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Hugo looking for hat-trick

Johannesburg - Jean Hugo will seek to become only the third player in seven years to claim three victories in one season on the Vodacom Business Origins of Golf Tour when he tees it up as one of the favourites for this week's final event at Oubaai Golf Club.

The 2010 series, dubbed "Origins Goes Easy" as it has celebrated the career of Ernie Els, comes to a close on the fairways of this Els-designed course in Herold's Bay this week.

The 54-hole tournament begins on Wednesday, with Els announcing last week that he would not make a much-anticipated appearance in the final.

But the field still makes for a thrilling climax as Hugo seeks to claim his place in the history of a series where he has always performed well, particularly this year with his two victories leading up to the final.

A third victory on the series this year would place him alongside Thomas Aiken and Brandon Pieters as the only players to have achieved this since the inaugural series in 2004. Aiken was the first to claim a hat-trick of victories in 2004, followed by Pieters in 2009.

"I was thinking about it the other day and I've always done well on this series, either winning or finishing runner-up or in the top five," Hugo said on Wednesday.

"I think it's because the courses we play on this series are always great and they suit my game."

However Oubaai remains somewhat of a new concept for Hugo.

"It's my first time playing the course. I've walked it a bit and seen a few of the holes, and it looks good. I'd like a bit of wind this week though.

But I think for most of the pros it's a bit of a new course for them because it's quite exclusive so I don't think everybody has played it yet."

While Hugo has dominated the series this year, his biggest rival Jaco van Zyl has dominated the traditional winter portion of the Sunshine Tour.

Van Zyl comes into this final with four wins on the Tour this year, one of which came on the Vodacom Origins Goes Easy series.

And Hugo says he would relish a head-to-head showdown with Van Zyl this week.

"I think it would be great. Jaco has been brilliant this year, but I've also played well and I'd enjoy going head-to-head with him. But this early on in the week, all I'm thinking about is setting myself up to be in a good position on the final day."

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