Zander Lombard forms part of a strong group of in-form South African professionals who will seek to end the European dominance of the current Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour Swing when the Dimension Data Pro-Am tees off on Thursday.
The first two tournaments of this co-sanctioned stretch have been won by Welshman Rhys Enoch and Swede Mikael Lindberg.
It’s in stark contrast with last season’s Swing where the Southern Africans dominated with victories in all four co-sanctioned tournaments.
But the return of Lombard, Casey Jarvis and Jayden Schaper from DP World Tour action has certainly strengthened the South African challenge this week.
Lombard has been in sublime form this year which has carried him to fifth on the Race to Dubai Rankings and a career-high of 100 on the Official World Golf Rankings. Since last year’s Joburg Open, Lombard has finished in the top 16 in seven of his last eight tournaments.
Both Schaper and Jarvis have been solid on the DP World Tour this season as they return to home fairways this week. Jarvis led the first round of the 2023 Dimension Data Pro-Am with an impressive 64.
And Ryan van Velzen drove into Fancourt with finishes of seventh and a playoff defeat in his last two tournaments on this Swing as he holds onto third place on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.
Oliver Bekker is also back to defend his title and is seeking to make Dimension Data Pro-Am history by becoming the first three-time winner of this tournament. Currently Bekker, Darren Fichardt and Nick Price are the only golfers to have won this title twice since it first teed off in 1996.
The amateur field for the pro-am is once again a glittering display of South African sporting talent including rugby stars Schalk Brits, Akona Ndungane, Odwa Ndungane, Schalk Burger Jnr and John Smit, cricket greats Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, and former Bafana Bafana star Jimmy Tau.
The 72-hole tournament is played on Fancourt’s three golf courses of The Montagu, The Outeniqua and The Links.
By Michael Vlismas
Photo: Sunshine Tour
