Burmester: It’s nice to get results going my way
JOHANNESBURG: Dean Burmester was one happy chappie when he birdied the 72nd hole at Glendower at the SA Open three weeks ago.
It ensured he finished in fourth place – on 15-under par – and helped him qualify for a part of the desert swing on the European Tour. And how he made it count. Burmester finished seventh at the Abu Dhabi Championship the next week for a big pay day and followed that up with a decent enough cheque when he finished 41st at the Qatar Masters.
Now Burmester wants to bag a win and what better place to do that than at the SA PGA Championship, starting tomorrow.
He came close last year, losing out to the red-hot Jaco van Zyl, who goes into this week’s tournament in fine form after finishing tied second in Qatar, after losing out to Jeunghun Wang in a playoff.
A year ago Burmester lost in a playoff, and that after making seven birdies in his final round, but then Van Zyl’s steady golf, which saw him make just one bogey over the four rounds, was commendable.
“I’ve been playing well,” said Burmester ahead of the tournament start, “and it’s nice to get all those results going my way.”
The Eye of Africa course has changed quite a bit since last year and is playing nearly 300 metres longer this time round.
And, with the good rains in recent weeks, the rough is also thicker than usual.
“It’s not just the extra length,” said Burmester of the change from 6 934m to 7 200m.
“The rough is up, and everything feels much tighter. Last year, I was able to bomb drive and it just rolled and rolled.
“Not that the rough and the distance is going to stop me using the driver a lot again this year.
“I’m hitting it straight, so I need to grab that advantage if I can.”
If he can go one better than last year, it would be a great start to four significant tournaments on the Sunshine Tour – this event is followed by the Dimension Data Pro-Am, the Joburg Open and the Tshwane Open, all of which open significant international doors for their winners, especially the last two which are co-sanctioned events with the European Tour.
Burmester, who just failed to earn his card at the European Tour Q-School, has been trying to force his way onto the lucrative international circuit.
“I don’t have anything set up for me yet in Europe going forward,” he said, “so I really want to win one of those tournaments.”
Among those teeing it up this week are former SA Open champion Morten Orum Madsen, Trevor Fisher Jnr and Darren Fichardt.