Overseas charge by SA golfers

2008-05-28 15:38

Johannesburg - Twenty-plus Southern Africans will take to fairways around the globe this week with Richard Sterne heading the list at the Celtic Manor Wales Open.

Sterne participation in Wales heralds the debut of the new 2010 Course at the Celtic Manor Resort, so called as it has been created specifically to host the 2010 Ryder Cup Matches.

Defending champion Richard Sterne has concentrated most of his efforts in the US since March and, apart from when missing the cut last week at Wentworth, is six for six in cuts made on the PGA Tour this season.

Since its inception in 2002, no player has ever retained their title. The familiar surrounds at Celtic Manor, the positive memories of his victory last year and the imminent US Open, just two weeks away, could be an added incentive for the diminutive Pretoria professional to another successful week in Wales.

Look out for 2008 Italian Open winner Hennie Otto, reigning Telkom PGA champion Louis Oosthuizen, triple Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Charl Schwartzel, European Tour stalwarts David Frost and Andrew McLardy and 2008 rookies Thomas Aiken and James Kamte to complete the local line-up.

Els chasing fond memories in Ohio Ernie Els fans will be delighted to learn that the Big Easy changed his mind just a day after announcing he won't tee it up at the Memorial, a tournament he won four years ago.

Although Els wrote on his website that he would not play again until next week's Stanford St Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, he posted a change on Tuesday to say he would indeed be making the trip to Dublin.

"Having had an unscheduled weekend off, I'm obviously keen to get back into the swing of things again," the 2004 champion wrote on his site.

Positive vibes

"Originally, this week was going to be a gap in my schedule, but I've changed my mind and decided to play in the Memorial. It's one of my favourite tournaments of the year and I love Jack's (Nicklaus) course, Muirfield Village. I figure it'll be a good week to try to get back some positive vibes in my game. I'm really looking forward to it."

Trevor Immelman joins in the tournament, hosted by 18-time Major winner, Jack Nicklaus, as well as European Tour campaigners Anton Haig and James Kingston, who enjoyed a solid run at the BMW PGA Championship last week and tied for 25th.

In Manchester Sunshine Tour rookies Tyrone Ferreira and Branden Grace hope to emulate 2007 Sunshine Tour Rookie Race winner Ross McGowan, the winner of last year's Pro-Am Challenge.

McGowan graduated to the European Tour via two Challenge Tour victories and finished the 2007 season as the top ranked rookie in South Africa. To date, the Englishman has already secured three top-six finishes on the European Tour.

Ferreira, who already broke his Sunshine Tour duck with a maiden victory at the Chainama Hills Zambia Open, hopes to hit a rich vein of form at the Marriott Worsley Park Hotel and Country Club in Manchester, England following a top-20 finish in his EuroPro Tour debut in Ireland last week.

Grace, on the other hand, will want to go the full stretch after missing the cut by one in last year's event.

All six previous winners of the Nationwide Tour's Bank of America Open went on to graduate to the PGA Tour in the same season and three South Africans are chomping at the bit to follow suit.

Gunning for maiden triumph

Sunshine Tour number two Garth Mulroy, PGA Tour regular Brenden Pappas and Capetonian Craig Lile are lined up for the winner's circle at the Glen Club, where this week's winner will earn a comfortable boost worth $135 000 towards the end goal - the 2009 PGA Tour card that comes with a spot in the top-25 on the final Money List.

The SA trio, alongside Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe and Zambia's Madalitso Muthiya, will take on the Nationwide Tour's current pacesetter David Matthis, one of the 10 winners from 11 events this season in the field.

Lincoln leads SA challenge in Poland 2007 Jersey Seniors Classic champion Bobby Lincoln leads the two-man challenge at this week's Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship, which marks the European Senior Tour's first visit to Poland.

Lincoln and former European Tour winner Ian Palmer will be vying for the lion's share of the prize fund on offer at the to the Krakow Valley Golf and Country Club. Zimbabwe's Tony Johnstone completes the Southern African line-up, while Bertus Smit, John Mashego and Neville Clarke are still on the reserve list.

Price gunning for maiden triumph in Iowa Champions Tour rookie Nick Price launches a renewed bid at a maiden title this week at the Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa.

The popular Zimbabwean, flanked by countrymen Denis Watson and Mark McNulty, will aim to top the leaderboard come Saturday since five of seven second-round leaders/co-leaders of the Principal Charity Classic have gone on the win.

South Africa's Fulton Allem is a doubtful starter after his unexpected withdrawal after the third round of the PGA Tour's Crowne Plaza Invitational last week.

- SAPA