Jayden Schaper achieved the best finish of his fledgling European Tour career last week and now he is looking to go one better at the 2020 South African Open.
The 19-year-old was still an amateur when he announced himself on the European Tour earlier in the year, finishing in the top ten at the first staging of this event on the 2020 Race to Dubai.
Having turned professional after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, he is now an Affiliate Member of the European Tour and showed more of his undoubted potential when finishing second at last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship.
He now gets to tee it up at one of his homeland's great courses at Gary Player Country Club, and he is excited to bring some momentum from Leopard Creek.
"It was my best performance in a European Tour event, it was only my fifth start," he said.
Having this as my national open and being here at such a great venue, I'm just really looking forward to this week, it's a really special event for me - Jayden Schaper
"We weren't really looking to have an event like that coming up towards the end of the year.
"Just to have it and show myself that I can be up there and I can compete. Just by putting myself in the final group was an achievement on its own and I'm just looking forward to this week.
"I'm in good form. I've just got to rest up the body, rest up the mind and start a fresh week and just have some fun."
He added: "Last year I had a great run at it as an amateur. It was my second European Tour start and being back as a professional, my first playing of the SA Open as a professional, it's pretty special.
"Having this as my national open and being here at such a great venue, I'm just really looking forward to this week, it's a really special event for me."
America-based home favourite Dylan Frittelli is back in South Africa for the first time since 2018 as he looks for a second European Tour title.
The 30-year-old has claimed victories on both sides of the Atlantic and feels a triumph at his national open will represent a major career milestone.
"I’ve won on the European Tour and on the PGA Tour, and if I don’t win the South African Open, it’s definitely going to be something that I’ll feel like I haven’t accomplished in my career," he said.
“The South African Open is the one I want to win. I used to watch the South African Open as a kid and I remember a bunch of them. I definitely remember the duel between Ernie Els and Retief Goosen at Fancourt in 2005.
“When I knew it was coming here to Sun City, I thought that was good for me because I’ve done well here in a few Nedbank Golf Challenges. This is also a ball striker’s course which seems to favour me. So I’m really excited.”
