Ernie Els will tee off at the Open as a recent winner on the senior's circuit on the PGA Tour. Picture: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
The last South African golfer to win a Major, Ernie Els, is also, surprisingly, probably the best-placed in-form local to do the business and end the drought at this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland.
The 152nd Open tees off on Thursday and Els, who is now 54, will lead the SA charge which on this occasion consists of eight title challengers.
They are all looking to win a first Major by a South African since Els last did it, also at the Open, though played at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2012.
Els, who also won the Open in 2002 at Muirfield as well as two US Open titles in 2004 and 2007, goes into this week’s final Major of the year in good form, having won his first senior Major, at the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone, last weekend.
Els will tee off at 1.31pm on Thursday alongside SA amateur Altin van der Merwe and Gary Woodland.
The chances of a South African golfer winning at Royal Troon though probably rest with the younger players, among them Louis Oosthuizen, whose only Major triumph came at the Open in 2010, when he won at St Andrews.
Oosthuizen now plays on the LIV Golf Tour and while it is difficult to determine what kind of form he is in, he enjoys his visits to the Open, and links golf in general, finishing runner-up to Zach Johnson in a playoff in 2015, also at St Andrews. He’ll be off at 1.53pm alongside Billy Horschel and Victor Perez.
Another LIV player, Dean Burmester, will also fancy his chances after winning his first tournament on that tour earlier this year. He’ll also be off in the afternoon on Thursday, at 2.48pm, with former champion Darren Clarke and JT Poston in his group.
The other late starter among the SA golfers is young Ryan van Velzen, who recently made his Major debut at the US Open. He’s been grouped with Charlie Lindh and the amateur Luis Masaveu and they’ll tee off at 4.54pm.
It’ll also be worth keeping an eye on the other three South Africans in the field – Christiaan Bezuidenhout (alongside Lucas Glover and Adam Hadwin) from 10.14am, Thriston Lawrence (with Dan Bradbury and Elvis Smylie) from 12.04pm and Darren Fichardt (alongside Nacho Elvira and MK Kim) from 12.15pm.
The defending champion this week is Brian Harman of the USA, who won at Royal Liverpool last year.
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