His fourth-place finish in Mauritius in December seemed to finally underline exactly what Jovan Rebula can do, and he gets another chance to fulfil his promise as he tees off in the Sunshine Tour’s Mediclinic Invitational on Thursday.
Rebula is the nephew of Ernie Els, and that fact alone has put pressure on him. Then in 2018, he became the second South African golfer in history to win The Amateur Championship. This win gave him exemptions to the 2018 Open Championship, 2019 Masters Tournament and 2019 US Open. In team events, Rebula was the captain of the South African team that competed at the 2016 Eisenhower Trophy.
He turned professional in 2021 and has been on a mission to prove himself a worthy competitor and to grow outside of his uncle’s shadow. When he finished in a share of 10th in the 2021 South African Open Championship, it seemed that the emergence of that talent in its own right was underway.
But the process has been a difficult one, and, as talented golfers the world over have discovered, the path has been littered with obstacles. Two third-place finishes remain the best performances of his Sunshine Tour career. One came in the 2023 SunBet Challenge at Sun City, and the second came last January in the Mediclinic Invitational at Maccauvlei Golf Club.
Now, back on the banks of the Vaal River – this time at Heron Banks – Rebula is clearly rounding into someone who is likely to win sooner rather than later.
His Mauritius performance came on the back of a share of fifth in the Fortress Invitational behind the excellent Robin Williams. On the Indian Ocean Island, he looked the part throughout every round, and the performace restored confidence after his missed the cut the previous week in the Alfred Dunhill Championship after a pair of 73s.
Of course, he will be up against a field that typifies the depth on the Sunshine Tour: In addition to the host of younger players coming through, like Yurav Premlall and Jonathan Broomhead, seasoned veterans like Jean Hugo and Heinrich Bruiners are also fresh off recent victories. And, with players like Justin Walters and Daniel van Tonder wanting to show they still have what it takes after missing out on retaining their DP World Tour cards, it will be no easy task.
But, Rebula’s familiar languid swing has promised much for a long time now, and it could start delivering soon. It would not be a surprise if the first instalment of that deliver comes at Heron Banks.
