Christiaan Bezuidenhout claimed three European Tour victories in 2020 – but his season begain with victory in the Dimension Data Pro-am on the Challenge Tour in February.
Picture by SUNSHINE TOUR

THE European Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour have confirmed the postponement of next month’s three co-sanctioned tournaments in South Africa, which will now be played later in the season.

Following thorough consultation with the medical teams from both Tours, it has been agreed to reschedule the three co-sanctioned events, that were due to take place in February, until later in the year.

The Challenge Tour’s South African Swing will now begin in the week of April 22-25.

An announcement will be made shortly regarding the tournament and its venue.

It will be followed by the Cape Town Open at Royal Cape Golf Club, from April 29-May 2, and then the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt Golf Estate, from May 6-9.

The spread of the more virulent strain of the COVID-19 virus in South Africa has forced the two tours’ hand – with a sizeable contingent of the field coming from the UK, which also has experienced a new strain of the coronavirus, which has killed nearly two million victims across the world.

Challenge Tour head Jamie Hodges said: “The decision to postpone these events follows consultation with all stakeholders – and was made with the health and well-being of all players and staff as our absolute priority.

“I want to express our thanks to the Sunshine Tour, and each of the tournament venues, sponsors and stakeholders for their flexibility and understanding of this situation.

“We greatly appreciate our partnership with our friends at the Sunshine Tour and look forward to co-sanctioning the three events later this year.”

Sunshine Tour commissioner Thomas Abt said: “In light of the current worldwide increase in COVID-19 cases – and after consultation with our own health experts and GolfRSA and its Risk Mitigation Strategy – we believe it is the most responsible course of action to postpone these tournaments.

“The safety of our members as well as our staff is our primary concern. I’d like to thank the Challenge Tour as well as our own Sunshine Tour Board of Directors and sponsors for their guidance, patience and understanding amidst what remains a very fluid situation for world golf.”

J C Ritchie won the first leg of the European Challenge Tour’s South African Swing last year with victory in the Limpopo Championship. Picture by SUNSHINE TOUR

Last year’s South Africa Swing on the Challenge Tour began with the Limpopo Championship, which was won by J C Ritchie.

Sunshine Tour regular Ritchie finished two shots of teenage prodigy Wilco Nienaber, who would make such a big impression on the European Tour later in the summer.

Sweden’s Anton Karlsson recorded his maiden win in Cape Town, with Hampshire’s former Amateur Champion Harry Ellis producing his best result of what would become a curtailed season, with a fourth place, just behind Sussex’s Toby Tree.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout announced his intentions for the year with victory in the Dimnesion Data Pro-am at Fancourt in the final leg of the Challenge Tour’s 2020 South African Swing.

The South African went on to win the Andalucia Masters, at Valderrama in June, before turning to his homeland to end 2020 with back-to-back victories in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, and then the South African Open, at Sun City.

Swede Anton Karlsson claimed his maiden Challenge Tour win in the 2020 Cape Town Open. Picture by SUNSHINE TOUR

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Christiaan Bezuidenhout stormed into the first round lead at the Dimension Data Pro Am with a superb 11-under par 61, at Fancourt’s Outeniqua Course. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CHRISTIAAN Bezuidenhout took full advantage of benign early conditions at Fancourt Golf Estate to post an 11-under par round of 61 on the opening day of the Dimension Data Pro-Am.

The South African, who lost a play-off against Australian Lucas Herbert at last month’s Dubai Desert Classic, recorded a blemish-free round on the Outeniqua Course.

Bezuidenhout will take a two-stroke lead into the second day ahead of Spain’s Santiago Tarrio Ben, who recorded a nine-under par 63 on the Montagu Course.

Meanwhile four-time Major Champion Ernie Els and Portuguese 20-year-old Stephen Ferreira were a shot further back at eight-under.

The World No. 60 made the turn in 31 strokes and required one fewer on the way in to take full advantage of the generous Outeniqua Course, recording the lowest round of his career in the process.

“I got off to a good start today with birdies on the first couple of holes,” said Bezuidenhout, who won the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama, in June.

“It was crucial to get off to a good start because, over the years, the Outeniqua has been the scoreable course so I’m obviously very happy with my 61.

“I was especially happy with my start – I was four-under after five holes, so that also helps,” added 25-year-old Bezuidenhout, whose sole Sunshine Tour win came in the 2016 Sun Fish River Challenge.

“It’s a bit shorter than the other courses and there’s a bit of space to miss here and there.

“All the par fives are reachable, so you want to make birdies on them and there are also four or five short-ish par fours where you’re only going into the green with a wedge, so you need to take advantage of those.

“I know I’m close to breaking into the world’s top 50, but I set myself a goal to finish the year inside the top 50,” said the Johannesburg pro who also won twice on the Big Easy Tour, in 2015.

“If it doesn’t happen this week, then I’m just going to keep going and see if I can achieve my goal by the end of the year.”

