ZIMBABWEAN professional golfer Ryan Cairns has been granted a full-medical exemption for the 2015 season by the Sunshine Tour after being kept out of action for most of the season due to injury.
DANIEL NHAKANISO SPORTS REPORTER
The 30-year-old seasoned campaigner, who last featured on southern Africa’s premier professional tour at the Zambia Sugar Open in June, suffered two torn ligaments in his wrist in July.
Since the injury, Cairns has gone on to miss nine Sunshine Tour events including last week’s BMG Classic in Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as two local tournaments, the Open Classic in August and the recent Hwange Open.
The full-medical exemption also effectively rules Cairns out of the last four events on the Sunshine Tour before the end of the year.
In an interview with NewsDay Sport, Cairns said after being granted full-medical exemption, he had now set his sights on a return to action ahead of the South African Open Championship which will be played in January next year.
“The Sunshine Tour have granted me a full-medical exemption for 2015 based on the two torn ligaments in my wrist not healing in time for a full recovery this season,” he said.
“My first event back on tour will be at The SA Open in January and I’m currently in training to come back better and stronger. I’ll be basing myself in Harare to practice at Royal Harare and work-out at Innovate High Performance Centre ahead of my comeback,” Cairns said.
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The 104th South African Open Championship, which is a European Tour as a co-sanctioned event will be played from January 8-11, 2015 at Glendower Golf Club.
Cairns, who managed his breakthrough, win at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Simola tournament in 2012 is currently the highest placed local golfer on this year’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit standings on position 55.
Meanwhile, United States-based Zimbabwean professional golfer Brendon de Jonge made his second consecutive cut on the new PGA Tour season, but was unable to mount a serious challenge for the title as he finished in a tie for position 42 at the 6, 2 million Las Vegas Open at the weekend.
De Jonge carded rounds of 70-68-69-69 for a total of eight-under par 276 to walk away with $20,495.43.
