The Eliminator books a ticket to drive in US
One thing is certain – van Zyl has left his African footprint in Europe and many of their players have expressed a keen interest in making an appearance in South Africa as early as November.
Benonian Thorne van Zyl, better known as The Eliminator to fans, has booked his ticket to this week’s Volvik World Long Drive Golf Championship in Texas, USA.
The 23-year-old Norton’s Home Estates resident, secured the final ticket to the high-profile 400 000 US dollars (R6.1-million) event from August 30 to September 3 by out-driving 24 of the top European big-hitters in the official qualifier in Mallorca, Spain, on August 18.
After a mentally and physically exhaustive day in which he accumulated a winning total of 700 points overall to secure his spot in the States against the top 128 hitters in the world, van Zyl finished third in the European Long Drive Games the following day after going down in the semi-finals to the Swede, Teeamu Pitkanen.
“Being contested on a points system in the qualifier, it was all about consistently finding the grid and winning every set,” said van Zyl.
“Playing about 30m above sea level, the ball doesn’t fly as far, the wind is strong and it’s not as easy to control the spin factors and ball flight.”
Already exposed to Europe’s top stars, van Zyl knows he is now taking a huge step up to a far bigger league, with a winner’s prize of 125 000 US dollars (R1.9-m) up for grabs. The draw will be whittled down to the last 16 followed by knockout rounds.
“I will find at least 60 per cent of the guys there who swing like me and 40 per cent who go faster and longer, so it’s about upping your game, swinging well and hitting the grid on the day.”
Van Zyl has a very pragmatic approach to the task ahead.
“If I make the top 16, then my passion for long drive will just kick in and take over. I’m taking it step by step, one day at a time, one set at a time, and one ball at a time.”
RELATED STORY: ‘The Eliminator’ back in top form
Due to a combination of injury and a few broken shafts, van Zyl went through a dip in form and was temporarily unseated by Jason Vickers as the Grid Outlaws Order of Merit leader for the first time in more than three years.
He simply re-aligned himself mentally by winning round six in Roodepoort with a personal best 441.7m slammer.
“I didn’t focus on what went wrong, but rather on what I could do right, getting on the box and doing what I do best.”
