World-class field for Sun City
Brad Morgan
27 November 2007
A new champion will be crowned at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which tees off at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City on Thursday, after two-time defending champion Jim Furyk was forced to withdraw due to an injury.
A popular man with the crowds, Furyk has been a long-time supporter of the event and 2007 would have marked his eighth appearance in it.
Sergio Garcia, who like Furyk would have been contesting the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the eighth time, was also a late withdrawal, citing personal reasons.
British Open champion Padraig Harrington also withdrew, but for very understandable personal reasons.
He accepted an invitation to Sun City, but, from early on, indicated he might pull out of the tournament for the birth of his second child, if the baby had not arrived at least a week before the event. Unfortunately for golf fans, the baby remains due any day now and thus the Irish star decided to skip the
tournament.
Replacements
The withdrawal of the three players has opened up places for South Africa's Trevor Immelman in place of Garcia, Sweden's Niclas Fasth in place of Furyk, and Stewart Cink in place of Harrington.
With Immelman's inclusion, the 12-man field now includes five South Africans, two Englishmen (including Johannesburg-born Justin Rose), two Australians, two Swedes, and one American.
The late changes to the field have done little to dilute a talented line-up who will, no doubt, entertain the traditionally large and enthusiastic galleries at Sun City.
Ernie Els, with the most appearances in the history of the event, returns for a sixteenth tilt at the title, hoping to add to his three wins, the last of which came back in 2002.
The withdrawals of Furyk and Garcia, both two-time champions, leaves only Els and 2004 champ Retief Goosen as previous winners of the Nedbank Challenge.
World
rankings
According to the Official World Golf Rankings, the latest release on 25 November reveals three players in the top-10, with Els in fifth, Adam Scott in sixth, and Justin Rose in eighth.
Rory Sabbatini is in eleventh, followed by US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy in 13th, Henrik Stenson in 16th, Luke Donald in 17th, and Niclas Fasth in 19th.
Players outside the top-20 are Trevor Immelman in 22nd place, Retief Goosen in 23rd, and Stewart Cink in 24th spot.
Charl Schwartzel, who claimed his spot as the winner of the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit, is in 82nd place.
Seeking another win
Fan favourite Ernie Els will be seeking his first Nedbank Challenge win in five years and he'll be attempting it with new irons. They have been especially designed for him by his sponsor Callaway in an attempt to improve his control and accuracy.
Els' year has been highlighted by victory in the World Match Play Championships
at Wentworth. A comfortable winner over US Open champion Angel Cabrera in the final, after dominating victories in every match leading up to it, the victory gave Els his seventh World Match Play title, a record for the prestigious event.
Sun City has been good to him over the years and despite all the rounds he has played on the Gary Player Country Club course he boasts an average round of sub-70. With earnings of over $7 500 000 at the event, another nice end-of-year payday awaits "The Big Easy".
Australian ace
Since recording his first professional win in the 2001 Alfred Dunhill Championship at the Houghton Golf Club in Johannesburg, Australia's Adam Scott has enjoyed a steady rise in the world rankings, all the way up into the top-10.
His year has included a victory in the Shell Houston Open and six top-10 finishes. He is a prodigious driver of the ball, an attribute that fans love to watch.
Rory Sabbatini will be playing in
the Nedbank Challenge for the first time, having earned an invite on the back of a strong season which has seen him enter the top-10 in the world rankings.
His year has included a victory in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, as well as runner-up finishes in the US Masters and the World Golf Championships - Bridgestone Invitational. Apart from his win, Durban-born Sabbatini has eight top-10 results on the PGA Tour to his name.
A dream realised
When he received an invitation to participate in the Nedbank Challenge, one of Justin Rose's dreams was realised. He was disappointed after thinking he had narrowly missed out on qualifying for the event, but a place opened up for him and he'll no doubt enjoy the experience for the first time.
It's been an excellent year for the SA-born player, who has moved into the world top-10 for the first time and finished atop the PGA European Tour's Order of Merit, with Ernie Els ending
second.
He won the MasterCard Masters, and finished second in the BMW PGA Championship, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and WGC - Bridgestone Invitational. He also finished in the top-10 in three of the four majors, and totalled nine top-10 finishes apart from his victory.
Big impression
Henrik Stenson made a big impression in his first Nedbank Challenge in 2006, finishing runner-up to Jim Furyk.
This season, the Swede has recorded victories on both sides of the pond, including winning the WGC – Accenture Match Play Championships at Dove Mountain in his first start on the PGA Tour. He also won the Dubai Desert Classic on the PGA European Tour, edging Ernie Els by one shot.
Stenson's strong season saw him to a fourth-place finish on the PGA European Tour Order of Merit.
'The Goose'
Retief Goosen, the champion in 2004, will be contesting the Nedbank Challenge for a seventh time.
"The
Goose" hasn't been at his best in 2007, but he is a player that can never be counted out and he invariably produces his best when the conditions are at their toughest.
He has one win this season to his credit, having taken victory in the Qatar Masters, while he also shared second at the US Masters. Most recently, he tied for ninth at the HSBC World Match Play Championships and his results include six top-10 finishes.
Charl Schwartzel booked his place at Sun City by topping the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit; it was the third year in succession that he achieved the feat.
He also won on the European Tour in April when he claimed the Spanish Open title. Most recently, he tied for seventh at the Portugal Masters.
Good and consistent
Niclas Fasth has enjoyed a good and consistent year on the PGA European Tour.
He won the BMW International Open and also claimed four more top-five finishes, including fourth in the US Open. In
addition, he accumulated five other top-10 finishes.
The Swede's consistency saw him finish fifth on the PGA European Tour Order of Merit behind four players who earned places at the Nedbank Golf Challenge: Justin Rose, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, and Henrik Stenson.
He has 10 European Tour wins to his credit.
American challenger
Stewart Cink's best result in 2007 has been his tie for third at The Players Championship, an event sometimes referred to as "the fifth major".
He also finished fifth in the Wachovia Championships and the Memorial Tournament, as well as ending sixth in the British Open and seventh in the BMW Championship.
His successes include winning the World Golf Championships – NEC Invitational in 2004.
Inconsistent
Trevor Immelman has been a little inconsistent in 2007 after a fantastic season in 2006 which led to him being crowned the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year
after he finished seventh on the money winners' list.
He has, nonetheless, turned in some strong showings without being rewarded with a victory.
His results include third place finishes in the Mercedes-Benz Championship and the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship, a tie for fifth in the recent Omega Mission Hills World Cup, sixth place in the US PGA Championship, and ninth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The course
The course at the Gary Player Country Club is in excellent shape thanks to good spring rains, but tournament director Alastair Roper has sounded a warning, saying the rough is sure to be tough.
He's predicting record crowds for the tournament, which is now into its 27th year. The reason for this is clear, according to Roper: "The greatest golf legends in the world have walked the fairways of the Gary Player Country Club since the tournament's inception and this year is no exception."
There are a number of
other reasons why the Nedbank Golf Challenge continues to draw the crowds, he says. Ticket prices have been kept at a level that ensures strong support and, adds Roper, compared to other international sporting events, they offer excellent value.
The layout of the course also helps. Roper says it is very spectator-friendly with some fantastic viewpoints, as well as grandstands at vantage points along the way.
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