Williams aims to use Joburg Open start as stepping stone to greatness

His invite to this year’s Joburg Open might have come on the 11^th hour but that’s a detail South African-born British golfer, Robin Williams, will pay little attention to on his debut appearance at this co-sanctioned event.

The Joburg Open got underway at its new home, Houghton Golf Club, on Thursday.

A native of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, Williams left South Africa as a youngster and carved a respectable amateur career for himself in the UK before turning professional in 2021. Upon his return to the land of his birth, the Peterborough Milton Golf Club member has been nothing short of impressive.

His first start on any Sunshine Tour-sanctioned tournament was at the PGA Championship at St. Francis Links where he made the cut and finished 26^th. That result made Williams believe that he was at a level good enough to compete with the top players in the country. Williams rode that wave of confidence to the Altron Big Easy Tour where he claimed his maiden professional title on that circuit’s Blue Label Development Tour, at Killarney Country Club earlier this month.

“The invite came in Friday afternoon,” said Williams, detailing how he earned a spot in this star-studded field. “I was so happy to receive one because I get a chance to play this beautiful course against these great players. It’s an unbelievable opportunity and I hope I can play really well this week and use this as a big stepping stone in my career. Hopefully, I can have more of these opportunities in the future.”

While he prides himself in his work ethic and discipline, Williams isn’t awfully concerned about his game ahead of this tournament which the Sunshine Tour co-sanctions with the DP World Tour.

“I know that my game is trending in the right direction and I will try to go out there and execute the plan that my caddie and I will lay out and we’ll see where that puts us at the end of the week.”

However, he would not be drawn into divulging the details of his plan.

The Joburg Open was launched in 2007 as a Sunshine Tour event and has since become a permanent fixture on the schedule. Since its inception, the event has been co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour and has been the start of the Qualifying Series for The Open Championship.

Showcasing the heart of Johannesburg, a World Class African City, the Joburg Open has become a favourite among both players and fans. The event has been won by both local and international golfers, including Branden Grace, Anders Hansen, Charl Schwartzel, Joachim B. Hansen, and George Coetzee.

This year’s defending champion is South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence.