George Bloor will tee it up this week in the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open at Royal Cape Golf Club, fresh from his best result to date on the Challenge Tour.
The Englishman finished in a tie for fifth place in the season-opening SDC Open last week and with it made sure of his place in the field in Cape Town.
The 28-year-old arrived at Zebula last week having earned his playing rights on the Challenge Tour following a stellar 2023 which saw him graduate as the leading player on the Clutch Pro Tour’s Order of Merit.
Ahead of the opening round in Cape Town, we caught up with George to find out more about how he was first introduced to golf, his thoughts on last week and his aims for the season…
On his earliest golfing memory
“It was actually playing in a family competition at my local club. It was a father and sons competition, so it was me and my dad playing against others. Looking back, that was my first real golfing memory, and I was about ten years old. I remember my dad being very strict on teaching me all the rules on the golf course.”
On what he enjoys most about the game
“The individual element. You’re always trying to see little improvements each time you play and I like the fact that it’s all down to you to do that. The more work you put in, the more you get out of it for yourself. It’s not like a team sport, where you’re relying on other people.”
On when he started taking it seriously
“Probably towards the end of high school. I realised that I didn’t enjoy the academic side of things too much. I’d always been sporty so I think I knew deep down that I wanted to be a sports person. In my early teens I loved golf and I played as much as I could. At that point I thought that it would be pretty cool to do it for a living.”
On a successful 2023
“I’ve got great memories looking back on last year. I played every event on the Clutch Pro Tour which I knew was important to do because the goal was to finish Number One to get on to the Challenge Tour.
“I played a few Challenge Tour events the year before that and played on a few invites previously, so they were the building blocks in terms of experience. That was important looking back at last week because I knew I’d played at that level before and I didn’t feel out of my comfort zone, so I was able to put those past experiences in to practice.”
On a top five finish in the season-opening SDC Open
“It was pretty much the perfect week apart from getting the win. It was my first time in South Africa and I didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard good things but it blew my mind a bit really, being in the bush as they call it. You’re surrounded by every wild animal and you wake up and open the blinds and there are zebras. I felt very peaceful all week, very content and happy. It was a really calm, nice week, and it was the same on the golf course. It was a great way to start the year.”
On getting in to the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open
“I knew it was the top five that would get into this week in Cape Town, so to get in with that result was great. Cape Town is a bit of a bucket-list place that I’ve always wanted to come to. I was really hoping that I would do it, and being here is brilliant. I’m excited to get out on the golf course and also see a bit more of the place.”
On his goals for 2024
“Top 20 on the Road to Mallorca is the goal, to get onto the DP World Tour. I feel like my game has been trending a lot over the last couple of years, and the last 12 months it’s been in a really good place. I feel like that’s where I want to be and it’s where I’m looking at getting to.”
