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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY GARY PLAYERNovember 13, 2019Erik Van RooyenSun City, South Africa Q. This is your 28th event of the season. You've pretty much played them all. How are you feeling coming into it? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: I'm a little tired. Like I said at the Pro-Am party yesterday, body is a little sore. It's the end of the year, and especially an event like the Nedbank, it's a fun event. So you kind of forget about it. Q. Obviously got your first main tour victory this season, but it's your second year on Tour. How would you assess this season as a whole? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: I think it's gone fantastically well, and I made The Race to Dubai at the moment, with a realistic chance of winning it. So I think for it being my second year, I've reached many of my goals. Q. You're unlucky not to win in the playoff last week, but second place in another Rolex Series Event Rolex Series Event, what do you take from that week coming into this? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Well, game is obviously in great shape. Pity about that one tee shot in the playoff, but that's the nature of the game. Hats off to Tyrrell. He obviously played really well. But my game is right where it needs to be, and it's in a good place, especially with being home. I know this golf course really well. Got a lot of local support. It's only looking up. Q. On a golf course that you know well, what do you think the key strategy is? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: It's narrow. You can tell that Gary built the course, a lot of them slope left-to-right, so a draw would be preferable. It's really small greens. Probably some of the smallest greens we play all year. So ball-striking is a premium. Q. Obviously Mr. Player was hosting last night, but how nice to have someone not just a status in South African golf, but world golf, having a name to an event like this? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Yeah, it's huge. He's someone I've always looked up to. He's an icon in world golf, as you say, so to have his name attached to this, it's wonderful. Q. And just finally, an outside chance to win The Race to Dubai, what's your mind-set then for this week and Dubai? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Well, I've got to go win. So let's keep the sixes off the card and get as many threes and fours on there. That's it. Q. How cool does it feel to finally be here? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: It's awesome. It's one we always look forward to, so it's good to be here. Q. Came off a pretty good finish last week in Turkey. ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Yeah, last week was great. I played really well and I sort of built throughout the week, got better and better. My game is in a good place and hopefully I can go one better this week. Q. What are the positives that you take from your performance last week? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: A lot of things. Obviously hit the ball really well. I think I hit something like 83 percent of the greens. I think ball-striking in a place like here is premium, so I hope I brought my swing. Q. Anything you've been thinking leading up to this week, a game plan that you have formulated since you know this place fairly well? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: I do. I think it's a question of getting used to the kikuyu rough a little bit. I haven't played on it all year, but sort of born on this stuff, so I should know how to do it. And again, I think, you know, course management is just absolutely key out here, with really small greens, the wind sort of gusts and swirls all over the place, so you have to be really aware and be focused of where that is. So I think that's going to be the keys this week. Q. Talk about your experiences playing here. ERIK VAN ROOYEN: A few Sunshine Tour events. It's different time of year. It's end of winter, so course is more dry and firm. Scoring is usually not as low because the ball is rolling out into the rough and stuff like that. I played my first Nedbank last year, which we're getting into summer, course is green, rough is up, so it presents a bit of a different challenge. I think I've seen it in all different states that you can and I'm as prepared for what it's going to be. Q. Do the South Africans have an advantage with knowing the conditions and the home support, as well? How do you quantify that? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: I think it's big. The people always get behind us the South Africans. I think it's cool that Ernie is here again this week. He's such a huge fan favourite, and then again, I think the grass really good make a difference. I've heard of a few of the Europeans playing, guys that aren't here, that they don't like the grass. It just really sets up well for us. Q. This event is one all South Africans want to play in and win. What memories and recollections do you have from this event walking from a young age? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: I remember watching Ernie win here in a playoff. I remember watching Sergio win here. As a kid, there was a rain delay and we're sitting in the grandstand and it's pouring rain and no one's leaving, and we're singing "Shosholoza" or something like that, and I've got really good memories. It will be pretty special for me to walk down 18 in the final group with all the people there and flags. It's just a really cool place. Q. It's a distinct possibility. You've had a fantastic year. Things are going exceptionally well. Why not? ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Of course it's a possibility, right. We're not here for a haircut. Hopefully I'm in that position on Sunday. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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