world’s best will be recent winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, who both won on the European Tour in the last four weeks.
Also in with a shout is George Coetzee, who qualified by finishing in the top two on the 2015 Sunshine Tour order of merit. The easy-swinging 29-year-old was 16th at the WGC-Cadillac in 2014 and plays his best on tough courses, so keep an eye out for him.
