GOLF NEWS - The 107th South African Open Championship will feature one of its strongest local challenges in recent years as South Africa’s top professionals seek to return the title to home soil, with the exception of one big name.
Ernie Els, the player host of the R15 million championship, leads a strong South African challenge including double US Open champion Retief Goosen, 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, 2016 champion Brandon Stone, and European Tour winners Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Haydn Porteous, Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt and Dylan Frittelli.
The glaring omission, however, is South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen. Oosthuizen, ranked 23 in the world, is the top-ranked South African but has not committed to the tournament.
The January 11 to 14 edition of the second oldest national Open in golf, co-sanctioned by The Sunshine Tour and The European Tour, was officially launched at Glendower Golf Club on Monday.
The South African professionals remain fiercely patriotic about their national Open, and the fact that four of the last six editions of this prestigious championship have been won by foreign golfers provided further impetus behind their commitment to the 2018 championship.
Els has five South African Open titles behind his name and said he is delighted with the response from the leading South African professionals to support the championship’s continued growth.
“The South African Open Championship was highlighted by the fact that we had one of the world’s best players, Rory McIlroy, in the field. The 2018 tournament will be highlighted by some of our best local professionals making sure that this title comes back to South Africa.”
Goosen has twice won his national Open, while Stone returns as the last South African to have won the championship in 2016.
England’s Graeme Storm took the title in January 2017 following a thrilling playoff with McIlroy at Glendower Golf Club.
