Shaun Norris is the defending champion at Royal Johannesburg this week.
The who’s who of South African golf will be in action at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Royal Johannesburg East from Thursday, with Major winner Louis Oosthuizen perhaps the biggest attraction.
With Leopard Creek in Malelane undergoing a period of recovery, the tournament will be played at its historical home, the East course at Royal Joburg, from Thursday to Sunday.
Shaun Norris is the defending champion after he overturned a six-shot deficit in the final round at Leopard Creek this time last year to win his second DP World Tour title.
Star-studded field
Just about all the men who teed it up at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City will be in action this week and they’ll be joined by a host of other players in a big field that includes 2010 Open champion Oosthuizen.
He’ll be joined in the field by LIV Golf Tour Stinger team-mates Branden Grace and Dean Burmester, but Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, won’t be in action this year.
The three Stinger team members will be sussing things out before the LIV Golf Tour heads to South Africa in March next year, for their first tournament on African soil, at Steyn City.
Some of the other well-known SA golfers in the field this week include Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Thriston Lawrence, Aldrich Potgieter, Goerge Coetzee, JC Ritchie, Zander Lombard, Daniel van Tonder, Brandon Stone, Jayden Schaper, Darren Fichardt, Justin Walter and Jaco Ahlers, among a big local contingent.
‘Demanding’ course
The East course has undergone a full revamp since it last hosted a DP World Tour event, the Joburg Open in 2017, but Norris said it remains a superb layout.
“It has always been a great golf course,” said the defending champion.
“All South Africans like this place. You need to hit it well off the tee and putt pretty solid this week to put up a good score there.
“It’s demanding. You are going to have to strategise a nice plan for the week, know when to take on pins and when to back off and play to the centres of the green.”
Norris finished fifth at the Nedbank Golf Challenge so his game is in good shape.
“We always want to try and defend a tournament. It’s nice to be in Joburg, staying at home so it will be a little bit more relaxed.”
