Dylan Frittelli sacrificed an opportunity to play in a padel championship in Johannesburg as he tees off this week in the Sunshine Tour’s KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at his old home course at Irene Country Club.
He’s in search of his first 72-hole tournament victory in South Africa as he keeps himself sharp ahead of a return next week to the DP World Tour, a circuit on which he has won three titles to go with his PGA Tour title from back in 2019. He will be playing the Soudal Open in Antwerp.
“I was going to take a week off and practice at CCJ – apart from playing in their padel champs – until I realised this tournament was at Irene,” said Frittelli. “It’s great to stay warm, stay sharp and get to Belgium with some good momentum.”
He’s had a solid, if unspectacular, season so far on the DP World Tour, with a best finish of fourth in the Joburg Open in March. His other top-10 finish came with a share of 10th in January in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Now he’s looking to up his game as the DP World Tour winds its way through its European Swing with a series of events that includes a number of prestigious national opens and other venerable tournaments.
To be able to play on a course where he made some very early progress as a junior was an opportunity too good to pass up. “I have very good memories,” he said. “I played all 18 holes yesterday and I had a lot of fun. I figured out what has changed and what is the same and mapped my way around the golf course. I remember playing the course at sunset. The cows in the meadows and the sun going down are probably the main things I remember.”
That bucolic image will be in stark contrast to the welcome he will get from his fellow professionals on the Sunshine Tour. “I’m expecting a pretty tough week,” he said. “The course is set up well and greens are quite firm already. I’m going to have to play really well if I want to be in contention. There are some really good players on the Sunshine Tour. They’re not going to take it lightly.”
He’s right about that. In the field is fellow-DP World Tour campaigned Ryan van Velzen, who, like Frittelli, will be looking to keep sharp, or get even sharper, ahead of his return to Europe next week.
Also, someone like George Coetzee, who will be able to tumble out of bed at his home in Pretoria to head a short way down the motorway to Irene, will be keen to get into contention. He has the recent memory of his 15th Sunshine Tour title in the Serengeti Playoffs to motivate his continued attempt to return to the top flight after his time off for injury.
Throw in the likes of the clearly exciting talent of someone like Mexico’s Luis Carrera, who win the FBC Zimbabwe Open in his first Sunshine Tour start, and Frittelli will have his hands full when the action starts on Thursday morning.
But Frittelli is up for the challenge. “haven’t won a 72-hole event in South Africa, and to be able to try to do that here at Irene is great,” he said.
