Heinrich Bruiners of South Africa hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during Day 2 of the Africa Open at East London Golf Club on February 14, 2014 in East London, South Africa. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
He would lead the field at the Euphoria Golf Estate, the only course on the Sunshine Tour designed by a woman.
“I love Annika Sorenstam’s course. The greens are tough and you need to really think about what you’re doing before you putt,” he said.
“I’m very impressed with her design. The bunkers are set up perfectly in the landing areas, so you can’t just stand on the tee and say, ‘I’m going to bash one down there’. There’s a lot of strategy required from off the tee.”
Bruiners unlocked the course’s secrets last year, finishing five strokes clear of the field. He hoped to do so again and become one of the few to defend a title on this series.
Both Adilson da Silva and Jake Roos, who tied second last year, were in the field.
They would have to fend off other top contenders Titch Moore, the current Telkom PGA Championship champion, Keith Horne, Trevor Fisher junior, Christiaan Basson, Danie van Tonder and Lyle Rowe.
Bryce Easton, returning from the Asian Tour, and Neil Schietekat would also be in contention along with the experienced Ulrich van den Berg, who headed to the Waterberg region with top-10 finishes in his last two tournaments. Veteran professional Nico van Rensburg would also tee it up in Wednesday’s first round.
The Origins of Golf is one of the longest-running series on the Sunshine Tour, with six tournaments each played for a total purse of R600 000.
– Sapa
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