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With defending British Open champion Rory McIlroy out of this year’s tournament, locals Louis Oosthuizen and Jaco van Zyl could stamp their authority at the event.
The oldest of the four major championships in professional golf tees off at the St Andrews Golf Club (old course) in Fife, Scotland, on Thursday.
World number one McIlroy last weekend sustained a nasty ankle injury during a football-playing incident with friends at his home in Northern Ireland.
This has made it impossible for him to successfully defend his title at the hallowed St Andrews course in the country that invented the sport.
But this gives the two players from Mzansi even more of an incentive to prove their worth in the third major of the year.
Oosthuizen (32), who is currently in impressive form, stands a good chance to win his second British Open in five years. He snatched the Claret Jug in 2010 at the same venue.
Late bloomer Van Zyl (36) is also expected to set the big stage alight.
The Johannesburg-based player finished third at the Alstom Open de France in Paris last Sunday to earn a berth in the Open. He carded two over par for a total of 73 on day four.
The third-place finish secured the second of three spots available for entry into the Open – at which Van Zyl will make his debut.
But it is the magic of King Louis that is likely to prevail at the tough and often unforgiving St Andrews course.
Last month he tied for second with American Dustin Johnson at the US Open at the Chambers Bay Golf Course in Washington state.
Oosthuizen, who had had a terrible opening round, ultimately carded a score of 276 – one stroke behind winner Jordan Spieth, also from the US.
Oosthuizen, who placed second in the 2012 Masters, can execute a swing that lets the ball find the green with ease. He will certainly use this to unsettle other competitors at St Andrews.
Van Zyl will be out to prove that his place in the Open is no fluke.
“I feel happy to be afforded the chance to play against some of the world’s top golfers at the Open. I will definitely make a mark,” said Van Zyl this week.
He has won 13 Sunshine Tour events.
Both players are in the nine-member South African contingent that will play in the Open. The others are Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Thomas Aiken, Tim Clark and Retief Goosen (see graphic).
With the anticipated absence of McIlroy, the new kid on the block and world number two, Spieth, is likely to command big galleries at St Andrews.
The 21-year-old is golf’s hottest property at the moment, having won two majors back to back – the Masters in April and the US Open last month.
With the prized Claret Jug at stake, competition will be stiff from day one.
