Having notched his first Professional victory at November’s NSW Open on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia a confident Jason Scrivener tees up for the first time in 2018 looking for a breakthrough performance on the European Tour at the BMW South African Open.

The likeable West Australian plays the tournament for the third time and having finished T11 and T12 at his previous two appearances at Glendower Golf Club is a potential contender for the title this week.

Scrivener was clinical in his dismantling of the Twin Creeks course in Western Sydney where he posted 24-under for 72 holes and that play, and the all-important first win, has lifted expectations for 2018.

Long considered a promising talent the 28-year-old enters his fourth season as a European Tour member in career best form and having been born in South African would love nothing more than to capture a maiden Tour title in his birth country,

Scrivener moved to Australia when he was five years old and while he calls Perth home, and proudly waves the Aussie flag, has made a point of teeing up in South Africa in each of his three years on Tour.

He is one of three Australasians to make the journey to the City of Ekerhulini this week to do battle with a strong field of local and international players including three former Masters champions.

Fellow West Australian Brett Rumford and New Zealand’s Josh Geary are also in the field, Geary making his third start since earning a card at last year’s Q-School.

The 33-year-old has made one cut and missed another but will be hoping to get 2018 off to a good start with solid play this week.

Rumford is also playing the event for the third time and will be looking to atone for a disappointing end to the event last year.

Playing for the first time since 2004 after receiving a sponsor’s invitation, the defending ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth champion was forced to withdraw after two rounds in 2017 with a stomach complaint.

7-under and just outside the top-10 heading to the weekend, Rumford expressed his disappointment at the time and has made good on his promise to return in 2018 to a course he clearly found to his liking.

“I was really enjoying the challenge of Glendower GC,” he wrote on Instagram last year after pulling out. “It’s a magnificent old track. I’ll definitely return next year.”