SA's Branden Grace holes the winning putt during final round of the SA Open at Randpark Golf Club FILE. Former champions Branden Grace will play in next week's SA Open at Durban Country Club. Picture credit: Michael Sherman/Independent Media
Image: Michael Sherman/Independent Media
Two SA golf superstars Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace will battle it out at the SA Open at Durban Country Club next week.
The LIV Golf duo confirmed their participation in the second oldest national open in golf on Tuesday, in a big boost to the tournament.
Schwartzel is the 2011 Masters champion, but has not triumphed in his national open but has finished runner-up on two occasions.
Grace, meanwhile, emerged victorious in the 2020 SA Open at RandPark beating out fellow LIV Golf player Louis Oosthuizen to the title.
“To win the second oldest Open in the world and with so much history is special. It also makes it special beating a player of Louis’s calibre,” said Grace.
With their commitment to LIV Golf, Schwartzel and Grace have seen their world rankings plummet which makes it much more difficult to qualify for the majors.
Schwartzel at least has a lifetime exemption to the Masters as a former champion.
With LIV Golf not offering world rankings points for its players, Grace and Schwartzel will want to cash in at events like the SA Open.
The former world number six Schwartzel is now ranked 400th, while Grace is 525th after a career high of 10th back in 2016.
The 40-year-old Schwartzel said he would still love to add the SA Open trophy to his cabinet.
“It would be an amazing tournament to win as the second oldest national Open in golf,” said Schwartzel.
“As a South African it would be a privilege to have that under your belt. All golfers want to win their national Open and it would mean a lot to me to do so.”