The Dimension Data Pro-Am celebrates its 25th anniversary this year – and with the European Challenge Tour co-sanctioning the event with the Sunshine Tour for the first time in 2020 – Bezuidenhout hopes to see it go from strength-to-strength in the future.

“This tournament just seems to get bigger and better every year, with better players,” Bezuidenhout added.

“It’s great to see the partnership with the Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour,so hopefully it can keep growing for the next few years as well.

“This is an unbelievable place, one of my favourite places in South Africa. I normally come here during our summer breaks and it’s just beautiful.

“All three courses are in great condition, the weather is perfect, so I can’t complain.”

The majority of low scores were carded on the Outeniqua Course on day one, with only six of the top 17 playing the Montagu or The Links first off.

A shot behind Els and Ferreira is a group of seven players on seven-under, including Limpopo Championship winner JC Ritchie and multiple European Tour winners George Coetzee, Haydn Porteous and Germany’s Marcel Siem.

Every player will tee it up on each of three courses at Fancourt Golf Estate this week, with leader Bezuidenhout taking to The Links at 9.20am local time for his second round on Friday.

•For live scoring from the Fancourt Golf Estate, click here.

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Lucas Herbert won a play-off against South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout to secure his first European Tour event at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Herbert won his maiden European Tour title with a play-off victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout on a dramatic final day at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

The duo entered the final day six shots off the lead but with strong winds and showers at Emirates Golf Club, the leaderboard was blown wide open.

Lucas Herbert, who survived a trip to the water 18 before winning at the second extra hole, said: “The last ten minutes feel like I’ve been dreaming.

“It’s so weird. It’s awesome. It’s just the best thing ever. It is so good. We’ve got a bottle of Scotch at home to celebrate, so I can’t wait to get into that with the boys.

“Last week, I was probably like 20th going into the weekend, and probably like for the 10th time in the last 12 months seemed to just back it out and finish at the back of the field.

“We got really frustrated, so put in some really good tactics this week with my mental coach, Jamie Glazier, trying to be positive and a lot of positive stuff.

“It’s so cliché but it works so much. I felt so confident out there and just felt like good golf was going to come.

“I spoke to him just before the play-off, and we talked about the fact that I hit some really poor shots out there today.

“Obviously the second shot on the first play-off hole, probably not one of my best, but you know, you go back and watch any sort of winners, final nine holes, final round, play-off holes, it’s never a perfect scenario.

“Everyone always hits bad shots, and everyone will probably forget about that now that I’ve just gotten that up-and-down and won a tournament.”

Plenty of people have admired Herbert’s talents, so a maiden win was always likely to be a question of when, not if.

So for it to happen after a tumultus few months for his native Australia, and on Australia day itself, proved to be bitter sweet for the 24-year-old from Victoria, who is now exempt on the European Tour until the end of the 2022 season.

Lucas Herbert said: “I know everyone back home is going to be still up, and obviously there’s some pretty awful stuff happening right now in Australia with the fires.”

And it meant yet another young Aussie has joined the winners’ circle after Cameron Smith claimed the Sony Open in Hawaii, on the PGA Tour, two weeks ago.

Herbert added: “Cam Smith sort of said it a couple weeks ago when he won, and I’d like to say the same thing.

“Everyone around the world is behind us and hopefully we can keep fighting harder than what I did on the first play-off hole.

“That’s nothing compared to the firefighters and volunteers putting out the fires. Sending all my love back home and hope everyone is well, and thanks for the support.”

Bezuidenhout and Herbert both fired brilliant rounds of 68 to get to nine-under par, with the South African finding water after laying up on the last.

The winner of last year’s Andalucia Masters – at Spain’s equally tough Valderrama – made a clutch putt for bogey, while Herbert birdied the 17th and 18th to get into the play-off, having taken on the water at the daunting last to make his birdie four.

This time it was the Australian who found the water with his second on the first play-off hole before saving par thanks to a stunning shot from the drop zone to take it back to the tee.

His second shot next time around could not have been more different, as he got within 20 feet and a two-putt birdie handed him the title, and second position in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

LUCAS HERBERT LEADS AUSTRALIAN PGA AFTER FIRST ROUND

Bezuidenhout has overcome his own battles – having been banned for taking a banned substance as an amateur prescribed to help him overcome a serious stammer and nervousness problem.

He was putting a positive face on the disappointment of his first play-off defeat.

“I was hitting something great putts. Made great saves coming in,” said Bezuidenhout.

“Made a great up-and-down on 14 and 15 to keep myself going. I just think we played in the tougher conditions.

“Those last five holes played quite brutal. Happy to finish off the way I did and make the save.

Reflecting on the trip to the water in regulation, he added: “I laid it up to my perfect yardage, 78 to the flag.

“The first shot just came out a little bit right – didn’t fly the yardage, just spun back.

“If it landed on the green, it was quite firm, and it landed just in the fringe and spun back into the water. With the spin, it was always going to be in the water.

“Me and my coach Grant have been doing work which I believe in.

“I believe we’re doing the right things and we’re working towards the right stuff, and nice to see all the hard work’s paying off, and paying off on the course, especially in big tournaments like this.”

Spaniard Adri Arnaus, South African Dean Burmerster and Hertfordshire’s Tom Lewis finished at seven-under – a shot clear of American Kurt Kitayama and China’s Wu Ashun.

•To see the final results click here.

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Louis Oosthuizen will defend the South African Open title he won at Randpark Golf Club in 2019 but face stiff competition from fellow countrymen including Branden Grace.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES.

DEFENDING champion Louis Oosthuizen would love to make a successful defence of his South African Open title.

But the 2010 Open Champion will have some serious competition from two more home favourites desperate to lift one of the oldest trophies in golf at Johannesburg’s Randpark GC this week.

Oosthuizen has been at the very top of the game ever since he claimed the Claret Jug at St Andrews.

He achieved another long held ambition when winning his national open for the first time 12 months ago.

With Ernie Els eligibile for the senior circuit since last season, Oosthuizen will now become the flagbearer for a proud golfing nation at the age of just 37… and he will have plenty of support.

While 20-somethings Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Brandon Stone and Erik van Rooyen are making a name for themselves at the start of their careers, experienced heads like Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel continue to compete at the very top in their 30s.

Grace and Schwartzel have 19 European Tour wins between them including a Major Championship and a Rolex Series win – but have yet to lift the trophy at the second oldest open in golf.

And Oosthuizen knows all too well how special ending the long wait for that victory is.

“It means a lot,” Oosthuizen said. “I was wanting to win it for a long time. It’s always nice coming back and just playing it, defending it is very special.

“It was a tournament I was really trying to get to win with all the great champions on there: Ernie, Retief (Goosen), Mr Player, all of them. I wanted to have my name on the trophy.

“It was nice having a big lead at the end there so I could take it all in,” added Louis, who will play alongside Bezuidenhout on the Bushwillow Course, at 8.35am local time, in Thursday’s first round.

The last player to win the South African Open back to back was another South African Major winner Trevor Immelman in 2003 and 2004 – the second victory four years before he claimed a Green Jacket at the Augusta Masters.

Schwartzel – the 2011 Masters winner – secured his seventh top five at this event last season.

But the South African – who claimed the Brabazon Trophy at the English Amateur Strokeplay at Royal Cinque Ports, in Kent 18 years ago as an 17-year-old – saw the rest of his 2019 campaign derailed by a wrist injury.

A top three on his return at the Alfred Dunhill Championship before Christmas showed Charl is close to a full recovery.

And Schwartzel is aching to get over the line at Randpark Golf Club for a ninth European Tour win in South Africa – having won the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopark Creek four times between 2004 and 2015.

“It’s been a quest of mine for quite some time,” said Schwartzel. “I’ve come real close a lot of times, I’ve thrown one or two away, but at least I’ve been up there quite a few times.

“Hopefully I’ll break through. It’ll be a dream come true. As a South African, it’s definitely high on the list.”

Grace won his first European Tour title at the 2012 Joburg Open and has since added the biggest titles in South African golf with the Alfred Dunhill Championship, the Dimension Data Pro-Am and the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

And the 31-year-old feels a win this week can complete his set on home soil although three of the last five winners have been English – Sullivan, Graeme Storm (2017) and Chris Paisley (2018), although they all won at Glendower GC.

“This is the one that I’m missing,” Grace said. “This is the one that I need, this is the one that is short for me to win it all in South Africa.

“I’ve been close a few times now so hopefully the time is ticking on for me to put my hands on this one.

“It would mean the world,” added Grace, who will join Van Rooyen and 2015 winner Andy Sullivan in their three-ball, which tees off at 11.55am local time on the Firethorn Course.

The latter will host the weekend’s play after the 240-strong field have played a round on each of the two courses being used this week.

•For tee times for the first round of the South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg, click here. To follow first round scoring click here.

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European Tour Rookie of the Year Robert MacIntyre is one of young pretenders challenging for the 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic cro

EUROPEAN Tour Rookie of the Year Robert MacIntyre has added his name to a world-class Omega Dubai Desert Classic field in January.

The Scotsman, who claimed the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Trophy in November, will be joined by Italy’s Guido Migliozzi and South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Erik van Rooyen, who all claimed maiden European Tour titles in 2019.

The crop of rising stars will be joined at Emirates Golf Club by Spaniard Adri Arnaus and Austrian Matthias Schwab, who themselves have both come close to a first victory this season, en route to finishing 41st and 17th on the 2019 Race to Dubai, respectively.

All six will arrive at Emirates Golf Club looking to emulate the success of defending champion Bryson DeChambeau.

The American, who has spent the last few months bulking up his physique, will return to Dubai.

The “Scientist” will be joined by past winners Rafa Cabrera Bello, Sergio Garcia, Haotong Li, Henrik Stenson and Danny Willett.

In addition, England’s Ryder Cup players Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood – along with Hertfordshire’s Matt Wallace – are all set to inject their own star quality into the 31^st edition of the event from January 23-26.

