Sterne to tee off in Pro-Am
2008-08-20 12:40
Paarl - Sunshine Tour number one, Richard Sterne, returns to action on home soil for the first time since his playoff triumph at the Joburg Open, gunning for glory at the SAA Pro-Am Invitational at Paarl Golf Club starting on Thursday.
The three-time European Tour winner heads the entry list for the R500 000 event at the challenging par-72 layout at Boschenmeer alongside Jean Hugo, the defending champion and two-time winner this season, and fourth ranked Mark Murless, whom he battled with doggedly for supremacy in January.
2008 Nashua Masters champion Mark Cayeux is also in the mix while other top names in the field include Warren Abery, winner of the Nashua Golf Challenge and rookie winners, Tyrone Ferreira (Chainama Hills Zambia Open) and Merrick Bremner (Lombard Insurance Classic).
Sterne last tasted success at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club seven months ago and he is itching to board the winner's flight once more.
It will be especially pleasing for the Pretoria spitfire to sparkle in Paarl, as the Western Cape was one of his favourite hunting grounds in his illustrious amateur career.
"I'm not completely back in tournament mode, because I took time off after the Open Championship, but I'm looking forward to playing on the Sunshine Tour over the next two weeks," said Sterne, who is also looking to protect his leading margin of close to R700 000 at the top of the Order of Merit.
Business as usual
"I would like to play well here, even win, because it's good for the confidence ahead of the last couple months on the European Tour. It's been a while since I last won a tournament, but you never know, it could be this week, or next week.
During his break from the European Tour, the 26-year old is catching up with fellow Sunshine Tour players, but when he hits the fairways on Thursday, it will be business as usual.
Unlike previous years, Sterne chose to spend the first few months of the 2008 season on the PGA Tour instead of Europe. He made five consecutive cuts, with his highest placing a tie for 21st at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
"I wanted to get some experience in the States, especially since I qualified for the Masters and some of the World Golf Championship tournaments," said Sterne, who tied for 25th in his debut at Augusta National.
"It was definitely worth it, but now I need to go back to Europe and get myself on track to get back into the top-20. I rank 67th on the current money list, so there is quite a bit of work to do before the end of the season." He is looking forward to the challenge lying ahead this week.
"On this course, you must be thinking all the time and be confident with the tee shots as you can't miss it right or left. The jungle around here can kill your game," he said, referring to the tree-line layout and multiple water hazards that define at the challenging layout.
Hugo, who won the Samsung Royal Swazi Sun Open and Vodacom Origins of Golf Kwa-Zulu Natal in the space of three weeks, is also brimming with confidence ahead of his title defence.
"I am hitting it pretty straight and putting well, so it should be a good week," said the experienced wind player, who should be able to handle the predicted Berg wind well.
"It's nice to come back to a place where you've won but two years have gone by so we will have to wait and see.?
The R500 000 SAA Pro-Am Invitational will tee off on Thursday to Saturday.
- SAPA