DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal – A golfer who has missed a few cuts never sleeps easy before a tournament, but Merrick Bremner is determined to ensure he enjoys himself when he tees it up in this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf Mount Edgecombe tournament, starting on Thursday.
Bremner, a seven-time winner on the Sunshine Tour and a stalwart of the circuit since 2006/7, is currently 83rd on the Money List after a fairly difficult winter has seen him miss the last three cuts. But the 35-year-old is adamant that his fortunes will only turn if he is having fun out on course and not pushing and grinding too hard.
“I’m hoping to have a lot of fun. Coming from the high pace, quick living of Gauteng, to a very laid-back place like Mount Edgecombe is what I’m looking for. I know it’s not as easy as just saying ‘I’m going to have fun’ and then you play well otherwise I would have a lot more good performances.
“But if you’re not enjoying yourself then you definitely won’t be able to perform at your best, so that’s my focus – just go out there and have some fun. I just remember that life could be worse, I could have a 9-to-5 job, so I am extremely blessed to be playing golf for a living. The key to anyone’s success is that they are enjoying what they do,†Bremner said.
Bremner was born in Durban and feels at home on the North Coast, even though he grew up on the Highveld.
“It’s excellent to be back down here. I’ve always liked the coastal courses and I’ve had a bit of success at Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate. I like the layout, I love the people and it just feels lekker here – it’s a bit warmer, everything is greener and there’s more grass on the fairways than up in Gauteng right now. So maybe somewhere in there it does feel a bit like home,†Bremner said.
Known as one of the biggest hitters on our, the other excellent news for Bremner is that, judging by his third-place finish in the pro-am, the hard work he has done on his putting is starting to pay off.
“All aspects of your game need to fire around here, but I have been putting in some proper putting work and I seem to be making some good progress. So I am really looking forward to this tournament,†Bremner said.
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