As one of Volvo’s flagship trucks rolled into Fancourt ahead of Thursday’s first round of the Volvo Golf Champions tournament, Retief Goosen was one of those hoping this European Tour event finds a permanent home at The Links.
“I know every player here is looking forward to this new venue for the Volvo Golf Champions. I hope they really enjoy it this week, because I’d like to see this tournament stay in South Africa,” said Goosen, who is one of the exclusive 35-strong field of European Tour winners on show this week in George.
“This is Volvo’s 125th men’s professional tournament they’ve sponsored. They’ve been a great sponsor for such a long time and it’s great to see that they support golf as much as they do.”
But as much as he feels comfortable on this Links layout, Goosen is well aware of the challenge that awaits after shaking off the back injury that has plagued him in recent times, and the two-time Major Champion is relishing the prospect of a new season.
“I love The Links and I know the golf course very well,” he continued. “It’s a small field, but it’s such a strong field because every player here obviously knows how to win. So every golfer here is tough to beat.”
Goosen opened his week with a clinic at Fancourt on Tuesday, where he showed 40 Grade Six and Seven students from the Dellville Park Primary School the basics of a golf swing.
“I like to give back to junior golfers. I have my own academy and I’d like to try and get some more champions out there,” he said.
Gladwill Booysen was one of the students who revelled in the experience.
“It was like a fantasy come true to see Retief. I loved it when he hit the driver so hard. My first shot wasn’t so good, but my second went much further than my friends’ attempts,” said the 10-year-old.
Goosen joins a strong South African challenge including fellow Major winners Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, as well as Branden Grace, Thomas Aiken, Garth Mulroy and Hennie Otto.
Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Champion, is equally pleased to be on home fairways this week, and said: “I’m really looking forward to it – playing in the Southern Cape where I grew up. We’ll probably have quite a few spectators, which will be nice. I think it’s going to be a great week.”
The international field features Thomas Björn, Darren Clarke, Simon Dyson, Pádraig Harrington, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Tom Lewis, Colin Montgomerie and 2012 Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal.
