Dubai a dream come true

Erik van Rooyen’s (above) solid rookie season on the European Tour has earned him an opportunity some will only dream of – teeing up at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estate, Dubai, which starts today.

Ranked 37th and as one of the top-60 players on the Race to Dubai after last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, Van Rooyen qualifies for the season-ending event in the United Arab Emirates.

The 28-year-old player who received his European Tour playing card via a fourth-place finish on the Challenge Tour last season, has one runner-up finish at the Joburg Open, four top-10 finishes, four top-20s and six missed cuts in 24 starts in his maiden season.

His solid season so far is just a continuation from 2017 when he won the Eye of Africa PGA Championship on the Sunshine Tour.

He went on to win the Hainan Open on the Challenge Tour. He also secured five top-10 finishes in 21 starts.

Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt, Branden Grace, Dylan Frittelli and Brandon Stone are also in the field this week. – ANA