A year ago Dan Bradbury turned up in Johannesburg on a sponsor’s invite to play the DP World Tour’s season-opening Joburg Open, not knowing where or on which circuit he would be playing the following week.

It was just the 23-year-old’s third start on the former European Tour, four months after he had turned professional following five years on scholarships in the United States.

Life as a professional was proving difficult, so he sent an SOS to the sponsors knowing that even if accepted it could be his only competitive golf before Christmas. The lifeline was granted on the Friday and the Wakefield Golf Club member flew out with his mum to tee off at Houghton Golf Club six days later.

“I was so late to the party I couldn’t event get in the official hotel so we’re staying just down the road,” he told The Yorkshire Post from Johannesburg. "It’s an expensive trip but the potential upside is just too good to turn down."

Couldn;t believe it: Dan Bradbury of England celebrates winning the Joburg Open last year (Picture: Luke Walker/Getty Images)

The ‘potential upside’ turned out to be life-changing as Bradbury stormed to a wire-to-wire victory and a two-year exemption onto the DP World Tour.

Twelve months on Bradbury returns to the season-opening Joburg Open as the defending champion, fresh from finishing 36th on the 2023 order of merit, having featured heavily on the leaderboard just a few days ago at the lucrative DP World Tour Championship, and, this time, as a guest in the official hotel.

“It’ll be really nice to go and defend, see the course again, just bring back some good memories and get some good weather," said Bradbury.

“It’s been fantastic, a brilliant year which just ended last week. Another one like that would be great and hopefully a bit better even. I wouldn’t have done any of it without the invite here last year."

Joshua Berry of Doncaster at qualifying school in Spain last week. He makes his professional debut at the Joburg Open this week. (Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Two more Yorkshiremen tee off at the Joburg Open on Thursday looking to ‘do a Bradbury’.

Joshua Berry of Doncaster makes his professional debut just six days after ending his amateur association following his remarkable achievement in graduating through DP World Tour’s Qualifying School at the tender age of 18.

And Sam Bairstow (Hallowes) is also making his first start as a fully-fledged member of the main tour having gained promotion from the Challenge Tour.

Left-hander Bairstow won on the continent’s second-tier circuit in his first season as a pro back in August, having twice played in the Open and won the Brabazon Trophy in a glittering amateur career.

Sam Bairstow earned promotion to the DP World Tour from the Challenge Tour (Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Northallerton’s Dan Brown starts his second season on the DP World Tour in Joburg. Like Bradbury, he marked his rookie campaign by claiming a win and finishing in the top 50 on the order of merit to make it to the season finale in Dubai.

For the level-headed Berry, the number of golfers from Yorkshire now on tour – Alex Fitzpatrick starts his full rookie season at the Australian PGA Championship – is a pat on the back for the county’s system.

“The local scene has prepared me really well,” said Berry. "There’s a lot of Yorkshire golfers getting on tour at the minute, especially this year, and on the Challenge Tour as well.

“The culture in Yorkshire golf and England golf is very strong. There’s a lot of hard workers and the coaches are very good as well.”

Which all adds up to the Joburg Open being a big event for messrs Bairstow, Berry, Bradbury and Brown of the Broad Acres.

Why the Joburg Open is such an important event for Dan Bradbury, Joshua Berry and Sam Bairstow