Stone joins idol Els
SA Open champion happy to play alongside ‘a guy I grew up watching’
HE GREW up idolising Ernie Els, watching him from afar when the four-time Major winner was playing Sunshine Tour golf alongside his dad, Kevin.
Today and tomorrow though Brandon Stone, 22, will get the opportunity to play in the same group with Els as the two men have been drawn together for the first two rounds of this year’s 10th Joburg Open being played at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
“I just want to enjoy this week,” said last week’s BMW SA Open winner. “I now get to play with the guy I grew up watching.
“It’s the first time I’m ever going to play with Ernie in a tournament. It’s going to be special; really, really special,” said Stone, who with his win at Glendower on Sunday has climbed to inside the world’s top 120 players and ensured his bank balance has sky-rocketed.
“To watch Ernie make his way around a golf course like this, it’s going to be quite unique and fun.”
Stone and Els can expect a big following when the tournament – which also forms part of the British Open qualifying series – gets underway today. Joining them in the three-ball will be Germany’s Marcel Siem.
Three places at the Open later this year are up for grabs with the leading three players (who’re not already exempt) qualifying.
Players in the field this week who are already exempt for the Open at Royal Troon are Els, David Howell, Paul Lawrie and Jaco van Zyl.
After the high of capturing his first European Tour title and banking a cheque of over R2-million with his win last weekend, Stone says he’s simply hoping to play well.
The tournament will be played on both the East and West courses, with everyone in the field playing each in the first two rounds, with the final two rounds being contested over the East course only.
“Obviously I’d just like to play well. I think score will be irrelevant for the first few days. Both courses (East and West) are really good. West is a little lower scoring typically, while East is a fantastic golf course, not only off the tee, but your approach shots have to be on point which is quite unique for a course that has both tight tee shots and approaches.”
With every player playing the West course once scoring is generally low, with the tournament record a staggering 27-under par, achieved by 2013 winner Richard Sterne.
Could we be in for more of the same this week?
“We might be. The greens are good and it’s a bit soft. You never know. There is always that one person that decides to show up for the week and shoot a ridiculously low number.”
Confident he may be, but there’s no doubt Stone will be suffering the after-effects of last week’s effort. And, he admitted as much.
“It’s been chaos. Sunday night I got home and there were about 150 people at the house, friends and family. That party went on until about three in the morning, so I only got a few hours sleep; similarly the night after.
“I played in the pro-am though (on Tuesday) and managed to get 13, 14 holes in before I started falling asleep,” he chuckled.
“I warned my playing partners at the start that I was a little bit sleep hungover. But the game feels great. I’m going to play again today (yesterday) to get zoned in.”
Stone, Els – in his first appearance at the Joburg Open – and Siem will be off at 11.15am today on the West course and at 8.05am tomorrow, on the East course.