Following a stellar amateur career, MacIntyre has impressed since earning his card through the Challenge Tour rankings in 2018.

The left-hander came close to a maiden victory on several occasions – including runner-up finishes at both the British Masters and Made in Denmark.

McIntyre, who was beaten in the 2016 Amateur Championship final by Hampshire’s Scott Gregory, will be looking to rubber-stamp his rookie season with a first title early in 2020 – and the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic will be one of his first opportunities to do so in the New Year.

“This year really couldn’t have gone much better,” said the 23-year old MacIntyre, who finished in a tie for sixth on his first Major appearance at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, in July.

“I’ve come close to winning on a few occasions, which has been a great experience,” said McIntyre, who hails from Oban.

“I learned a lot each time and feel it is just a matter of time until I put it all together and win,” said the 11th Scot to win the Rookie of the Year award since 1960.

“If that were to be in Dubai, it would be amazing. The Scots have a pretty good record there, so I’d love to follow on from Stephen Gallacher and Colin Montgomerie by putting my name on the trophy too.”

Much like MacIntyre in 2019, Van Rooyen had spent much of the previous 18 months knocking on the door of a first European Tour title.

Erik Van Rooyen recorded his first win on the European Tour at the Scandinavian Invitataion.

That maiden win subsequently came earlier this year at the Scandinavian Invitation.

As one of the Tour’s brightest young stars, the 29-year old backed that up with three runner-up finishes and seven more top-10s, resulting in a career-best 10^th place finish on the Race to Dubai.

“This has been a great year, but I hope it’s just the beginning,” said Van Rooyen, who graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2017.

“To win in Sweden was an amazing moment in my career, but I have been just as pleased with the consistency I have shown this year.

“I want to build on this in 2020 and a win in Dubai, following in the footsteps of Ernie Els, would be amazing.

“I grew up watching him win all over the world and it would be great to achieve even a fraction of that myself,” said van Rooyen.

Migliozzi, fresh from a highly impressive first European Tour campaign, burst onto the scene in 2019.

Guido Migliozzi is the latest talent to emerge from Italy with two European Tour wins in 2019

Claiming two victories in almost as many months – at the Magical Kenya Open and Belgian Knockout – he finished 40th on the Race to Dubai, having contended with MacIntyre for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie title.

The Italian will arrive in the United Arab Emirates looking to kickstart his second season in style by adding another title to his burgeoning résume.

“I cannot wait to play at Emirates Golf Club,” said 22-year old Migliozzi, who will be bidding to become the first Italian to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic title.

“It has been an incredible first season, but I’m not going to stop here.

“I want this to be the start of a long career and the more I play in tournaments of this stature, the better I will get.

“I have not played in this event before, but I have heard great things, so I can’t wait to get going in January.”

It has been a roller-coaster journey for Bezuidenhout to get to this point in his career, including a controversial two-year drugs ban as an amateur, after taking beta-blockers for his anxiety and a serious stutter.

Victory at the Andalucia Masters in June – five years after his ban at The Amateur Championship was reduced to nine months allowing him to turn pro in 2015 – was a great example of triumph over adversity.

His victory was no flash in the pan, however, as the South African racked up an additional five top-10 finishes and moved up to 90th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Rounding out the crop of emerging talent are Spain’s Adri Arnaus and Austria’s Matthias Schwab.

Austria’s Matthias Schwab

Spain’s Adri Arnaus

Arnaus posted six top-10 finishes in 2019, including runner-up finishes in Kenya and the Czech Republic, while Schwab narrowly lost out in a six-man play-off in Turkey – one of 10 top-10 results in just his second full season on the European Tour.

With Dubai’s four-day event set to be bigger and better than ever, offering an enhanced hospitality experience, contemporary food and beverage offers and a rejuvenated kids’ zone, in addition to a truly world-class field, you can book daily, season or terrace hospitality tickets with prices starting from AED75.

The inaugural Omega Dubai Desert Classic was played in 1989 and won by England’s Mark James, who went on to captain Europe in the Ryder Cup Battle of Brooline, in 1999.

Since then, the roll of honour has boasted some of the biggest names in golf over the past 30 years, including the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie and Tiger Woods.

•To purchase hospitality, season or daily tickets, click here. For more information on the Omega Dubai Desert Classic click here.

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Nicholas Colsearts has been a regular visitor to Mauritius over the last decade… now as a recent European Tour winner he has his sights set on playing in more Majors and another Ryder Cup. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

BELGIAN stars Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Pieters are looking forward to rounding off a successful year in style when they tee it up in the idyllic surroundings of Heritage Golf Club for this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

The two former Ryder Cup players returned to winning ways during the 2019 season – and now have the opportunity to claim another title before the year is out in the second event of the 2020 Race to Dubai.

The chance to work their way into European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington’s team for the next edition of the biennial contest in September is in the back of both of their minds.

But Colsaerts is first and foremost relishing the opportunity to play with freedom in the coming months, after erasing doubts about securing his 2020 card by lifting his third European Tour trophy at the Amundi Open de France, at Le Paris National, in October.

Colsaerts, who has had a home at Ernie Els’ Anihita Golf Club on the east coast of the island in the Indian Ocean for some time, said after the French win secured his status: “I came from not knowing if I had to go to Q-School to now having two years’ exempt.

“I played a lot of events last year. We have a young boy at home and you sometimes wish you could spend more time at home, which will definitely be the case next year, bit of a lighter schedule,” added Colsearts who became a father for the first time in 2019.

“Being able to play these events with a different mindset is something that I look forward to.

“You always have pretty much the same goals, you want to add as many lines as possible to your CV. We’re into a Ryder Cup year, and I want to keep playing big events.

“I haven’t played in the Majors for a couple of years now, so it would be good to have a chance again.

“The mindset will be totally different. I really look forward to 2020 and being able to tee it up a bit more freely and try to make the most out of these weeks.

“I’m fortunate enough to have been coming to Mauritius for 20 years. It’s always been a very popular destination for golfers from Europe in winter.

“The list of qualities that this place has is endless – the hospitality, the scenery, the food, the weather and now golf tournaments as well.”

While Colsaerts – who was one of the heroes in the Ryder Cup win at Medinah in 2012 – has been a regular visitor to Mauritius for two decades, this week is an all-new experience for his compatriot Pieters, who is soaking up the island life for the first time.

After claiming the D+D Real Czech Masters title in August, the 2016 Ryder Cup star enjoyed a strong end to the season with a tied sixth place finish at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

Pieters is looking forward to carrying that form in to the new season at the fifth edition of the unique island event, tri-sanctioned with the Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.

“It was lovely to finish off with a good result in Dubai,” said Pieters. “I played pretty well and felt like my game was turning.

“It’s almost a shame that the season had to end for me in Dubai. Happy to be playing here – it’s the first time I have played before Abu Dhabi. It’s almost like getting a bit of a head start. Looking forward to it.

“Ryder Cup is going to be on my mind and on my list, but there is so much golf to be played before then. Any points will help.

“This week at some point it will pop into my mind. If you’re having a bad stretch during a round you just remind yourself that every point counts and every shot counts. That’s the mindset you need to have.

“I’m absolutely loving it here. I’ve never been on really white beaches before, the water is so clear, beautiful scenery.

“I went swimming with dolphins on Sunday, which was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

“You can go snorkelling on the beach and then it’s a five-minute stroll to the driving range. You’ve got everything you need here.”

Bezuidenhout and Harding lead the African entries with fellow winners Law and McEvoy

ALSO in the field for this this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open are South African winners Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Justin Hardin, who both won on the 2019 season.

The pair are joined by Essex’s Richard McEvoy, who claimed victory in the 2018 Porsche European Open, and Scotland’s David Law, who won the ISPS Handa Vic Open, in Australia, in February.

Meanwhile Lancashire’s Lee Slattery has been given a sponsor’s invite after the Formby Hall pro lost his Tour card and was unable to finish in the top 25 at last month European Tour Qualfying School, in Spain.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie the 1999 Open Champion at Carnoustie, who like Law hails from Aberdeen, is also one of the 10 players to receive a sponsor’s inviate along with Spaniard Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño.

The seven-time European Tour winner who lost his card having moved to Florida, failed to keep his PGA Tour card in 2015 after two years playing in the States.

He played on the Web.com Tour and returned to the top level in 2017 – only to fail to make the top 125 on the FedEx Cup money list by just one spot, forcing him to return to Europe for the past two years.

A 104th place finish on the Race to Dubai kept a card for 2019, but he was in 127th place last month missing out on a place in the top 115 that would hav secured his status for 2020 by 67.4 points.

•For tee times at this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open click here.

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Christiaan Bezuidenhout is one of four South Africans who are hoping home support will carry them to victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, at Sun City. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

NEDBANK Golf Challenge debutant Christiaan Bezuidenhout is living the dream as he prepares to tee it up in “Africa’s Major” for the first time in his career, in the penultimate Rolex Series event of the 2019 Race to Dubai.

The 25-year-old has had a break-out year on the European Tour in his second full season, with five top 10 finishes and a maiden victory at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, in June.

In an event with a 39-year history, Bezuidenhout has fond memories of visiting Sun City to watch his heroes and is now looking forward to calling upon the home support when play gets under way today (Thursday).

Bezuidenhout, who overcame the stigma of having been banned for two years after taking a prohibited substance to help him cope with a stutter in 2014, is feeling a lot happier with his golf and life in general.

“It’s a dream come true. I’ve seen this event live since I was nine years old coming here, and here with my family.

“To be here now is a dream come true for me. Every year, this event is a big highlight for all the South Africans golfers and people that like the sport.

“Just to be thought of is a real honour and it should be a special week,” Bezuidenhout added.

