Steyn City will reward ‘quality golf shots’, says Schwartzel as LIV t…

South African golf fans are in for a treat from Thursday when the first LIV Golf tournament in Africa tees off at Steyn City, according to former Masters champion and inaugural LIV Golf tournament winner, Charl Schwartzel.

The 41-year-old, who won the Masters in 2011 as well as LIV’s first ever tournament in London in 2022, is expected to get plenty of support from a big home crowd, along with his Southern Guards team-mates Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester.

All 57 players in the field, including the likes of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson will tee off on different holes at the same time in a 10.05am shotgun start on Thursday. The tee-off time has been brought forward from 12.30pm.

Schwartzel will be off alongside Westwood and Rahm on the first hole on Thursday in round one, Oosthuizen will also go off in the second group on the first with DeChambeau and Johnson, Grace will play alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Harold Varner III from the 13th hole, while Burmester will start at the 18th with Joaquin Niemann and Thomas Detry.

‘It’s going to be amazing’

“Of course, there will be a bit of pressure on the four South Africans this week, but we’re used to it, we’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Schwartzel.

“It’s a positive though, as we’ll have lots of fans supporting us this week.

“LIV has grown so much since 2022 when there was so much uncertainty in the game. But, it’s gone from strength to strength and it’s been fantastic to be a part of it.

“What’s been created here (at Steyn City) makes me very proud. This country has never had a golfing event that’s set up like this. It’s going to be amazing.”

Schwartzel added the Steyn City layout and kikuyu grass, which is foreign to many in the 57-man field, would make things interesting this week.

‘Hitting long will be an advantage’

“Dean (Burmseter) destroyed this course in September when he and I played here. The first thing we had to do was toughen it up and that’s been done. We wanted to make the guys think and reward quality golf shots.

“With all the rain that’s been around the rough will be thick and juicy so hitting fairways will be crucial. Bryson (DeChambeau) hasn’t felt thick kikuyu yet.”

Grace added: “The course is immaculate. It’s definitely been toughened up. And, it’s going to be firmer, faster and better. The golf’s going to be something spectacular.”

Rahm said the kikuyu grass “plays different” to what many pros are used to.

“There won’t be a lot of roll off the tee, so you can be aggressive. Hitting long will be an advantage. The greens should also be soft … so I’m expecting some low scores.”

Smith, who won the Open at St Andrews in 2022, said scrambling would be key this week. “With such long rough, you’re going to have to scramble well this week.”

À six journées de la fin du championnat de deuxième division néerlandaise, l’ADO Den Haag a validé sa montée en première division grâce à une victoire 1-0 contre Jong Utrecht, consolidant sa première place avec 74 points.

Le club de La Haye réalise une saison exceptionnelle, confirmant sa domination sur le championnat. Leader avec 74 points, ADO Den Haag a désormais la certitude de retrouver l’élite la saison prochaine.

Sékou Oumar Sylla et ses coéquipiers peuvent maintenant se concentrer sur la conquête du titre de champion de D2, objectif logique au vu de leur performance et de leur régularité tout au long de l’exercice.

The post Pays-Bas : Sékou Oumar Sylla et l’ADO Den Haag assurent leur montée après un succès contre Jong Utrecht appeared first on AFRICASPORT.ORG.

Orlando Pirates find themselves in a difficult position after dropping two crucial points in their latest outing.

The Buccaneers were held to a 1-1 draw by Siwelele this past weekend, a result that could prove costly in the title race.

While they briefly held a one-point lead over Mamelodi Sundowns, there was always an expectation that the defending champions would make their game in hand count against Marumo Gallants and they did just that.

Masandawana cruised to a 3-1 victory, with Miguel Cardoso’s side comfortably dispatching Gallants to move two points clear at the top of the table.

Orlando Pirates feeling the heat already

With just nine matches remaining, the league title is no longer in Pirates’ hands. They are now reliant on Sundowns dropping points, a scenario that looks increasingly unlikely.

Masandawana are currently on an eight-match winning streak and, at this rate, could wrap up the title race well before May.

What makes the situation more frustrating for Pirates is that Sundowns were once six points behind. However, their victory in the clash between the two sides proved to be a turning point, keeping them within striking distance before eventually overtaking the Buccaneers.

Why Orlando Pirates could drop more points

Pressure appears to be taking its toll on the Pirates squad.

Frustration is growing among supporters, with some fans even booing underperforming players, a reaction that seems to be affecting the team’s morale.

There have also been visible signs of tension, with players showing signs of irritation on the pitch.

After their win over Richards Bay, the team notably skipped their usual post-match celebration with fans, opting instead to head straight down the tunnel,a subtle but telling moment.

These signs point to a squad that is beginning to feel the weight of expectation.

If Orlando Pirates fail to regain their composure, the pressure could lead to further dropped points in the coming fixtures.

Their next test away to TS Galaxy presents another tricky hurdle. Given their recent struggles, there is a real possibility that the Buccaneers could falter again.

And if that happens, their hopes of ending the long wait for the PSL title may all but disappear.

Who will win the league?

Rassie van der Dussen says batting out of position may have influenced his seven-month absence from South Africa’s T20I squad.

England batsman Liam Livingstone this week claimed he was given a role that wasted his potential, which contributed to him not featuring in white-ball cricket for England for a year.

On X, Proteas spinner Tabrazi Shamsi said he related to Livingstone’s revelation that players did not get proper communication from the ECB or coach Brendon McCullum.

MORE: Livingstone slams ‘uncaring’ England

SportsBoom.co.za recalled the last conversation it had with Van der Dussen, during the early stages of the recent T20 World Cup.

The Proteas batsman mentioned that he, too, felt that he had not batted in his ideal position in the seven T20Is he played last year in the build-up to the World Cup – five during a Tri-Nations series in Zimbabwe in July, where he was captain, and two in Australia in August.

After that, Van der Dussen was dropped, missing out on tours to England, Namibia, Pakistan, India and the inbound tour of the West Indies just before the World Cup.

In Australia, the 37-year-old batted at six in two games, which he felt played a role in his World Cup squad exclusion.

Van der Dussen also missed out on the current series in New Zealand, despite the Proteas resting almost all of the players who featured at the World Cup.

“In my situation, in the last handful of T20s [that he played], I don’t feel that I’ve been played in my position in the national side. I’m based in the top three. I think everyone knows that,” Van der Dussen told SportsBoom.co.za.

“In Zim, for example, I opened the batting, which was fine, and then batted four one game, and then batted five one game. In Australia, I batted six in one game. So, that was frustrating. I’m always a team-first guy, so I didn’t mind playing those roles at all. But it is frustrating.

“I’m not sitting here complaining or anything. It is what it is. Sometimes a coach is going to back certain guys, and a selector is going to back certain guys and not pick some guys, and that’s fine. That’s how cricket works.”

FULL STORY

Photo: Nokwanda Zondi/BackpagePix

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