Jaco van Zyl will be angling for a European Tour breakthrough in the 2015 Africa Open next week after making a major statement in last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am.
After ten months on the sidelines, Van Zyl’s main aim at Fancourt was to get some rust out of his system; but in the event he fared rather better than that, finishing just three shots adrift of the eventual champion Branden Grace.
Van Zyl boasts an impressive record in the Africa Open, having finished fourth in both 2011 and 2012, shared a runner-up finish in 2013 and tied for fifth last year. Buoyed by his performance in George, the 13-time Sunshine Tour champion is determined to exact his revenge on East London Golf Club.
“I’ve been in contention for the last four years, but the course has never showed me any mercy,” he said.
“Buffalo City is always my favourite stop of the season, because my dad, some other family members and friends all travel to the Eastern Cape for the tournament.
“We have a good old fashioned boys’ week and I would love to win lift the trophy with all those guys surrounding the 18th green. I think East London Golf Club owes me one, and this year I hope to collect.”
Van Zyl’s 2014 campaign was severely disrupted by injury, as he went under the knife last April to have ligament damage repaired to both knees, with the aim of resuming over the summer.
However, subsequent injuries led to two more operations – the first shortly after the double surgery, and the second after his left knee popped during the third round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in early November.
“It was only my second event back, and I was out again for two months,” Van Zyl said.
“I started again at the SA Open in January, and my expectations were really low. I was quite nervous – the rough was absolutely brutal and I wasn’t sure how my game would hold up under the pressure.
“But I survived the rough and the cut to tie for 55th. It was my worst finish since 2007, but it sure felt good to be competing again.”
Van Zyl missed the cut at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and didn’t expect much at Fancourt, but a solid start spurred him on and he shared third in some esteemed company, including Hennie Otto and fellow European Tour champion Darren Fichardt, to whom he lost out in the 2013 edition of the Africa Open.
Boosted by the performance, Van Zyl intends to build on his form in this week’s Joburg Open, before he renews his title bid at East London Golf Club from March 5-11.
“I shot rounds of 66, 68 and 67 in 2013 and led going into the final round, but I let myself down with a 73 on the Sunday,” he said. “Now I want to step it up from runner-up to winner.
“What I love about the course is that it gives you a lot of options. It’s not a bomber’s course, so you can go for it. You need accuracy, and you need a hot putter. If you are not on your game, you better pull out the irons and wedges.
“My game is coming on nicely, and the short game is getting sharper all the time. In the last four years I’ve had some good results, so hopefully I can improve by one spot from 2013.”
Given his past results, East London Golf Club – with its short layout and tricky wind – is certainly a venue where Van Zyl feels he can can achieve success.
He heads up the local challenge alongside former champions Fichardt and Shaun Norris, Dawie Van Tonder and European Tour champions George Coetzee, Richard Sterne and James Kingston.
Reigning SA Open champion Andy Sullivan, two-time Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Pablo Martin and the French trio of Grégory Bourdy, Julien Quesne and Raphaël Jacquelin will all aim to break the South African stronghold on the event alongside Europe’s 2016 Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke, who makes a welcome return to Buffalo City.
