The European Tour’s upcoming three-week South African Swing will be completed by the South African Open Championship, which will be played from December 3-6.
The co-sanctioned tournament with the Sunshine Tour – which will follow the Joburg Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship – will be played for the first time at the iconic Gary Player Country Club in Sun City and will be jointly presented by Nedbank and Sun International.
A part of the European Tour International Schedule since 1997, the South African Open Championship holds the honour of being the second oldest national Open in golf, and this year will feature a total prize fund of R19.5 million.
Like the Alfred Dunhill Championship, this will be the second appearance of the South African Open Championship on the 2020 European Tour schedule, the tournament having been contested in January at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg, where home favourite Branden Grace triumphed.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “I am delighted to see the South African Open Championship back on our International Schedule this year and sincere thanks go to everyone at the Sunshine Tour, Golf RSA, the South African Golf Association, Nedbank and Sun International for their commitment and support in making this happen.
“Since our season restarted in July, we have taken a measured approach to our tournaments, informed every step of the way by our medical advisers and Government guidance in the countries we play.
“We have also tried to stage consecutive tournaments, wherever possible, in geographical clusters to reduce the onus on international travel, which makes today’s announcement, following on from the news of the Joburg Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship in preceding weeks on our schedule, all the more pleasing.”
Grant Hepburn, Chief Executive Officer of GolfRSA, said: “We would like to thank everyone involved in making it possible for the South African Open to go ahead at Sun City under difficult circumstances. The hard work done by the Sunshine Tour and European Tour as well as the support of the sponsors has ensured that the SA Open will continue to be a tournament that we can be proud of.”
Martin Saaiman, acting President of the South African Golf Association (SAGA), said: “We are grateful to the Sunshine Tour, European Tour, Nedbank and Sun International for their support of our national Open and for sharing our desire to see this great championship played despite what has been a very challenging year. The South African Open is not only about the professionals, but also an important stage for our leading amateurs to test their skills as the next generation of stars. We also think it is apt that the Gary Player Country Club will be the host of this year’s championship, considering that Gary Player won a record 13 South African Open titles.”
In the absence of the Nedbank Golf Challenge this year, Nedbank and Sun International – both longstanding sponsors of South African professional golf – agreed to support the country’s national Open and the playing opportunities it provides for South Africa’s leading professionals and top amateurs, while at the same time providing the critical business stimulus required in South African professional golf at this time.
“Nedbank has a long and proud history with the game of golf and we value the role we can play in the restart of South African golf’s international calendar following the COVID-19 lockdown,” said Mike Brown, Chief Executive of Nedbank. “Traditionally, South African golf fans would have been looking forward to ‘Africa’s Major’ at Sun City at this time of the year, and in this way they can still look forward to a great event in the form of the world’s second oldest national Open.”
Anthony Leeming, Chief Executive of Sun International, said: “We are extremely proud to be able to host the South African Open Championship, one of the flagship tournaments of South African golf. The Gary Player Country Club is in pristine condition as a combination of being well-prepared for the Nedbank Golf Challenge before we had to cancel this year’s event, and the lack of significant traffic as a result of the national lockdown. So we are confident this year’s field will encounter a golf course in excellent condition and very much worthy of this great championship.”
Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said he was delighted to be able to confirm such a strong run of co-sanctioned tournaments at the end of the year.
“To have three big tournaments such as the Joburg Open, Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open Championship in a three-week stretch of international golf of the highest calibre on South African fairways is truly a testament to the incredible relationship we have with the European Tour, and our strong partnerships with our sponsors. We are extremely grateful to Nedbank and Sun International for their decision to support our national Open in this way.”
