Gareth Maybin - Andalucia VAlderrama Masters
Darren Clarke and Gareth Maybin – with Colm Moriarty as fourth reserve - head the confirmed Irish entries at the Africa Open this week at the East London Golf Club on the Eastern Cape, in South Africa, as the 2011 European Tour moves into the third event of the season.
The previous events have also been in South Africa in December with Ernie Eels holding off the challenge of Retief Goosen to win the South African Open Championship at the Durban Country Club, which was preceded by the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Golf Club, which was won by the defending champion, Pablo Martin of Spain
Since the inaugural Africa Open was held at the Fish River Sun Country Club, the event Open has grown into one of the most prominent tournaments on the annual schedule and is co-sanctioned between the Sunshine Tour and European Tour.
This year the stage is also set for an exhibition of world class golf January 6th - 9th and includes a line-up of stars ready to launch their 2011 Race to Dubai and challenge for the €1-million purse on offer.
Joining defending champion Charl Schwartzel in this year’s field will be two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, the first winner at East London Golf Club in 2009, Ryder Cup player and BMW International Open winner, David Horsey and a host of other top local and international players.
British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen will make his debut in the 2011 Africa Open, making him the third Major champion to tee it up in this tournament.
“I decided not to go and play the two tournaments in Hawaii because that won’t leave me with enough off time before the start of the new season,” said Oosthuizen, who follows Major winners Goosen and Angel Cabrera as having played in this tournament.
“I’ve never played in the Africa Open so I’m really looking forward to it. And the conditions are likely to be windy, which I like. I played the East London Golf Club course as an amateur, so I don’t remember too much about it. I remember the 18th and second holes, and I also remember it as being a fair test with plenty of birdie opportunities but also a lot of bogey opportunities.”
“And it will be nice for me to spend another week playing at home in South Africa before I start travelling.”
Following the Africa Open, Oosthuizen will embark on a demanding schedule that will see him divide his playing time between the PGA Tour, of which he is a new member, and the European Tour.
Also joining the battle are European Tour winners Ross McGowan, Michael Jonzon, Anthony Kang and James Kingston, rising star Chris Wood, Sunshine Tour stars Branden Grace and James Kamte, as well as Thomas Aiken and Jbe Kruger, who finished second and third respectively last year.
