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Porsche European Open: Top 10 picks for Green Eagle

By Mike Randleman

HAMBURG, GERMANY - JULY 30: Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh lines up his putt on the 18th green during the Porsche European Open - Day Four at Green Eagle Golf Course on July 30, 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
HAMBURG, GERMANY - JULY 30: Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh lines up his putt on the 18th green during the Porsche European Open - Day Four at Green Eagle Golf Course on July 30, 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) /
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CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND – JULY 22: Erik Van Rooyen of South Africa waits on the third hole during the final round of the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Club on July 22, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND – JULY 22: Erik Van Rooyen of South Africa waits on the third hole during the final round of the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Club on July 22, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /

The South African turned Minnesota Golden Gopher was one of the underdogs on an otherwise stacked leaderboard at the Open.

He hovered near the lead through 36 holes and hung tough on the weekend to post a T17 in his first major. Rightly, Van Rooyen is brimming with confidence.

“I always believed it, but now I know I can compete and beat these guys at the highest level,” Van Rooyen told the Star Tribune. “A top 20 in my first major? I was right there.”

Some of that confidence stems from a recent T4 at the Irish Open where he led after 54 holes. He graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2017 and doesn’t look to be going back.

In the 2018 season, Van Rooyen has nine finishes of T21 or better.

He is 22nd in strokes gained off the tee and eighth in greens in regulation. Van Rooyen should be able to plod his way around Green Eagle well this week.

I’m hesitant to pick Van Rooyen to win given this is his fifth start in as many weeks, but he’s definitely one of the hot hands to try to keep riding.

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