Branden Grace warns LIV Golf South Africa players to avoid the challenging rough at The Club at Steyn City, where the Kikuyu grass and recent rain will test their skills, as he and Louis Oosthuizen prepare for a tougher course experience. Picture: LIV Golf
Image: LIV Golf
Branden Grace has warned the rest of the field at the LIV Golf South Africa event starting on Thursday that the rough at The Club at Steyn City will present a unique challenge for those not familiar with conditions in the country.
Grace hinted that the course has grown out of the rough, and the gnarly Kikuyu grass will have a big influence on scores this week.
Since the Saudi-funded tour began four years ago, an event like this was the ultimate goal, and providing a stern test for all the players will be a bonus.
Since the course itself is only 11 years old, there have been relatively few tournaments at the course, and scoring has generally been extremely low.
With the request of Southern Guards GC team captain Louis Oosthuizen, Grace said his teammate had wanted the course to play much tougher this week.
“From what we've seen and what we've tried to do when we came out here, Louis and I came out here for the media day, we did a tour. We tried to toughen it up a little bit with the rough and the thickness and that sort of stuff,” said Grace.
“We grew up with Kikuyu grass; the rest of the fields probably never even seen it the way that we know it.
“But yeah, it's immaculate. It's in awesome condition.”
As Grace points out though, there has been plenty of rain in the region lately, and that should make the greens softer and more receptive— the opposite of what organisers would want.
“Obviously, the weather has not played its part so much, but I think the weather for the week looks good. So the course is just going to get firmer, faster, better.
“But we're all in for a hell of a treat. Like Louis said, you know, everybody is coming. They're not expecting what these guys have done. This is something spectacular.
“And I think, I definitely think we’re [LIV Golf SA] going to be in for the running for the best one.”