Former Springbok captain and manager, Morne du Plessis, joins fellow rugby legends Schalk Burger Snr and Jnr in an illustrious field for today´s official pro-am of the South African Open Championship at Pearl Valley Golf Estates.

Du Plessis teams up with defending champion Richard Sterne, while the senior Burger partners two-time Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Darren Fichardt and son Schalk plays with Spaniard Ignacio Garrido.

The 36-team pro-am is filled with several Sunshine Tour champions, including seven-time winner Thomas Aiken, triple Order of Merit winner Charl Schwartzel and Jaco van Zyl, a three-time winner this season.

James Kingston, the 2007 SA Open champion and the winner of this year’´s Mercedes-Benz Championship, and 2009 European Tour winners Gregory Bourdy, Ross McGowan, Martin Jonzon, Rafael Cabrero-Bello and Oskar Henningsson will also be in action alongside Swede Anders Hansen, the leader of the 2009 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, and the newly-crowned Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Pablo Martin of Spain.