“Last year, I played here and if you hit it in the bush, you are going to miss out,” Van der Wath said. “Yes, I am planning to make some changes in my game plan, especially on this course. It is a tough course and if you make a bogey, it is not the end of the world, but you can try and keep the double-bogeys off.”

Talking about his experience at Killarney, Van der Wath said: “A par on this course is very good. So, be a little bit more patient. When you hit in the bush, make sure you chip it out and just make sure you make a par or a bogey. Don’t take any chances on this course, because it can bite you quite quickly. The scores were quite high last year. So, be patient the whole week. You do not need to shoot 64 every day, you just need to be patient.”

Van der Wath, who was in the team which chased down the rampant Australians in the record-breaking ‘434’ one-day at the Wanderers in 2006, has tried his hand as a professional golfer before. “It is my third time coming here. Two years ago, I got a Big Easy card,” he recalled.

Talking about his transition from being an international cricketer to being a golfer, the 40-year-old said these are two different worlds. “It is different, you know, cricket is a team game and this is everything on your own. So, it is different pressures, but I am sure you can take some of the lessons that you have learnt in another professional sport to this, but yes, it is a lot different, because cricket is more of a team game,” he said.

Van der Wath did a bit of cricket coaching and was also a commentator for his old sport on the SuperSport television channels before looking to turn pro.

Over 90 players in the 72-hole Q-School are set to compete for a spot in the Final Stage at Randpark Golf Club in two weeks time.

Sunshine Tour