European Tour ends South African swing
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2010 Joburg Open | Preview | 13 Jan 2010
The European Tour plays its fourth consecutive and last event of its 2010 schedule in South Africa when the Joburg Open is played this week at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club in Johannesburg.
The two layouts at this golfing complex, the time honoured, East and West Courses, will be used over the opening two days providing the opportunity for an expanded field of 206 players prior to the cut to the top 70 on Friday evening. The East Course is the more well known having hosted significant events in South African golf on a number of occasions.
The defending champion Anders Hansen, the leading world ranked player in the field, is seeking back to back success in the event and continue what has been a dream run in South Africa over the past twelve months having secured the Sunshine Tour money list title during that period. In doing so Hansen became the first European in 38 years to top the South African money list.
Richard Sterne won the event in 2008 and it may well be he, last week’s winner Charl Schwartzel, and big improver, Edoardo Molinari, who provide the defending champion with his biggest threat.
Sterne has rediscovered his form after losing his way in the latter half of 2009. He has been very good in recent weeks and, having experienced victory at the venue previously, he can be expected to do well.
Schwartzel finished 4th last year in this event and was particularly impressive last week when winning in East London. He regularly plays well at home and this should be no exception.
Molinari is developing into the star many though he might have become earlier following his 2005 US Amateur Championship victory. Late in 2009 he completed his domination of the Challenge Tour by easily topping the money list, won the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan, beating Robert Karlsson in the process, and won the World Cup of golf with his brother Francesco. He finished the year inside the top 50 in the world and is now off to Augusta National once again.
Soren Hansen has been one of Europe’s best in the last year or and although he has now slipped outside the top 50 in the world he deserves consideration in a field such as this.
Thomas Aiken played superbly in stretch of events early in 2009 and now that he has found form again with a runner up finish last week in East London he could well continue on with it.
New Zealanders Mark Brown and Danny Lee both missed the cut last week but will line up again, while Australians Rick Kulacz who finished 4th last week, Andrew Tampion, Scott Hend and Matthew Zions are also in the field.
