Dan Bradbury in contention at Nedbank Golf Challenge thanks to steak diet

Victorious in the season opener in Johannesburg and now a joint first-round leader in the penultimate event in Sun City – there must be something in the water in South Africa that suits Wakefield’s Dan Bradbury.
Nick Westby
By Nick Westby
Published 9th Nov 2023, 14:04 BST
Updated 9th Nov 2023, 14:13 BST

“I’m eating steaks every night, that’s my diet out here,” he laughed, when asked after his opening 66 at the Nedbank Challenge just what it is about playing in South Africa that makes him tick.

“It’s just a lovely place, lovely weather and lovely people – so I enjoy it.”

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Whatever it is, South African golf courses certainly suit him.

In his first tournament as a fully-fledged member of the DP World Tour last November, and in only his third ever start at that level, the 23-year-old Wakefield Golf Club member went wire-to-wire to win the season-opening Joburg Open.

It was the standout result in a strong rookie season that helped him earn a spot in the 66-man field for this week’s penultimate event of the season back in South Africa, the Nedbank Challenge, almost a year later.

Sitting 48th on the DP World Tour rankings, Bradbury needs a good week here to clinch a spot at the even more exclusive, season-ending DP World Championship in Dubai next week in which only the top 50 compete.

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After an opening 66 that included five birdies and an eagle, he as good as has one foot in Dubai.

In the swing: Yorkshire's Dan Bradbury of England plays his second shot on the 14th hole during Day One of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC (Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images)In the swing: Yorkshire's Dan Bradbury of England plays his second shot on the 14th hole during Day One of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC (Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images)
In the swing: Yorkshire's Dan Bradbury of England plays his second shot on the 14th hole during Day One of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC (Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images)

"Just a very solid day," Bradbury told Sky Sports.

"I got off to a very good start, a few birdies early on and then I dropped one which annoyed me, so I had a bit of a point to prove after that, and to finish the way I finished was quite nice.

"Everyone talks about the wind, we noticed that a few times today. It was swirling, completely changes in the space of two minutes. But luckily today there wasn’t much of it so we got away with that.

"If you just hit fairways, because of the altitude it doesn’t play that long so you give yourself a lot of chances.”

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Dan Bradbury won the Joburg Open to start the season last November (Picture: Walker/Getty Images)Dan Bradbury won the Joburg Open to start the season last November (Picture: Walker/Getty Images)
Dan Bradbury won the Joburg Open to start the season last November (Picture: Walker/Getty Images)

The eagle on the ninth, his 18th, doesn’t even qualify as a ‘chance’ but he certainly made the most of it to jump into a tie for the lead.

"It was a pretty tight drive but I knee if I hit a good one I could cover the bunker on the right, just let the wind bring it back in, then I had 260 to the pin but I wasn’t looking anywhere near that flag,” he said.

"I was just looking to get it on and two-putt to be honest. Then 75 feet I had for eagle, so that’s a nice bonus.”

Related topics:South AfricaWakefieldSky Sports