No Major champion since Ernie Els won The Open in 2012 but three South Africans currently in the top 10 on the European Tour’s 2019 Race to Dubai, suggests that at least something is going well with our golf heading into this week’s $5-million Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
Erik van Rooyen, in his first full season on the main tour, is seventh, the fast-improving Christiaan Bezuidenhout is eighth and Louis Oosthuizen, who won the South African Open at Randpark in December last year (which formed part of the 2019 season) is 10th.
And the money has been rolling in for them. Van Rooyen (29), who describes himself as ‘Dream Chaser, Birdie Maker’, has bagged €1 360 395, Bezuidenhout €1 315 535, and Oosthuizen €1 513 273 (money earned not necessarily corresponding to points made).
Bezuidenhout, in the Andalucia Masters, and Van Rooyen, in the Scandinavian Invitation, both scored maiden victories on the European Tour this season as did Justin Harding in the Qatar Masters. Harding is 19th in the Race to Dubai and has earned over €1m euros this season as has Richard Sterne, who is 30th in the Race.
These are the only South Africans currently in the top 50 and the top 50 will qualify for the end-of-season $8-million DP World Tour Championship in Dubai from 21-24 November.
Bezuidenhout was an encouraging third in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last week, Van Rooyen tied for 14th and Sterne shared 31st place. Branden Grace, Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman and George Coetzee all made the cut but faded over the weekend, while Thomas Aiken, Brandon Stone, Darren Fichardt, Justin Walters, Harding, Haydn Porteous, Dean Burmester and Jacques Kruyswijk all missed the cut – not a particularly good sign going into this week.
However, no less than 27 South Africans (Oosthuizen not among them) are in Scotland for the Dunhill Links played over the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, and starting on Thursday. So maybe there’s a champion in there somewhere as no South African has won the tournament since its inception in 2001.
Monday is normally a day off for the tour pros and none of the South Africans were to be seen yesterday (Monday) on the Old Course, which is looking greener and softer – and even more delightful – than normal due to recent good rain, and the fact that it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon.
– By Grant Winter in St Andrews for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
