Although most of the world's leading players are absent from the field at the 103rd SA Open, it still promises to be an intriguing event, with Charl Schwartzel the main drawcard.
Schwartzel is aiming to emulate the cream of local golfers by winning his home Open at Glendower Golf Club in Gauteng.
The tournament is the first of eight co-sanctioned events between the Sunshine and European Tours this summer.
Another main figure, 42-year-old former British Open champion David Duval, is hoping to enter the winner's circle for the first time in 12 years.
The career of Duval, the 2001 Open winner and former world No1, stalled in the early 2000s and he's been in a constant battle to return to the form that made him one of the greatest players in the late 1990s.
Duval only made eight starts in the US last season and was cut seven times.
He has taken heart from Sweden's Henrik Stenson, who won the SA Open last year ranked 71 in the world, and used the victory as a springboard to his most successful season ever.
Stenson ended the season as the leading golfer on both the US PGA and European Tours while claiming a further three tournament wins on both tours.
"The SA Open has been good to a lot of great golfers over the years," Duval said.
"Vijay [Singh] won the PGA after winning the SA Open and Ernie [Els] won his second Open after winning at home. Henrik [Stenson] won it last year and proved how one tournament can boost your confidence and get you back on track.
"I don't know, maybe it is something in the water but whatever it is, I'm coming to get me some too."
It would be a great story if Duval, who currently languishes at 1528 on the world rankings, could find an elusive win.
But it's highly unlikely.
Schwartzel is the man to beat, despite a modest 2013 by his standards. His world ranking has dropped to 22, but he did claim victory at the recent China Masters.
The 2011 Masters champion admitted his swing needs some correction and visits to father George, a former pro golfer, will help him iron out the kinks.
"You're away for so long that you get to a stage towards the end of the year when you look forward to playing a few tournaments back here at home," Schwartzel said.
"You're on familiar soil and that in itself picks up your game a little bit. I also get a chance to see my dad and work on a few swing faults that normally creep in towards the end. That's part of why I've always played well at these tournaments in South Africa. When you play in tournaments week in and week out, you have to restrict the amount of time you practise.
"That lets small errors creep in. And eventually, those small errors turn into double-bogeys or worse on your scorecard."
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