JOHANNESBURG – George Coetzee heads into this week’s Joburg Open hoping the tournament does exactly for him what it’s done for Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace.
Coetzee is edging closer to a maiden European Tour title following his second-place finish to Chris Wood in the recent Qatar Masters. It was his third top-10 this season, and the 21st of his career.
“I just want to keep playing well. I’ve been working on a few things and have been improving week after week.
“It just kind of hasn’t been my week yet. But it’s always nice to play in an event at home, and it would be awesome to win in front of my friends and family,” said Coetzee.
And he heads to the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club having finished tied 14th and tied seventh in the last two years of the Joburg Open, and well aware of the €1.3-million tournament’s ability to define a young player’s career.
Schwartzel’s victory in this event in 2010 carried him to a then career high of 35th on the world rankings. A year later he won the Masters, finished ninth in the US Open and 12th in the PGA Championship and defended his Joburg Open title.
And, in 2012, Branden Grace arrived with a new European Tour card from qualifying school and re-launched his career with a win in this event, teeing off a season in which he would go on to win a further four times worldwide.
“He’s going to win sooner or later,” Henrik Stenson said after he held off Coetzee down the stretch to win the South African Open last year.
The reality is that as one of a host of young South Africans making an impact worldwide, Coetzee may feel his turn has come.
South Africa currently has four players under the age of 30 within the top 50 of the world rankings, including Louis Oosthuizen (fifth), Charl Schwartzel (18th), Branden Grace (29th) and Coetzee (42nd).
