Defending champion Benjamin Follett-Smith is targeting a third career victory at Royal Cape Golf Club when he tees it up in the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open this week.
The Zimbabwean has an impressive track-record in The Mother City having registered a first Sunshine Tour title in the RAM Cape Town Open back in 2019.
The 29-year-old won again on the parkland layout last year, securing a maiden Challenge Tour title with a one stroke victory in the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open, an event co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour.
Follett-Smith returns this week to a course and a city that he knows well, with a title defence high on his list of priorities.
“I love it here and I love the golf course,” he said. “It's nice being here, bringing back the memories of last year.
“I was talking to my caddie about it earlier, saying how I remembered holing certain putts on that final round and playing certain shots.
“I think I play well here because the wind gets up and that means you've got to be more creative. I feel I'm good at manipulating the golf ball, and I’ve got a lot of different shot shapes.
“Hopefully I can go out there and defend my title. That's really a lifetime goal that any golfer or sportsman has, to defend a title that they've won.”
Follett-Smith, alongside his win in Cape Town, recorded five other top tens on the Road to Mallorca in 2023 as he narrowly missed out on a first promotion to the DP World Tour.
After a positive start to the season at last week’s SDC Open where he finished in a share of 23rd, the Zimbabwean is now intent on making sure of his place on the DP World Tour come 2025.
“I think it's definitely going to be a little bit easier this year,” he added. “I now know some of the courses I'm going to be playing in Europe, so I'll know what to expect.
“I’ll be playing a full season on the Challenge Tour again but also hopefully I’ll get some starts on the DP World Tour as well. I really want to make the most of those opportunities and force my way on to the DP World Tour however I can.”
Follett-Smith joins a strong field in Cape Town this week which includes SDC Open champion Rhys Enoch and DP World Tour winners Alexander Levy and Joachim B Hansen, who boast seven titles between them.
The Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open gets under way at 6:30am local time on Thursday, with Follett-Smith teeing off alongside South African Louis Albertse and Spaniard Angel Ayora at 7:30am.
