Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World leader Patrick Reed will play alongside Martin Couvra and Charl Schwartzel when the Investec South African Open Championship gets under way on Thursday.
The American is making his event debut this week and the International Swing winner comes into the first of back-to-back appearances in South Africa in fine form after winning titles at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Qatar Masters.
World Number 18 Reed, fellow Masters champion Schwartzel and France’s DP World Tour winner Couvra will start their opening round at 12:20pm local time off the first tee.
Jayden Schaper, Reed’s nearest challenger on the Race to Dubai, is grouped with fellow South African and last week’s first-time DP World Tour winner Casey Jarvis and Spain’s Angel Ayora in a highly talented three-ball off the tenth tee at 07:30.
Defending champion Dylan Naidoo is joined by five-time South African Open winner Ernie Els and amateur Judd Sundelson in all-South African group that begins at 12:30 off the first.
Off the tenth at 07:20, Thriston Lawrence, one of 75 South Africans in the co-sanctioned DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour field, is alongside countryman Dylan Frittelli and Germany’s Freddy Schott.
Twenty minutes earlier off the same tee, Matteo Manassero is grouped with England’s Matthew Jordan and amateur Jack Buchanan, who qualified by winning the Africa Amateur Championship earlier this month.
Former Ryder Cup player among 11 to come through pre-event qualifiers
On Tuesday, three 18-hole pre-event qualifiers were held with 11 players securing their spots.
At Paarl Golf Club, Gregorio De Leo, Justin Walters and Bernd Wiesberger sealed their places, while Qualifying School graduate Daniel Rodrigues was among three players to seal their place from Strand Golf Club.
For a full list of players to come through qualifying, see below:
Gregorio De Leo
Justin Walters
Bernd Wiesberger
Xander Basson
John Allen
Pierre Viallaneix
Daniel Rodrigues
Matthew Rossouw (a)
Tristen Strydom
Daniel Cronje
Bryce Easton
To see the tee times for round one and two in full, click here.
