JOHANNESBURG – Masters winners Mike Weir of Canada and South Africa’s Trevor Immelman – both players looking to find some form – have been grouped with four-time Major winner and tournament host Ernie Els for the first round of the 107th BMW SA Open at Glendower starting on Thursday.
The trio will tee off on the 10th at 7.20am on Thursday as the Sunshine and European Tours get into full swing in 2018.
Another veteran South African and winner of two Majors, Retief Goosen, will play in the group behind Els’s (teeing off on the 10th at 7.20am, alongside 2016 Joburg Open winner Haydn Porteous and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, a player with the game to be right up there challenging for the title on Sunday.
South Africa’s hottest young player over the last year, Dylan Frittelli, who won the Lyonness Open and the Mauritius Open in a stunning 2017 season, will play in the same group as 2016 SA Open winner Brandon Stone, who is looking to find his best form again, and former champion from 2015 Andy Sullivan of England. They’re also off on the 10th, at 7am – the group in front of Els’s.
The afternoon field will also have plenty for the fans to see with Joburg Open runner-up Erik van Rooyen off on the first tee at 11.50am, alongside local favourite Thomas Aiken and Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark.
Two groups behind them teeing off at 12.10pm will be the heavyweight grouping of Branden Grace, winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge last November, Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and England’s Chris Wood, one of the most consistent performers on the European Tour.
Selected first round groupings:
10th tee, 6.50am: Hennie Otto, George Coetzee, David Drysdale
10th tee, 7am: Dylan Frittelli, Brandon Stone, Andy Sullivan
10th tee, 7.10am: Ernie Els, Mike Weir, Trevor Immelman
10th tee, 7.20am: Retief Goosen, Haydn Porteous, Soren Kjeldsen
1st tee, 11.50am: Erik van Rooyen, Thomas Aiken, Lucas Bjerregaard
1st tee, 12.10: Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel, Chris Wood
@jacq_west
IOL Sport