Greenbrier Preview: Strong vibes for Stingers who eye another podium spot at The Old White
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. – Stinger GC has flourished in its last three starts and the all-Southern African combination will have high hopes heading into this week's LIV Golf Greenbrier after finishing third here last year.
The long-hitting Dean Burmester was their most successful player 12 months ago, placing eighth on the individual leaderboard at 13-under after opening with a bogey-free, 6-under 64 and then carding a 67 and a 66.
Branden Grace (66, 64 and 67) was right behind in ninth, with team captain Louis Oosthuizen a further five strokes back in 28th spot after carding a 65, a 70 and a 67.
Not that this is an iron-cast guarantee of repeat success this week on The Old White Course but, given the Stingers' collective momentum over the past month, another podium finish will come as no surprise.
"All four guys are playing well enough to contend any week so, as long as we can put consistent rounds together on a Sunday, then we will have a chance," said Burmester, who won his first LIV Golf individual title earlier this season in Miami and currently occupies seventh place in the season-long points standings.
"It's just about sticking to your own game and knowing that three or four under will get the job done. As long as all four of you play pretty solid, then you are going to do well."
Burmester has been playing some of the best golf of his career this year and he is ranked sixth in the league for driving distance (313.6 yards), ninth in scrambling and joint 12th for greens in regulation.
"Obviously my game feels really solid," said the 35-year-old who was born in Mutare, Zimbabwe. "I feel like I'm in control of what I can control. That's the main thing with golf. As long as you do that and you stay patient, the game will give back eventually. That's what's happening at the moment.
"I'm just getting a couple of lucky bounces that sometimes you don't get, and on top of that I'm capitalizing on a lot of the good shots that I am hitting. It's a fun time to be playing golf."
The Stingers will tee off in Friday's opening round with a collective spring in their step after placing fifth, third and tied for fifth in their last three starts.
In their most recent outing, at LIV Golf UK, they were in good position to secure another podium finish after sharing third spot heading into the final round but they ultimately had to settle for joint fifth after posting a cumulative score of just 2-under.
"It's just a matter of having one tournament with a really good Sunday," said captain Oosthuizen, who had started his week at JCB Golf & Country Club with back-to-back 67s before signing off with a 70. "With the new format this year being four scores to count, all four players need to play well.
"Obviously it's a little bit more pressure on everyone playing well and some days you force it and it doesn't happen and then other days it happens by itself," added Oosthuizen, who has been a runner-up this season in both Jeddah and Adelaide.
Although the Stingers have been hit-or-miss in their first 11 LIV Golf starts this season, they are currently fifth in the team standings - just 23 points outside third place, which is the final seed to earn a first-round bye for the season-ending Team Championship to be played at Maridoe Golf Club in Texas from September 20-22.
The Stingers' best result this year was a runner-up spot in Adelaide, where they were agonizingly beaten in a playoff for the title by Ripper GC, and they are one of just eight teams that have a chance to earn a top-three seeding going into Greenbrier. Given their positive vibes due to their performance here last year, expect another strong showing from them at The Old White this week.