Top-ranked Grace puts dream honeymoon on hold
The Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned Alfred Dunhill Championship, the first tournament of the 2016/17 European Tour Race to Dubai, gets underway at the picturesque Leopard Creek course on the border of the Kruger National Park on Thursday.
Four-time champion Charl Schwartzel has virtually made the tournament his own in recent years, but South Africa's top-ranked golfer on the Official World Golf Rankings Branden Grace, the 2014 champion, is certain to be nipping at his compatriot's heels this year in his quest to lift the famous bronze leopard trophy.
Grace, a seven-time European Tour winner, has been raking up some handy top 10 finishes this year pre-empted by the successful defence of his Qatar Masters title back in January.
He also holds a US PGA card and captured his maiden title on that tour in April when he topped the final leader board at the RBC Heritage tournament.
European Ryder Cup captain and 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke will also tee it up at Leopard Creek this week, so too rising star and Jo'burg Open champion Haydn Porteous as well as BMW SA Open champion Brandon Stone.
Grace jokingly said he needs a big pay cheque this week after getting married to his long time sweetheart Nieke Coetzee last week.
"I have to pay for the wedding somehow," he quipped.
But for now his dream honeymoon is on hold and his first week of married life will be spent in the Mpumalanga bush veld.
"I feel the game is there - I have progressed nicely in the past couple of weeks and hopefully I can finish the year with a bang like I started it," concluded Grace.