Van Zyl the favourite in Telkom PGA Pro-Am

Jaco van Zyl’s status as the most consistent performer on the Sunshine Tour over the past three seasons will be highlighted again this week when he returns as the defending champion in the Telkom PGA Pro-Am at Centurion Country Club.

Since 2008, nobody has been able to match Van Zyl’s consistency on the local circuit, and in particular in the Telkom tournaments.

Added to his victory in this event last year, Van Zyl has also twice finished second in this event in 2007 and 2008. And with his 2009 victory in the main Telkom PGA Championship, Van Zyl also became the second player after Michiel Bothma to claim the “double” by winning both the Championship and Pro-Am.

But it’s his overall consistency that has placed him in a class of his own.

In 2008, Van Zyl collected a victory and eight top 10s in 26 tournaments, earning an average of R17 662 per tournament.

In 2009, he improved on this with three victories and nine top 10s, earning an average of R53 320 per tournament.

And this season, after only 12 tournaments, Van Zyl has already claimed two wins and six top 10s at an average of R70 431 per tournament.

Another victory this week in a tournament he has made his own would confirm that when it comes to the local circuit, there is nobody to touch Van Zyl.

“You don’t want to get to a comfortable stage where you think you’re on top of everything. At the end of the day it’s still golf and things can turn the other way pretty quickly. So you just keep working hard,” he said.

Pretoria professional Desvonde Botes will be hoping for similar inspiration from a tournament that has always been kind to him.

Botes has taken a break from touring life and returns for this event in his hometown. He finished tied second here in 2006 and tied fifth last year.

The field also includes two former champions in Doug McGuigan (2006) and Merrick Bremner (2008), as well as last week’s Zambia Open champion Adilson da Silva.