Great South African presence in Scotland

In this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, Richard Sterne (right) will be hoping to go one better than last year, and Branden Grace is aiming at a repeat of his 2012 heroics.

A year ago, Sterne broke 70 in all four rounds over the St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns courses to finish on 269 and tie for second with England’s Ross Fisher, with another Englishman – Tyrrell Hatton, cruising to victory, his first on the European Tour, on 265 which included a record 62 in the third round on St Andrews’ iconic Old Course.

Grace was the Links cham- pion in 2012 when he blitzed Kingsbarns with a sublime 12-under-par 60 in round one, and – although he has slipped a touch down the rankings this year – snatching a half with none other than world No 1 Dustin Johnson in their Presidents Cup clash at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey on Sunday, has boosted his confidence ahead of this week’s Scottish celebration of links golf.

Grace, of course, played an amazing recovery with his very difficult chip shot from behind the 18th green to save par and ensure he shared the honours with the big-hitting American.

Grace is clearly capable of bringing golf courses to its knees, and he did so in this year’s British Open at Royal Birkdale when he became the first player in Major history to shoot a sub-63 round, sinking a three-foot par putt on the 18th for an eight-under 62.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship may be played in Scotland and be part of the European Tour, but it always has a strong South African entry as the tournament is very much the brainchild of SA golf benefactor Johann Rupert.

Grace therefore heads a group of 18 South Africans in this year’s line-up, including Ernie Els, Sterne, George Coetzee, Thomas Aiken and talented young guns Brandon Stone, Haydn Porteous, Dylan Frittelli, Dean Burmester and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

Top player in the line-up this year is world No 6 Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman looking for his first victory in the championship after being a runner-up three times.

The tournament runs from Thursday to Sunday with each player playing one round each on the three courses before a 54-hole cut is made and the final round is played at St Andrews. – ANA