JOHANNESBURG - South African golfers Richard Sterne and Erik van Rooyen will be teeing it up at next month's British Open after strong seasons so far in the 2019 Race to Dubai.
The Open takes place at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, from July 18 to 21.
The pair are the top five players in the top 20 of the Race to Dubai Rankings after the BMW International Open who are not already exempt for the season's final Major Championship.
Sterne is currently 16th on the Race to Dubai. Often the key to success is peaking at the right time and that has certainly been the case for him.
His runner-up finish in a Rolex Series event at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship earned him 780 Race to Dubai points, and the South African has also earned a top-10 at the Trophée Hassan II.
The six-time European Tour winner will be making his eighth Open appearance after missing out last season.
SA's Erik van Rooyen. Photo: European Tour
Van Rooyen, who is 17th on the Race to Dubai, made his Major debut with a top-20 at last season's Open and will tee it up next month having proved he can mix it at the very highest level with a top-ten at last month's US PGA Championship.
The South African has been knocking on the door for a maiden European Tour victory for a while and has finished second this season at the Qatar Masters and the Trophée Hassan II.