Sun City star Stenson rewarded with lead three-ball place
Henrik Stenson always said he would return to Sun City for the Nedbank Golf Challenge and his presence in the 2015 field was rewarded with a place in the lead three-ball when the draw was conducted on Tuesday.
The former world number one, who won the 2008 Nedbank Golf Challenge by nine strokes, is the highest-ranked golfer in the 30-man field at number seven and will join defending champion Danny Willett and South African Louis Oosthuizen in the 11.49am tee-off on Thursday, the last three-ball off.
Stenson has the incredibly consistent record of finishing no worse than fourth in his previous five appearances at Gary Player Country Club and was the runner-up in the 2015 FedEx Cup standings.
Charl Schwartzel, who was able to find some winning form in last weekend’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, is in the penultimate three-ball, off at 11.38am, with compatriot Jaco van Zyl and French dazzler Victor Dubuisson.
Branden Grace, who is now the highest-ranked South African golfer at number 15, is off at 11.16am with Australian Steven Bowditch and Byeong Hun-An of South Korea.
The other South African in the field, Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Thomas Aiken, finds himself in the 10.43am three-ball in the company of Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Germany’s two-time major winner Martin Kaymer.
Round 1 draw
10:10 – Marc Leishman (Australia), Søren Kjeldsen (Denmark), Webb Simpson (United States)
10:21 – Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand), Robert Streb (United States), Scott Piercy (United States)
10:32 – Russell Knox (Scotland), Bernd Wiesberger (Austria), Andy Sullivan (England)
10:43 –Tommy Fleetwood (England), Thomas Aiken (South Africa), Martin Kaymer (Germany)
10:54 – Matthew Fitzpatrick (England), Ross Fisher (England), Keegan Bradley (United States)
11:05 – Shane Lowry (Ireland), Lee Westwood (England), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina)
11:16 – Steven Bowditch (Australia), Byeong Hun-An (South Korea), Branden Grace (South Africa)
11:27 – Miguel Angel Jiménez (Spain), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand), Chris Wood (England)
11:38 – Jaco van Zyl (South Africa), Victor Dubuisson (France), Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)
11:49 – Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), Danny Willett (England)