“Every year you try to qualify for the final events, and yeah, I had a special year. Best year of my career so far, so for me, being here is a real bonus.

“To qualify for this event and to still be in the top 20 in the Race to Dubai – and to give myself a chance to reach my goals at the end of the year that I’ve set for myself, still in play – I’m looking forward to this week.”

One of nine South Africans in the field, Bezuidenhout is joined at Gary Player Country Club by another first-time winner in the 2019 season – Erik van Rooyen, the Scandinavian Invitation champion.

Van Rooyen is currently eighth on the Race to Dubai rankings after reaching the play-off at last week’s Turkish Airlines Open.

“I’m a little tired, body is a little sore,” said van Rooyen.

“It’s the end of the year, and especially an event like the Nedbank, it’s a fun event. So you kind of forget about it.

“The game is obviously in great shape. Pity about that one tee shot in the play-off last week, but that’s the nature of the game.

“Hats off to Tyrrell (Hatton). He obviously played really well. But my game is right where it needs to be, and it’s in a good place, especially with being home.

“I know this golf course really well. Got a lot of local support. It’s only looking up.

“It’s narrow. You can tell that Gary (Player) built the course, a lot of them slope left-to-right, so a draw would be preferable.

“It has really small greens. Probably some of the smallest greens we play all year. Ball-striking is a premium.

Of the host, van Royen said: “He’s someone I’ve always looked up to. He’s an icon in world golf, as you say, so to have his name attached to this, it’s wonderful.”

The pair are one half of four South Africans who have won European Tour titles this season, with Justin Harding and Louis Oosthuizen also teeing it up on home soil.

After taking last week off, Yorkshire’s Matt Fitzpatrick is feeling rested in his pursuit of becoming this year’s Race to Dubai winner.

Fitzpatrick, who was winning top amateur events like Hampshire’s Selborne Salver as a teenager just seven years ago, doesn’t feel it is a must win week, but admits he needs to win either this week or next if he is to beat the likes of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy to the crown.

“I wouldn’t say pressure to win. I would say pressure to contend,” said Fitzpatrick.

“I’m fourth on the Race to Dubai and there’s a chance to win the Race to Dubai still. It’s probably the closest I’ve been so far in my career to winning it.

“You know, two good weeks and you never know what happens. Obviously without winning either of them, the results have got to go heavily my way.

“But win one or both — win both, it will do. But certainly win one of them, it puts me right up there.

“I’ve not played as much this year. That’s one thing when Billy (Foster) came on the bag, that’s one thing he stressed.

“Looking at my schedule in years gone by, I was playing 30, 31, 32 events and this year I think I’m at 28 maybe. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is.

It’s an extra week to work on the game. It’s an extra week of rest,” Fitzpatrick added.

“Even just a week is a big thing. I think that’s been a big difference this year just playing a little bit less and it’s made the difference.”

The 2016 Ryder Cup debutant has four runner-up finishes this season and sits fourth on the order of merit, just over 1,000 points behind current leader Bernd Wiesberger.

However, with 1,665 points on offer to the winner, and a first prize of S$2.5million – the highest in European Tour history before next week’s S$3million winner’s cheque at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – competition is set to be fierce with just two events of the season remaining.

•For live scoring at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, click here.

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Danny Willett recorded his first professional win on UK soil beating Jon Rahm in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

DANNY Willett claimed his second Rolex Series title in successive seasons as the Englishman overcame Jon Rahm in stunning fashion to win the BMW PGA Championship title – his first victory on home soil.

The former Masters champion was locked in a tense battle with the determined Spaniard all weekend at Wentworth Club as Rahm sought to join his hero Seve Ballesteros as a winner on the West Course.

And there were turning points aplenty for the 21,962 fans in attendance – but none more so than at the 11^th.

Having entered the final round tied for the lead, Willett had pulled two clear through 10 holes courtesy of four birdies – to Rahm’s two.

But the fomer World Amateur No. 1 found himself in some trouble with his second and third shots at the par four 11^th, leaving himself with a monster putt for bogey.

He duly drained it for a five, though, with one of his many masterful escapes during the week on the Burma Road course.

And thereafter the wind was taken from Rahm’s sails – the 24-year-old bogeyed two of the following three holes with a birdie in between.

Willett, who won the final Rolex Series event of the 2018 season – the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – closed out a deserved three-stroke victory with birdies at the two closing par fives to card a five-under 67 and a 20-under total.

Willett said: “I’ve watched this tournament for a lot of years. You know, through the Match Play and then obviously the BMW PGA Championship.

“It’s always nice to be able to compete on home soil. I’ve had a couple looks at The Open a couple of times, but to be able to win finally on such an iconic golf course, with I think one of the best fields they have had.

“The last kind of eight or 10 months with a couple of wins in the Rolex Series Events – it’s really put things right in my own mind, which is nice.

“You know Jon is going to be sticking around all day. I obviously got off to a quick start and 11 was a real big point in the golf tournament.

“I’ve watched a lot of the golf on TV and the people that win every week are not the guys that hit every fairway and hit everything to six feet.

