SA golfers aim for morale-boosting scores at U.S. events
Van Rooyen and Schwartzel are the only South African pros who have qualified for this year's Masters.
A couple of South Africans will be among professional golfers looking for morale-boosting scores this week in either San Antonio or Miami, U.S., ahead of the Masters’ grand tee-off next Thursday.
Erik van Rooyen features in the Valero Texas Open on the U.S. PGA Tour in San Antonio, Texas, from Thursday, while compatriot Charl Schwartzel is part of the field for LIV Golf’s Miami show in Florida from Friday.
Van Rooyen and Schwartzel are the only South African pros who have qualified for this year’s Masters.
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Schwartzel, who won the Masters in 2011, is among a small group of LIV players who have been allowed to take part in the Masters because of past victories in the Masters or other Majors in recent years, as part of ongoing talks between the feuding golf associations.
Most other LIV players, including top South African Louis Oosthuizen, will not be at the Masters on the famous Augusta National Golf Club fairways next week. This is because LIV players are not part of the world rankings used in the Masters and some other events’ eligibility criteria.
But there will be a third “Saffer” in the field at Augusta, in the state of Georgia, next Thursday, in the form of amateur star Christo Lamprecht. He is among five amateurs who “won” invitations for the illustrious tournament through certain achievements.
He was victorious in The Amateur Championship in England last June and, also in 2023, the Georgia Tech student became the top-ranked amateur in the world and competed in both the Arnold Palmer Cup and the Eisenhower Trophy.
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In this week’s action, Van Rooyen will be joined by fellow South African Garrick Higgo in San Antonio. The prize fund there is $9,2 million (R172 million) for four rounds of play on a par-72 strip.
Schwartzel will be competing in Miami alongside compatriots Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester and Branden Grace. They also make up “Stinger GC” for LIV’s signature team competition that takes place alongside the individual shootout at each tournament.
The three-day Miami affair, like other LIV events, carries an impressive $25 million purse — $20 million for the individual contest and $5 million for the team action.
That might well appear like money from heaven for those taking part in the Sunshine Tour’s Limpopo Championship from today.
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The host venue is Euphoria Golf & Lifestyle Estate in Naboomspruit and the prize fund is R2 million for four rounds of play.