Fairly unusual among American golfers, Slocum loves to travel and play outside the US, so when the chance came for him to kick-start a career that had stalled with a trip to South Africa, he jumped at the chance and is already relishing the experience.

“South Africa exceeds expectations,” he said ahead of his opening round in the tournament which teed off on Thursday. “The hospitality, the venue, the amenities… everybody’s been incredibly gracious and welcoming. To play this golf course, and to have such a professionally run tour is amazing, it’s been great.”

Slocum’s best victory came when he barely qualified for the 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs; he finished 124th on the regular season points list, with 125 qualifying. At the first playoff event, The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, he won the event by one stroke, holing a 21-foot putt for par on the last hole to deny Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Steve Stricker, and Tiger Woods the chance of victory.

And now, he’s looking around him and loving what he sees. “The course is amazing,” he said. “It’s such a great golf course with the tree lines, it’s got some great dog-legs, and the wind’s going to dictate, and it’s going to be a really good test.”

His own game has travelled enough to give him confidence that he can play well enough in foreign conditions to get himself in contention this week. “My game is trending in the right direction,” he said. “I said to someone from the media, I just have to be patient and just let it happen.”

He’s watching the field around him closely too, made up as it is of some of South Africa’s best golfers who ply their trade overseas in search of more fame and fortune, and local success stories who are making their way on the Sunshine Tour. “There are so many talented players here,” he said, “and I knew that. But to walk up and down and see so many good swings, and see the attention they’re paying on the putting greens, and their practise and their chipping – I expected nothing less because of what South Africans have produced in majors and in tournaments around the world.

“There are guys here who are going to go on and win on the PGA Tour, and win majors, and it’s kind of cool to be here now and maybe catch a glimpse of a couple of guys so I can call it before it happens.”

- Sunshine Tour