The 23-year-old claimed his maiden European Tour victory at the event in 2004 and followed that up with consecutive runners-up finishes in the last two seasons.

The other local favourites include current Sunshine Tour leader Louis Oosthuizen, 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic champion Anton Haig and Richard Sterne, winner of the Celtic Manor Wales Open earlier this year.

However, it will be Clarke, who will look to put a poor past 12 months behind him and upset the home contingent in the £720,000 championship, which tees off tomorrow.

He said: “I’ve obviously had a very tough year last year and it didn’t go exactly well for a few different reasons, but I’m very keen to get going again.

“Things have settled down at home and I want to play and that’s why I’m here.

“I’ve been working really hard for three weeks now on all aspects of my game. Both in the gym and I’m hitting balls, putting and just doing everything.”

Nonetheless, Clarke admits he is feeling good ahead of the competition.

“(Practise) was very good. I took a few wrong lines off the tees yesterday because I’d forgotten them, but overall I thought the course was magnificent and in great shape.

He added: “There are a few really trick holes out there that I’m a little bit more aware of now, than I was yesterday.

The other big European hope is Ross Fisher, currently second on the European Tour’s Order of Merit .

Meanwhile, after a good start to the year, Schwartzel has now slipped to 19th on the Sunshine Tour and is determined to bounce back up the rankings.

He said: “I’m quite far behind on this Order of Merit so to have any chance I need a win or a second place this week. That’s my immediate goal.

“If I could win here I could also get very close to being in the top 50 in the world again, which will be nice to achieve before the end of the year,” added Schwartzel, who climbed into the world top 50 after winning April’s Spanish Open.