Shaun Norris is relishing a return to Royal Johannesburg as he plots the defence of his Alfred Dunhill Championship title.
The South African overturned a six-shot deficit in the final round to win his second DP World Tour title 12 months ago.
But with Leopard Creek – host venue of the event since 2004 – undergoing a period of recovery, the tournament is returning to its historical roots in Johannesburg for this season alone.
Part of a strong home challenge, Norris is expecting a strategic challenge over the East Course at Royal Johannesburg which has undergone a full revamp since it last hosted a DP World Tour event at the Joburg Open in 2017.
“It has always been a great golf course,” said Norris, who is enjoyed the relaxed nature of being able to stay at home this week in South Africa’s capital.
“All South Africans like this place. You need to hit it well off the tee and putt pretty solid this week to put up a good score there.
“It’s demanding. You are going to have to strategise a nice plan for the week, know when to take on pins and when to back off and play to the centres of the green.”
Norris comes into the second of back-to-back events in South Africa on a high after finishing fifth in his season opener at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player.
That followed on from a career-best finish on last season’s Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World, adding a runner-up finish and three further top tens to his victory on his way to finish 32nd on the 2025 standings.
While he concedes to feeling fatigued after a year that has seen him play across both a schedule across the DP World Tour, Sunshine Tour and Japan Golf Tour, he is hoping being close to home can help result in a strong performance.
“We always want to try and defend a tournament. It’s nice to be in Joburg, staying at home so it will be a little bit more relaxed.”
Hollick feeling at ease at start of 'DP World Tour journey'
Norris’ win at Leopard Creek last year continued the dominance of home players at this event, becoming the fourth consecutive winner, with ten of the last 12 editions of the Alfred Dunhill Championship won by South Africans.
Hoping to extend that trend this week is Michael Hollick, who is making his seventh appearance at the event on the back of his first top ten on the DP World Tour at last week’s Crown Australian Open.
In a field containing Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott among several Major champions, the 38-year-old finished fourth at Royal Melbourne - a result that saw him qualify for next summer's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“It was amazing,” he said. “For me, in terms of playing a golf tournament, it has got to be up there with the biggest event I have played, not necessarily money or anything, just the golf course, the amount of people watching, Rory, Adam Scott, those guys pegging it up…
“It was a very special week for me.”
Hollick won twice on the Sunshine Tour earlier this year to earn membership on the DP World Tour for this season’s Race to Dubai and the 38-year-old is pleased with how he has fared so far on the Opening Swing.
“It’s the start of my DP World Tour journey so getting off to a good start [is] massive,” he said.
“Being able to compete under those conditions on a really challenging golf course gives me a lot of confidence, makes me feel right at home playing with some of the best players in the world.”
