Bad back cure the catalyst for dream year
by Ken Borland 23 November 2011, 15:21
England's Simon Dyson is leading the international challenge in this year's South African Open at the Serengeti Golf Estate and comes into the tournament as one of the form golfers on the European Tour.
Dyson has had a superb second half of the year, rising to 31st in the world rankings, ninth on the European Tour's Race to Dubai and collecting wins at the Dutch and Irish Opens.
The 33-year-old attributes much of his success to his work this year with a fitness trainer and a nutritionist that have helped him shake off lingering back complaints - a curse for any golfer.
"Over the previous few years, I'd been dedicated, but not to 100% and I think I really just knuckled down a lot more this year. I've done a bit of training with this guy because I had been suffering from a bad back.
"I worked pretty hard with him and then someone my wife knew said she could cure my bad back with a change in my diet. I went to see her and I worked hard with my trainer, and now my bad back is gone," Dyson explained on Wednesday.
And the secret to success in terms of his diet?
"She just told me what foods my body struggled with, which foods took a lot of my energy to process. The main ones were salmon and carrots. And she put me on a special drink, which is disgusting stuff, and she told me to drink a lot more water," Dyson said.
The six-footer has been a regular visitor to the Alfred Dunhill Championship, first in 2001/2 when it was held in Houghton, and more recently at Leopard Creek, but the SA Open holds a special allure for him.
"It's definitely an event that I'd like to have a real good go at winning. You see the past champions and some of the best golfers have won this tournament. So it's certainly one you want your name on," Dyson said.
The Yorkshireman is considered by many to be the next European star after his six top-six finishes and two wins this season, and the thing that has changed the most for him is being considered as one of the game's elite.
NEDBANK CHALLENGE INVITE
"I've been playing some good golf and it's been a very exciting finish to the season. I mean to get an invite to play in something like the Nedbank Golf Challenge is a big surprise and honour for me. I had the chance to play in Tiger Woods's Chevron Challenge, which again was a big honour, but the minute the invite came from Sun City, there was no question which one I'd take," Dyson said.
Dyson is undoubtedly one of the prime contenders for the SA Open crown when it tees off outside Kempton Park on Thursday, and he has rightly been included in a marquee three-ball with two-time champion Retief Goosen and last weekend's winner at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, Garth Mulroy.
"There are so many good players in the field and I've got the pleasure of playing with Retief tomorrow. I've never played with him, so I'm really excited about that.
"Ernie Els is obviously a threat this week too and then you've got Garth and he's obviously on form. And I've played with George Coetzee and he's a fantastic golfer, and there's James Kingston ... the list of threats is endless really," Dyson said.
The former teenage football star - he was on the books of York City and Scarborough - said he saw good iron play as being the key to doing well on the Jack Nicklaus-designed, 7096-metre course.
"I think it's a really good course and it emphasises good iron play. The greens are really small and you've really got to get the ball in the right position on them. They're quite undulating, especially on the front nine, so ball-control is key, Dyson said.
He added that iron play was currently a strong point in his game.
"If I can keep my last few months of form - my iron play has been as good as it's ever been - then hopefully I'll be giving myself a lot of chances. I'm also driving it well, but I don't think driving is the key here."
The SA Open is the second-oldest national open in the world and South African golfers are fiercely motivated to keep the trophy on these shores. Only seven foreigners have won the title, with just two European winners in the last decade - Scotland's Richie Ramsay in 2010 and Sweden's Mathias Gronberg in 2000.
"South African golf is like Australian golf. They have fantastic golfers in their back yard so it's no surprise they do so well in their home tournament. You have some very impressive players, but I won't mind winning it. I'm sure they would mind, but I wouldn't," Dyson grinned.
Players in Wednesday's Pro-Am were greeted by clearing weather and a stiff breeze, which suited Dyson.
"I'm not a huge lover of rain, I hate it when everything gets wet. But wind I don't mind at all, I like to hit the different types of shot, using your imagination instead of just getting up there and hitting it," he said.
Dyson should enjoy plenty of wind in the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt in January, but in the meantime, South African fans have the chance of getting to appreciate this rising star in the SA Open and next week's Nedbank Golf Challenge.