Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace are headed to Durban as part of a showcase of top SA talent, which will also include a special invitation for Tristin Galant as the leading Sunshine Tour Transformation Player, at the Investec SA Open at Durban Country Club from February 27 to March 2.
Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, and Grace, the 2020 SA Open champion, have confirmed their places in the second-oldest national Open in golf. Galant, the highest ranked professional from the Sunshine Tour’s Papwa Sewgolum Class for transformation professionals and not otherwise exempt for this tournament, has been granted a special invitation to compete.
It will be a significant moment for Galant as he represents the Papwa Sewgolum Class at a Durban Country Club that formed a great part of Sewgolum’s career. They will join defending SA Open champion Dean Burmester in a strong local field.
With the in-form Daniel van Tonder also in the field, this year’s SA Open will now have three of the last five winners of the tournament at Durban Country Club. The SA challenge will also feature Shaun Norris, currently the highest ranked South African on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings in fifth place, as well as last season’s winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit Ryan van Velzen, and last season’s winner of the Fortress Rookie of the Year Award Robin Williams.
Grace returns to home fairways having won the 2020 SA Open when he beat close friend Louis Oosthuizen to the title.
“To win the second oldest Open in the world and with so much history is special. It also makes it special beating a player of Louis’ calibre,” said Grace.
Schwartzel is back for another shot at a title where he has twice finished second — one of those a playoff defeat.
“It would be an amazing tournament to win as the second oldest national Open in golf. As a South African, it would be a privilege to have that under your belt. All golfers want to win their national Open and it would mean a lot to me to do so,” he said.
The fact that this year’s $1.5m tournament will be played at the historic and recently revamped Durban Country Club should also appeal to Schwartzel. He finished second behind winner Tim Clark at Durban Country Club in the 2005 Open, and on the last occasion the tournament was played there in 2010, he finished fourth behind winner Ernie Els.
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