Louis Oosthuizen claimed his first Sunshine Tour victory on the Vodacom Business Origins of Golf Tour in 2004, and his fellow professionals will be hoping for a similar career path as that of the reigning Open champion when this series resumes this week.
After a lengthy break for the FIFA World Cup, the biggest series of tournaments on the winter schedule of the Sunshine Tour resumes with the Eastern Cape leg at Humewood Golf Club, which tees off on Wednesday.
And with this being very much a links golf course, there are a few in the field who will be hoping their experience on the most famous links in the game will stand them in good stead this week.
Jean Hugo was part of the group of 10 South Africans who teed it up in the Open on the Old Course two weeks ago.
Although he didn’t make the cut, playing the links of St Andrews in such tough conditions is perfect preparation for a Humewood links which, when the weather is at its worst, can be equally demanding.
Hugo is a perennial favourite on this series, having claimed three victories and a host of top tens since the series first teed off in 2004. His latest came in the opening event of this year’s series at Gardener Ross in Gauteng.
When Hugo won earlier this year, Van Zyl finished tied fifth. And when Van Zyl took the second event on the series at Sishen in May, Hugo finished tied second.
Darren Fichardt also returns to the Sunshine Tour following his appearance in the Open, where he missed the cut. Fichardt will be out to add to his two career victories on this series, and is no doubt hoping that playing a few practice rounds on the Old Course with Oosthuizen before the Open will see some of that magic rub off on him.
Humewood’s place on this year’s series is fitting considering the 2010 theme of Origins Goes Easy in honour of the career of Ernie Els.
Els won the 2006 South African Open at Humewood with a record winning score of 264.
