The Pro-Am at the Nedbank Golf Challenge gets underway tomorrow and BBJSportGuy's coverage will start then with results and behind the scenes news and reviews. Look for hotspots, cool drinking holes and all the news you can use!
Today we start by looking ahead to one of the men I will be backing this weekend....
South Africa's Trevor Immelman arrived at Sun City for this week's Nedbank Golf Challenge feeling the kind of pressure reserved especially for the local stars competing in this lucrative 12-man invitation tournament.
Immelman is one of four South Africans, including Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel, who will tee it up at the Gary Player Country Club course in Thursday's first round of an event offering $1.2-million to the winner.
In recent years Els has carried the hopes of South African fans against the world's best available golfers drawn from that year's Major winners and the world rankings.
Goosen's two US Open victories saw him share this burden with Els.
Now Immelman, the rising star of South African golf who claimed his maiden victory on the US PGA Tour this year and climbed to a career high 13 on the world rankings to secure a place in the field, admits to feeling the intense pressure placed on the country's golfers to win this event.
"I've been feeling it since I got back to South Africa. Everyone tells you that you can win. On the other hand, it's a great compliment that people think I can win this," Immelman said on Tuesday.
And the young star, who is never short of confidence, believes he has a good chance at victory on his debut in the tournament.
"I won here before on the Sunshine Tour in the 2003 Dimension Data Pro-Am and I am comfortable on this course.
"Accurate tee shots and putting are the two most important factors. If you can keep the ball in play, you can give yourself a chance. The greens here are pretty fast, but I play on greens like this in America, so I should do okay here."
With four South Africans in the field - the most in the 25-year history of the tournament - Immelman is confident the $1.2-milliion will find its way into a local bank account.
"I think South Africa has a great chance to win this year. Four out of 12 is not a bad number. We are all seasoned campaigners on this course, with Ernie, Retief and myself having won here."
Els makes a record 15th consecutive appearance at Sun City with three wins to his name, while Goosen returns as the champion in 2004 and loser in a four-man playoff to defending champion Jim Furyk last year.
Schwartzel makes his debut as the winner of the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit last season.
"I'm very excited to be playing. It's a lifelong dream of mine. But it's a tournament like any other and that's how I've got to approach it," said Schwartzel.
"I like my status as the underdog and I think all four of us South Africans have a good chance of winning."
No comments:
Post a Comment