The Road to Mallorca heads to Cape Town for the Cell C Cape Town Open in association with Honor, the third of four co-sanctioned events between the HotelPlanner Tour and Sunshine Tour. Here are three men to keep an eye on this week…
Form horse: Daniel van Tonder
Daniel van Tonder is eyeing automatic promotion to the DP World Tour by becoming the first player to win three consecutive HotelPlanner Tour events. The 12-time Sunshine Tour winner sits in pole position on the Road to Mallorca Rankings after back-to-back victories at the SDC Open and last week’s MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood Estate and he will now look to secure the treble in Cape Town, which will subsequently earn the South African immediate DP World Tour playing rights.
Local boy: Peter Karmis
Peter Karmis will be feeling right at home ahead of this week’s event at Royal Cape Golf Club. The seven-time Sunshine Tour winner resides in the Mother City and has impressed at the venue in the past, recording a fourth place finish in the Cape Town Open in 2019 when the event was solely sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour. Karmis, who has played under the Greek flag since 2018, became the first player in Sunshine Tour history to record a round of 59 in 2009 and he will be hoping to produce more of that magic this week.
The outsider: Jean Bekirian
Jean Bekirian arrives in Cape Town in a confident mood after recording a tie for 13th at last week’s MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood Estate, which included a final round 65. He changed his nationality from French to Armenian last year and went on to earn his DP World Tour playing rights through Qualifying School, subsequently becoming the first Armenian member in DP World Tour history.
