The Sunshine Tour’s vision of providing meaningful pathways to the global stage for its members continues pay dividends as local stars continue to make their mark on the biggest stages of world golf.
In a season where South African players have shown tremendous dominance on the DP World Tour – boasting seven wins this campaign – we take a closer look at the players in question and how the Sunshine Tour shaped their respective careers up to this point.
JAYDEN SCHAPER
Schaper’s golfing journey is a classic story of an elite junior prodigy who successfully transformed that massive potential into professional silverware. Nicknamed “Clutch” and “The Shaper,” the Benoni-born golfer has established himself as one of South Africa’s brightest stars on both the Sunshine Tour and the DP World Tour.
Until December 2025, Schaper had not won a tournament as a professional on either the Sunshine Tour or the DP World Tour. He dramatically changed all that last year.
DP World Tour Status (2023–2024)
DP World Tour Wins: 2
Tournament: Alfred Dunhill Championship
Date: 14/12/2025
Venue: Royal Johannesburg and Kensington, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Prize Money: €255,000.00
Tournament: AfrAsiaBank Mauritius Open
Date: 21/12/2025
Venue: Heritage La Réserve Golf Links, Heritage Bel Ombre, Mauritius
Prize Money: €174,065.24
Road To Dubai: 4th
CASEY JARVIS
Jarvis turned professional in August 2022 and immediately captured the Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year title. He backed up that success by winning twice in two weeks on the Sunshine Tour as he claimed the Hyundai Open and the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at Ebotse Links and Pezula Golf Estates, respectively.
A win on a bigger stage felt inevitable, and when it came, it was spectacular.
DP World Tour Status (2023–2024)
DP World Tour Wins: 2
Tournament: Magical Kenya Open presented by ABSA
Date: 22/02/2026
Venue: Karen Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya
Prize Money: €390,431.83
Tournament: Investec South African Open
Date: 01/03/2026
Venue: Stellenbosch Golf Club
Prize Money: €216,006.42
Road To Dubai: 6th
Yurav Premlall
Premlall turned heads all over the world when he won his maiden DP World Tour title by a staggering 14 shots – one off the all-time biggest margin of victory set by Tiger Woods at the 2000 U.S. Open – in the Catalunya Championship in May 2026. The young South African was to some an unknown entity going to Spain but after that Sunday in Barcelona, his name will forever be etched in the history book.
Tournament: Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship
