Durban Country Club 'unfit' for South African Open:
Retief Goosen
The golf legends Ernie Els and Retief Goosen have disparaged the condition of the venue for the upcoming European Tour event. The South African Open is scheduled to tee off on December 17th at the Durban Country Club. With this year’s open being
the 100th edition of the tournament, it is a big deal for all competing in it.
"The sad part is that this is our gem of a golf course in South Africa. This is our old lady. This is our St Andrews and you would like to see the course looking its best," said Ernie Els, who is world number twelve. “I think, under the circumstances, they
have probably done the best that they could. I heard they only laid the grass after the football World Cup (in July) so that didn't give them much time.”
Ernie has won the Open four times and has also claimed three major championships. This year, Els was also inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
On the other hand, Goosen, who has won the U.S. Open twice, was a bit harsher about his views on the course. World number 17 Retief said that the course was a disappointment. He considers it unfit for the Open and not really what all the players would be
expecting. Goosen has also won the South African Open twice but is winless since March 2009. The player said one would definitely have to be efficient on the course from the tee to the green. He added that the greens are not easy so the players better have
brushed up on their ball striking skills.
Co-sanctioned by the European Tour, the South African Open is also an important event of the Sunshine Tour. The Open has mostly had South African winners. Since 2000, only two non South-African golfers have won the event. Swedish Mathias Gronberg won the
Open in 2000 and British Richie Ramsay was victorious in 2010. Ramsay defeated Els then, and it is something Ernie would never forget.
Els said it’s not common for a foreign player to win the tournament, since South African golfers consider the Open their major. All the players play hard and hope to not let their countrymen down.
Even though the course might not be perfect, the players' enthusiasm surely is. With all the players pumped up to win the title, the action will start on December 17th.
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