Andy Sullivan confirms SA Open start

Cape Town - Englishman Andy Sullivan announced on Thursday that he will be participating in the 107th South African Open Championship.

The SA Open will be the first 72-hole tournament of the 2018 calendar year on the European Tour.

Sullivan posted a video on Twitter, saying: "I'll be playing in the 2018 SA Open by the City of Ekurhuleni and I'm planning to take the trophy home again."

In 2015, Sullivan recorded his first European Tour victory when he edged South Africa's Charl Schwartzel to lift up the SA Open trophy - two months later Sullivan won the Joburg Open and then the Portugal Masters.

The world No 124 is looking to regain some much-needed form heading into the new season.

England's Graeme Storm took the title in January 2017 following a thrilling playoff with McIlroy at Glendower Golf Club.

Ernie Els, the player host of the R15 million championship, leads a strong South African challenge including double US Open champion Retief Goosen, 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, 2016 champion Brandon Stone, and European Tour winners Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Haydn Porteous, Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt and Dylan Frittelli.

The January 11-14 edition of the second oldest national Open in golf, is co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the European Tour.

See you in Jan @GlendowerGC @BMWSAOpen @Sunshine_Tour #BMWSAOpen ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/4nHk0nhyd1

— Andy Sullivan (@andysulligolf) December 21, 2017