Brandon Stone looks ahead to SA Open, Alfred Dunhill: ‘I had to find myself again’

Former SA Open champion Brandon Stone is looking forward to the next two tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, when he tees it up at the 2023 edition of his national open at Blair Atholl from Thursday and at Leopard Creek for the Alfred Dunhill Championship next week.

Stone won the SA Open in 2016 at Glendower and went on to also capture the Scottish Open title, among other wins during that time period, but his form has deserted him somewhat in recent times.

But, just a few weeks ago he was able to win back his DP World Tour card after finishing in the top 21 on the Road to Mallorca standings on the Challenge Tour.

Stone will thus be hoping to make the most of his recent achievement at the SA Open starting at the Blair Atholl course in Lanseria from Thursday, where he will be joined by a number of South Africans in the field, including Charl Schwartzel, defending champion Thriston Lawrence and last week’s Joburg Open winner Dean Burmester, among others.

‘Find myself’

And next week in Leopard Creek Stone will also have the likes of Louis Oosthuizen and Erik van Rooyen for company, something that excites the now 30-year-old.

“There’s an immense sense of gratitude going back to Leopard Creek as a previous winner there. At the same time there is that part in all of us golfers that wants your name on that trophy more than once. That’s the objective for me,” said Stone, who won the tournament in 2016.

He would also, no doubt, love to add his name again to the SA Open trophy this week.

“I needed to go back and find myself and my game again,” said Stone, referring to his time on the European Challenge Tour, after losing his DP World Tour card.

“I needed to remind myself of who I was as a person and a player. Looking back to the man I was a year ago, I’m almost unrecognisable. I’m back to my former self and really enjoying what I’m doing.”

Some of the other golfers to look out for at the SA Open, starting Thursday at Blair Atholl, include England’s Dan Bradbury, South Africans Dylan Frittelli, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Shaun Norris and rising star Nikhil Rama, as well as Ernie Els’ nephew, Jovan Rebula.

Stone missed the cut at last week’s Joburg Open.