“Certain things happen through the week. And one of those moments might happen on a Sunday, might happen on a Thursday or a Friday,” said the golfer who played as a junior at Rotherham GC.

“But for it to happen on Sunday early on in the back nine was crucial just to keep my nose in front really – just to give me that little bit of breathing room down them last six holes.

“Any tournament win is amazing. That’s now my seventh win on Tour, and every single time I’ve won, they have been pretty stellar events against pretty stellar fields and the Ryder Cup stuff.

Willett, whose Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine in 2016 was overshadowed by comments made by his brother about the Amercian team, said: “It’s the first event of what, 40-odd (qualification events), whatever it’s going to be, for a year’s time when it’s back in America, Whistling Straits.”

The Yorkshireman, who won the English Amateur in 2009 before turning pro, moved to ninth in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Rahm – who was also a former No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings – had gone for broke on the final hole by going for the green with a second shot which ended up in the water.

But the Arizona State University graduate bravely got up and down and signed for a final round 70 and a 17-under total.

Rahm said: “I’m not going to lie. It hurts. It stings. I played good all week, and up until the 13th hole, I was incapable of hitting an iron close to the pin and made a couple stupid mistakes.

“I should have come closer than two shots on the last two holes. I had my chances.

“Again, I did what I had to do. Just had a couple of really stupid mistakes there. I’m just going to have to figure out why it happened and that’s it.

“At the same time, Danny played amazing golf. He played really, really good. I believe that 11th hole was the key moment of the match.

“He had a long, long putt for bogey and I had a decent look for a birdie, and he makes a bomb for a bogey and I missed my putt right,” said the Irish Open winner.

“That was at least a one-shot swing right there and if he doesn’t make it, I’m putting more relaxed without the whole crowd going crazy.

“That was a key moment of the match,” added Rahm, who has won three Rolex events in his four European Tour victories.

South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout earned his best result in a Rolex Series event as he took outright third spot with a 16-under total, after closing out the week with a four under 68.

America’s Wentworth debutants – Billy Horschel and Patrick Reed – shared fourth spot while home hero Justin Rose took outright eighth spot.

Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy, who shot 76 on Thursday, shared ninth spot with Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, the former Middlesex amateur, who was also a member at Wentworth for a while before turning pro.

For full results click here.

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South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout who was seriously ill as a child after drining rat poison has battled adversity throughout his career… but victory at Valderrama earns him a spot in The Open at Royal Portrush in two weeks’. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CHRISTIAAN Bezuidenhout won his first European Tour title in emphatic style with a six-shot victory at the Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters.

The South African came into the final day at Real Club Valderrama with a five-shot lead and while he saw that trimmed to three at one point, a closing 71 saw him finish at 10-under par, to become only the third different player to lift the trophy after Graeme McDowell (2010), and tournament host Sergio Garcia (2011, 2017, 2018).

The victory also secures Bezuidenhout a Major championship debut at The Open in two weeks’, alongside Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera and local favourite Adri Arnaus.

Bezuidenhout said: “I was relieved, it was a long day. I went through a struggle in the middle of the round, three bogeys in a row. I thought, I can’t let it slip.

“My caddie kept me in the moment nicely and the par save on the eighth hole was crucial. It just got the momentum going that I had lost a bit.

“To bounce back with three birdies in a row after that was nice and it settled the nerves a bit. To come out with a win today is special.

“My family have kept me humble throughout my career, they’ve supported me and thanks to them. I’m here because of them, it’s so special.

“It’s been a dream since I started playing golf to play in a Major championship, and to play The Open, which is my favourite Major, just makes it even more special.”

Bezuidenhout’s victory completes a remarkable rise for a player who has had to overcome adversity since a young age. At the age of two he mistakenly drank rat poison, an incident that led to him developing a stammer that caused him to suffer anxiety.

The beta blockers he took to combat his stammer led to him failing a doping test at the 2014 Amateur Championship and while his two-year ban was reduced to nine months after officials adjudged he had not been seeking to gain a competitive advantage, he missed out on representing his country at the Eisenhower Trophy.

Now five years on from those dark days, he is a European Tour winner in his 57th appearance and moves into the top 10 of the Race to Dubai rankings after two other top three finishes this season.

Spaniards Eduardo de la Riva, Alvaro Quiros and Jon Rahm finished alongside Arnaus and Lorenzo-Vera at four-under in a five-way tie for second place.

Arnaus said” “It was an honour to play two days in a row with Sergio in such as iconic place as Valderrama. Yesterday I started a bit nervous, but I calmed down after four holes and I started to enjoy it, and we got along so well.

“Today was more like being on my own, and I was able to do it on that back nine, so I’m really pleased.

“I was trying to put a score out there as low as I could, but I saw that he’s playing so well it would be tough to put a little pressure on him, so I just tried to focus on me.

“All week the place in The Open is what I came here for.  It’s just an incredible feeling to come out here on home soil, play well, and get one of those spots.”

