Week three of the European Challenge Tour’s South African Swing has arrived with the SDC Open taking place at Zebula Golf Estate and Spa. Here are three names to keep an eye on this week.
Form Horse: Conor Purcell
Irishman Conor Purcell showed glimpses of his class during the 2022 season with three top tens, however all of those promising shows came within the British Isles. The 25-year-old has already equalled that tally of top tens in the 2023 season and has proven that he can be a truly worldwide player. He finished in a tie for seventh at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open on the DP World Tour in December before another tie for seventh arrived at the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open, the season-opening event on the Road to Mallorca. He betted that by one place at last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am, sharing sixth place to move to sixth on the Rankings.
Home Favourite: Ruan Conradie
If you were to look at Ruan Conradie’s recent form, you would not put him in this week’s Three to Watch, however one thing you cannot bet against is home advantage. The South African has made only one cut in six starts across the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour in the 2023 season, however his past experience at Zebula is to be respected. Since the co-sanctioning agreement between the Challenge Tour and Sunshine Tour came to fruition in 2020, the 27-year-old has missed only one cut in the Limpopo region with his best finish coming at this event last year. He narrowly missed out in a play-off to Clément Sordet, so should be viewed as a contender this week.
The Outsider: Joachim B. Hansen
After losing his DP World Tour playing privileges in 2022, Joachim B. Hansen has returned to the Challenge Tour as he looks to regain his top tier card. The 2018 Challenge Tour Number One made his first start of the season in last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am, where he missed the cut, but, much like Conradie, past success should be accounted for when it comes to the Dane. The first of his two DP World Tour wins arrived at the 2020 Joburg Open so, although his form does not suggest a victory, do not discount a man with four professional wins to his name, two of which have come outside Europe.
