Former powerhouses of South African golf, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace did their nation proud as they made it through qualifying to book their spots in The Open Championship later this month.
Martin Rohwer made it three SA players to qualify, as he tied for the lowest score at the qualifying event at Royal Cinque Ports on Tuesday.
Rohwer carded rounds of 72 and 69 for a three-under total to finish at the top alongside Thomas Detry of Belgium.
For the 29-year-old Rohwer, it meant he will make his major debut at The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool from July 20 to 23.
“I don’t really know how to feel. I am going to The Open which has always been a dream,” Rohwer said.
“There have been a few South Africans qualify today and the more South Africans in The Open, the better. Every time a South African lifts the Claret Jug it does the nation proud.
“I have learnt to savour every moment, especially when you get opportunities like this. If you play well that’s a bonus, if you don’t, well at least you have enjoyed something you have dreamt about for your whole life.”
Meanwhile, Schwartzel and Grace were a stroke adrift on two-under to book another two spots of the five available in the qualifying event.
The pair, especially Grace, have seen their world rankings plummet with their commitment to LIV Golf. It meant they were effectively barred from playing in events that offered world ranking points, and automatically qualifying for the majors.
The former world number 10 Grace finds himself now 383rd on the rankings, while the former Masters champion Schwartzel is 297.
Schwartzel said on his return to The Open, that the oldest tournament in golf held a special place in his heart.
“Being an international player, The Open is huge. I don’t want to put one in front of the others but I feel like The Open and Augusta go hand-in-hand in terms of prestige,” said Schwartzel.
Grace, who shot a record low round 62 at The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017, could not contain his emotion as he confirmed his return to the hallowed event.
“It feels amazing to get back. I was gutted to miss it last year. Every Open is special but an Open at St Andrews is awesome,” said Grace.
“I feel relieved. I’ve worked hard and I’ve been playing well. I really wanted to qualify for the majors again to see how I get on. I feel like I’m ready and this was the last hurdle I had to get over.
“I was always going to try and qualify for this one. When you have the chance to qualify for one of the best tournaments in the world you are going to jump on a plane and you are always going to do it.
“It was worth the trip. I played really well and I’m happy with how things panned out.”
Elsewhere, Kyle Barker made it four SA players to qualify for The Open, as he did the business in the qualifiers at Royal Porthcawl. It was a truly special moment, the 25-year-old Barker explained.
“This is my first time playing in the UK, I’ve never played a links course before so the practice round was a bit of a wake-up call but I’m ecstatic about how it has turned out,” said Barker.
“I remember Louis Oosthuizen winning The Open [in 2010], on Nelson Mandela’s birthday as well. It was very, very special and then obviously Ernie Els winning too. I remember Jordan Spieth in 2017 and all these amazing players who have won The Open that I have looked up to all my life. This is the biggest event in golf.”
@Golfhackno1
IOL Sport