Donald & Westwood duel for sought-after NGC title
“I’m always excited to be here and I always look forward to the tournament. It’s a great event, Africa’s Major as they like to call it, not like just any other event,” world number one Donald, on his fifth visit to Gary Player Country Club, said on Wednesday.
For Westwood, last year’s triumph was one of his most treasured.
“It’s a great course, a great field and a great spot. It’s a very important tournament because a good week here can kick things off for you, especially in terms of confidence.
“Everyone remembers who wins at Sun City and it’s nice to be back as defending champion and having played so well last year,” Westwood said.
Donald will be eager to deny his fellow Englishman his second successive title and valuable world golf ranking points that would see Westwood narrow the gap between them.
Westwood had gone to number one shortly before last year’s tournament but Donald overtook him in May when he beat Westwood in a playoff to win the PGA Championship at Wentworth in May. Donald has maintained a firm grip in the top spot since then with a stellar year that sees him on top of both the U.S. PGA and European Tour money lists.
“Lee played extremely well here last year and won by a number of shots [7]. It’s always exciting to go up against him and we’ve had some good head-to-heads, although I went one up on him at Wentworth. He’s got the better of me too, so it’s a friendly rivalry.
“There are also world ranking points on offer here, so it’s a good opportunity which I’ll try my best to take,” Donald said.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge has always had a magical allure for the English, the television beaming golf in hot tropical sunshine into their living rooms while winter extends her icy grip over their country.
The third Englishman in the field, Simon Dyson, is on his first visit to Sun City and the world number 31 should not be underestimated, despite missing the cut at last week’s South African Open.
“I really like the course, it suits my eye and I like that you have to play both types of shot, left and right. If I drive like I have the last few months, then hopefully I’ll have a good chance.
“The way I played last week, I was very disappointed to miss the cut. I missed only four greens in 36 holes, but I’ve never seen greens like that anywhere else in the world. I’ve never had an eight-foot putt with a double break in it before.
“From tee to green I’m good, and got my putting stroke back after a lot of work. I’m playing well, I’m just not scoring as well as I’m playing. But one week it might just click … ” Dyson warned.
Another debutant, world number four Martin Kaymer, might also be a good pick for the Sun City punters, the German making his traditional strong finish to the year with victory in the HSBC World Golf Championship event in Shanghai a month ago and performing well in the World Cup last week.
But the Nedbank Golf Challenge fundis reckon debutants struggle at Sun City – Mark McNulty (1986) and Bernhard Langer (1985) are the only golfers to win on debut since Ray Floyd’s 1982 victory in the first proper 10-man Million Dollar Challenge.
Charl Schwartzel, the only South African in the field and someone with an intimate knowledge of the course, must also be one of the favourites.
“I don’t feel any extra pressure on me as the only South African, there may be a little more expectation, but it doesn’t feel any different to me than any other tournament golf event. But I would like to keep the flag flying high and it will be nice to have the crowd behind me,” Schwartzel said.
“I’ve worked really hard all year on my body, I haven’t lost any consistency in my swing and I feel I’ll be more than capable of winning when I tee it up tomorrow.”
It is off the tees where the likes of Westwood, Schwartzel and Kaymer could be favoured because the rough is not “up” this year at the Gary Player Country Club. Long hitters like Robert Karlsson and Graeme McDowell can be added to that list.
“It’s the coldest I’ve ever been on the course today and the ball just didn’t seem to go so far. The fairways are a lot softer too, the ball just stops dead, not like last year when it ran for 40 yards,” Westwood said.
“The rough is not up too much but it’s still a tough driving course, you need to drive solid. Lee is known as one of the best in that department, so it sets up nicely for him,” Donald agreed.
And for a dark horse? How about Denmark’s Anders Hansen, who has soared up the world rankings this year to number 33.