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SA’s Zander Lombard. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/CARL FOURIE
SA’s Zander Lombard. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/CARL FOURIE

Zander Lombard forms part of a strong group of in-form SA professionals who will seek to end the European dominance of the current Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour Swing when the prestigious Dimension Data Pro-Am tees off at Fancourt on Thursday. 

The first two tournaments of this co-sanctioned stretch have been won by Welshman Rhys Enoch and Swede Mikael Lindberg.

It’s in stark contrast with last season’s Swing, where the Southern Africans dominated with victories in all four co-sanctioned tournaments. But the return of Lombard, Casey Jarvis and Jayden Schaper from DP World Tour action has certainly strengthened the SA challenge this week.

Lombard has been in sublime form this year, which has carried him to fifth on the Race to Dubai Rankings and a career high of 100 on the official world golf rankings.

Since 2023’s Joburg Open, Lombard has finished in the top 16 in seven of his past eight tournaments. Both Schaper and Jarvis have been solid on the DP World Tour this season as they return to home fairways this week.

Jarvis led the first round of the 2023 Dimension Data Pro-Am with an impressive 64. And Ryan van Velzen drove into Fancourt with finishes of seventh and a playoff defeat in his past two tournaments on this Swing as he holds on to third place on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.

Oliver Bekker is also back to defend his title and is seeking to make Dimension Data Pro-Am history by becoming the first three-time winner of this tournament. Bekker, Darren Fichardt and Nick Price are the only golfers to have won this title twice since it first teed off in 1996. 

The amateur field for the pro-am is once again a glittering display of SA sporting talent, including rugby stars Schalk Brits, Akona Ndungane, Odwa Ndungane, Schalk Burger Jnr and John Smit, cricket greats Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, and former Bafana Bafana star Jimmy Tau. 

The 72-hole tournament is played on Fancourt’s three golf courses of The Montagu, The Outeniqua and The Links. 

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