Lorenzo Vera said: “I knew that If I wanted to give myself a chance to play in The Open I needed to make par on the last, but I hooked that three-wood. I hit a good wedge, but the green was an absolute rock. I had to make that putt, I gave it a chance and I made it

“My objective at the beginning of the season was to play two Majors. I played the US PGA Championship and I absolutely needed this one, so that could be great for my mind.”

Runner-up Rahm would love to have added his name to the trophy, but admitted the pressure of playing in front of Spanish fans brought its own distractions to the job in hand of winning.

Rahm, who won the Spanish Open two years ago, revealed: “As wonderful as it is, it’s always difficult to play on home soil. It’s hard to keep my own expectations in check.

“It’s all about Christiaan today – he played a wonderful round of golf. He played an amazing tournament. Ten-under par this week in Valderrama is no joke.

“Playing in front of a home crowd increases my wanting to win the tournament. You’ve got to focus in yourself and keep it to yourself, but every time I went from the green to the tee the support was unbelievable and at the end it’s really hard to not let that through.”

Garcia finished at three-under, with Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn, Belgian Thomas Detry, Gavin Green of Malaysia, German Bernd Ritthammer and Japan’s Hideto Tanihara one shot further backG

Garcia, whose foundation hosted the event again, said: “It was a very solid week. You’ve got to be realistic, I feel like I played probably the best I played all year, but I made two putts all week which didn’t help.

“Taking that into account, finishing sixth shows how well I hit the ball. That’s very positive, and that’s what I’m taking.

“It’s been a great tournament for my foundation, and it’s been fun. Every year we seem to be coming up with things to raise more money and that’s nice. Just to be able to help some people is very fulfilling and a great feeling to have.”

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Scot Stephen Gallacher claimed his first win in five years at the age of 44 at the Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

STEPHEN Gallacher birdied three of his last four holes to produce a stunning comeback and win his first European Tour title in five years at the Hero Indian Open.

The Scot had shared the first round lead but a second round 74 saw him slip back and his chances looked doomed when he made a quadruple bogey eight on the seventh hole on Sunday.

The lead kept moving backwards on a windy day at DLF Golf and Country Club, but as he stood on the 15th tee, Gallacher still looked an outside bet facing one of the toughest closing stretches on the Race to Dubai because of that snowman on the seventh.

The 2014 Ryder Cup star knows a thing or two about performing under pressure, however.

And he took advantage of the par five before hitting stunning approaches into the 17th and last to claim his first win since the second of back to back Omega Dubai Desert Classic titles in 2014.

On Mother’s Day back in his native Scotland, it was a father and son show in New Delhi, with son Jack caddying for Gallacher this season in what is likely to be a permanent move for the duo.

A closing 71 moved the 44-year-old to nine-under and gave him a one-shot win over Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, with Spaniard Jorge Campillo a further shot back.

A delighted Gallacher said: “Today the wind was swirling and the course was playing really tough.

“I was three behind the lead at the start of the day and got off to quite a solid start and then I hit a quadruple-bogey on hole seven. I was pretty calm at that point of time, I stood on the eighth tee and saw I was only five shots behind.

“I told myself to stick to the game and you never know what can happen. Especially with how hard it was playing and I came back three-under in the last four holes.

“I thought, ‘just hang in there’. When I birdied 15 I saw that Julian Suri had come back and then when I got to the 16th green I was tied for the lead. I just tried to finish as strong as I could, and I did that.

“Thankfully it was enough. I am 45 this year so I am really proud of what I did out here today. It changes my schedule and I can play a bit less and it was great to win with my son Jack on the bag.

“He has caddied for me 20 events already. It has been a great day. It was great to have him on the bag and Mother’s Day as well makes it even more special.”

Masahiro Kawamura, who has one win to his name on the Asian Tour back in 2013, admitted feeling nervous coming down the stretch. He said: “The round was very good especially in such tough conditions.

“I wasn’t playing very well in the front nine and was struggling on a lot of the holes and I had some missed shots, but the back nine I played very well.

“The course was tough today, but I managed to come back.

“Coming into the last two holes and seeing my name on the leaderboad, I was really nervous,” said the Asian Tour winner, who claimed the 11^th card at the European Tour School, in November, at Spain’s Lumine GC.

Kawamura added: “I knew how important the final hole was and I hit a good shot but was just unlucky.

“Last year I finished second three times on the Japan Tour, lost by one shot twice and once in a play-off. Now I finished second by one shot this time again.”

American Julian Suri had led by three after 12 holes but produced a quadruple bogey of his own on the treacherous 14th to slip back, and he finished alongside South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout at six-under.

Bezuidenhout made six birdies and two bogeys in a 68 that handed him a third top 10 in four events and he finished three shots off the lead, one ahead of fellow South Africans George Coetzee and Erik van Rooyen, Spaniard Nacho Elvira and Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin.

Finn Kalle Samooja made the third hole-in-one of the week with a pitching wedge from 139 yards on the 12th for the eighth ace of the season.

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