Share

SA’s Burmester dreams of British Open berth

Cape Town - South African golfer Dean Burmester dreams of qualifying for the Open Championship in July and is confident that he can secure a win this season.

Burmester, 27, had a stellar start to his 2017 campaign, after securing a Top 4 finish at the SA Open and a seventh place finish at the Abu Dhabi Championship in January.

Ranked No 147 in the world, Burmester has one obstacle in his way in order to obtain the elusive qualification - and it's a European Tour card.

Burmester missed out on a Tour card in November last year, when Jaco Ahlers became the only South African out of the 14-man contingent to make it through to the final qualifying stage and earn his card.

Burmester believes that this will give him more motivation to perform consistently every week.

"I have had my chances to earn my European Tour Card but unfortunately haven't been able to convert it," Burmester told Sport24.

"I do feel like I need to perform well nearly every week but I feel that is what drives me."

It was around this time last year when Burmester achieved his career-best ranking of 86th at the conclusion of the 2016 Dimension Data Pro-Am.

Unfortunately, he couldn't replicate last year's second-place spot, and instead finished the 2017 Dimension Data Pro-Am on Sunday with a scorecard of 10-under-par to finish five shots behind the winner, Paul Lawrie.

At the Joburg Open this week, there will be three qualifying spots up for grabs for the Open Championship, which is scheduled to begin at Royal Birkdale Golf Club on July 16-23.

Burmester fancies his chances of securing a qualification to the major event, saying: "I would obviously love one of those spots in The Open, but my number one goal would be to win the event.

"That would take care of two birds with one stone.

"I definitely feel like I can win every time I tee it up at the moment."

Burmester will get the opportunity to ensure his Open Championship qualification at the Joburg Open, starting on Thursday, February 23.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2243 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE