Clément Sordet is targeting a second SDC Open title when he tees it up at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa, as the 2026 HotelPlanner Tour season gets under way in South Africa.
Zebula will stage the first of four co-sanctioned events between the HotelPlanner Tour and Sunshine Tour, and marks the beginning of the new Road to Mallorca season which will feature 30 events across 20 different countries.
The Frenchman, who won the SDC Open in 2022 on his way to a first graduation to the DP World Tour, is hoping that a good start to the season, on a course he knows well, could be the catalyst for a swift return to Golf’s Global Tour after narrowly missing out on retaining his playing privileges last year.
“It’s great to be back,” he said. “Obviously I’ve got good memories here.
“When I see the 18th, and having won a playoff here, it’s good to be back.
“I always love to come to South Africa. The weather is nice and I really like the different type of courses and the different grass. I think it suits my game a little bit better than in Europe.”
The five-time HotelPlanner Tour winner ended the 2025 season 119th on the Race to Dubai, finishing four spots outside of the top 115 that kept their DP World Tour card.
The 33-year-old says despite a testing season, the work he’s done on both the physical and mental side of the game during the off-season will hopefully set him up for success this term.
“Last year was tough,” he added. “I was actually in the top 115 all season, and I didn’t get into the last event which was when I moved out of the 115. My game has been good lately though so hopefully I can get going and I can get a win soon.
“I’ve worked a lot on my game, especially physically and mentally also. It feels great. I just want to get going. We’ve got a few events in a row and I’m happy to be here.
“I think the rough this year is a bit thicker than in previous years. The fairways are a little tight so hitting the fairways as much as possible will be important. The greens are good and are rolling clear so it should be good.”
Sordet is part of a strong field for the season-opening event that includes DP World Tour winners South African Haydn Porteous, Spaniard Adri Arnaus and Germany’s Yannik Paul.
The opening round of the SDC Open gets under way on Thursday at 6:30am local time, with Sordet teeing off alongside South African Pieter Moolman and Englishman Matthew Southgate at 11:50am.
