Grace leads SA’s links onslaught

STRONG LOCAL CONTINGENT LINES UP

There’s a good deal of confidence among the South African contingent of golfers here ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship beginning today. “I do feel the game is pretty sharp in spite of the jet-lag,” said Branden Grace after flying in from New Jersey and last week’s Presidents Cup where, in spite of the Internationals losing by a wide margin to the US, Grace did well to halve with world No 1 Dustin Johnson in the singles.

“There was a lot of pressure in the Cup, but this week is more relaxing and my amateur partner (for the separate pro-am) is tournament host Johann Rupert and it’s always fun playing alongside him,” he said.

Grace is at home playing Scottish links golf. He won this tournament in 2012 when he shot a fabulous 12-under-par 60 in the first round at Kingsbarns before completing victory over the Carnoustie and St Andrews courses.

In round one at St Andrews today, Grace and Rupert are with Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry, a group certain to command plenty of attention from the enthusiastic Scottish golf fans.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old compatriot Brandon Stone feels his game is getting back to peak form after missing eight cuts in 20 starts on the European Tour in the 2017 season.

Haydn Porteous is like Stone another young South African looking for a good week following his maiden win on the European Tour, in the Czech Masters, five weeks ago. And that also goes for Dylan Frittelli who broke through for his first victory in Europe this season in the Nordea Masters.

Richard Sterne was joint second here last year behind England’s Tyrrell Hatton and will be hoping to go one better this time, while George Coetzee is playing well following a weight loss and get-fit campaign.

And then there’s Ernie Els, who turns 48 this month but still feels that there’s a win inside of him. – ANA