Ernie Els, Nick Price and Darren Clarke are the
obvious stars in a quality Vodacom Players Championship field assembled for the
Sunshine Tour event at the Royal Cape Golf Club next week.
The opening tournament on the lucrative summer portion of the Sunshine Tour
has even managed to lure former Springbok rugby flyhalf Lance Sherrell, who
makes his professional golf debut.
Els and Clarke both featured prominently in last year's tournament, while
Price is back after a two-year absence from the event.
Clarke returns to the venue of his narrow play-off defeat to Nic Henning in
last year's event, and on the back of a phenomenal year for the cigar-smoking
Ulsterman.
The Irishman's two victories and several top 10 finishes saw him close out
the year as the second best golfer in Europe behind England's Lee Westwood.
Clarke's form around this time of the year is also beyond question, with
him claiming third in last year's Million Dollar Challenge before his second
place at Royal Cape.
Price makes a welcome return after being forced to withdraw from the event
because of severe sinusitis when it was played at the Royal Durban Golf Club
two years ago.
Mark McNulty, the winner of the inaugural Vodacom Players Championship at
Killarney Golf Club in 1997, will not be in the field.
McNulty will be competing alongside Tony Johnstone for Zimbabwe in the
World Cup of Golf.
But another former champion in Chris Davison will attempt to become the
first player to win two Vodacom Players Championship titles after his victory
at Royal Durban two years ago.
Jean Hugo, who lost on the final hole to McNulty in the Zimbabwe Open two
weeks ago, and David Frost adds to the impressive line-up.
