By Michael Vlismas at St Francis Links, St Francis Bay, Eastern Cape , South Africa
If there is a sense that KwaZulu-Natal professional Daniel Greene is hitting some impressive form headed into this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at St Francis Links, then it’s certainly shared by fellow professional Michael Hollick.
KwaZulu Natal PRO, Daniel Greene, and caddie Tiger Lekhulene at St Francis Links. Photo credit: Heinrich Helmbold
“He’s hitting his driver as straight as a railway track at the moment. He doesn’t know how good he’s hitting it right now,” Hollick said after their pro-am round on Tuesday.
Greene comes into this week feeding off the confidence of a ninth-place finish in last week’s Sun Sibaya Challenge. He may also feel he has some unfinished business in the Eastern Cape and involving this series.
In 2010 he lost a tournament on this series at Humewood Golf Club when he closed with a 76, after setting the pace with a first round of 62 and then a 65.
There are a few things coming together in Greene’s world at the moment that suggest he could be peaking at just the right time, with the big summer events on the horizon.
He’s made a successful return from a rib muscle injury that kept him out of the game for three months. He has abandoned other golf coaches and is trusting himself a bit more. “If I do want anybody to look at my swing, I might send a video to my aunt (celebrated coach Rae Hast), or I might just ask my fellow pros for their opinion,” he says.
And he’s got a caddie who knows a thing or two about winning big tournaments.
Tiger Lekhulene has been Greene’s caddie this year. Lekhulene caddied for Nick Price early in his career and for all of his Nedbank Golf Challenge triumphs.
“Tiger is great on the bag,” says Greene. “He’s always professional and I know I can trust him. It’s great for the confidence when you have a good caddie you know you can rely on.
“Overall I’ve been playing well. I like playing in the wind, so we’ll see what happens this week.”
Tiger Lekhulene. Photo: Heinrich Helmbold.
