Louis

de Jager

ZJ was in the hunt last week at TPC Deere Run but settled for T34 after a Sunday 71. Johnson sports a strong resume at The Open but won’t get a chance to improve upon that in 2021. His record at The Open includes a trio of top 10s with the 2015 victory at St. Andrews being the obvious highlight. Posting pre-tourney WDs this morning as well were Louis de Jager (COVID-19) and Ryan Moore (back injury). Golfers that gained entry after those WDs were Adam Long, Sam Horsfield, and Dylan Frittelli.

The 33-year-old has made 81 starts in his European Tour career dating back to 2008, making 39 cuts (48%). He had his first full season last year (12-for-26), finishing 123rd on the RTD which means he has limited status. De Jager is 3-for-6 this season, with an obvious high of T4 in the Mauritius Open in December. He’s since taken T41 in the Aussie PGA and T36 in the Oman Open. During that spell, De Jager has also pegged it up twice on his home SA Sunshine Tour, producing notable finishes of fifth in the Limpopo Championship and T8 at the Dimension Data Pro-Am. That makes it three worldwide top tens in his last seven starts so he could be one to keep an eye on when play resumes.

The South African was the 54-hole leader the last time Heritage played host in 2017 and finished solo fourth. Matching that position looked unlikely but the low round of the day allowed him to jump 12 spots to share fourth with three others. He needed just 30 swishes to the turn after splashing red at 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9. An eagle at 14 kept the momentum going but, despite posting the target of -18, four closing pars meant it wasn’t quite enough. The tournament alternates between Heritage and Anahita so gamers should definitely remember him when the 2021 edition returns here.

That’s propelled the South African 69 spots up the leaderboard and to within five of pacesetter Calum Hill. De Jager shot 66-67-67 in his first three rounds in 2017 to lead with 18 to go before finishing fourth after a 71 and knocked a shot of his lowest lap thanks to eight birdies against a single bogey today. He ticked three of his first six holes (2, 5 and 6) before dropping a shot at 8. But on the back nine he found a groove with gains at 11, 14, 15, 16 and 18. Also T27 in this event at Anahita in 2016, the 32-year-old showed some good recent form with T14 in the Portugal Masters two starts ago so it’s no surprise to see him in contention.

This is the fifth staging of the event and he’s played in all of the previous four. His one standout performance came here at Heritage in 2017 when the South African opened with rounds of 66-67-67 to hold the 54-hole lead before eventually finishing fourth after a closing 71. He was also T27 at Anahita in 2016. De Jager missed his share of cuts last season but did pop up with a pair of top 15s in his last seven European Tour starts. The first (T12) came at the European Open in Germany while the other was at October’s Portugal Masters where he held the first-round lead via a 63 before finishing T14.

The 32-year-old blitzed Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course with a blemish-free 63 on day one and he remained bogey-free through 11 holes today. The fun was mostly halted from that point on with a double bogey at the par-5 12th and bogeys at 13, 16, and 18. He did salvage his day with a birdie at the 14th and an eagle at the par-5 17th. It’s never easy sleeping on a lead but now he’ll be T9 heading into the weekend. The pressure isn’t completely off his shoulders, though, as he started the week ranked 123rd in the Race to Dubai and currently projects at 119th. Landing inside the top 117 will give him a shot at status for 2020.

The 32-year-old from South Africa is 123rd on the Race to Dubai and needs to be in the top 115 at the end of this week to be assured of his playing privileges. But with the pressure on, he ripped it up at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course this morning. De Jager set the tone with an opening bogey at No. 10 and quickly followed it with red numbers at 12, 14, 15 and 16. Coming home, the World No. 273 made further gains at 2, 5 and 6. Right now, he enjoys a two-shot lead in the house over compatriot Justin Walters while three other players are also at -6. This is De Jager’s first start in Portugal.

There are just four regular tournaments left in the 2019 schedule and at 116th in the rankings the South African needs at least two strong weeks or one very strong one to guarantee his 2020 card. The highlight of his year was second at the Kenya Open (a good sign – at altitude on an old style course, both factors similar to this week) but he has also managed a recent top 20, when T12 in the European Open. But five of his last six starts have been missed cuts. He’s proved himself at Sunshine Tour level, with two wins in quick time in late 2018/early 2019, but he needs to transfer that form to the higher level.

That was just one swing back from winner Guido Migliozzi. This is the South African’s best finish in 58 European Tour starts but it may also feel like one that got away. Four shots clear at halfway, he stalled on Moving Day with a five-bogey 70 dropping him one back entering Sunday’s final round. Today, De Jager made bogey at 2 for the third time this week but that was to be his only blemish. Back-to-back birdies at 5 and 6 along with another par breaker at 11 put him back on top but seven closing pars allowed Migliozzi to come past. De Jager ranked sixth for GIR this week and 12th in Putts Per Round.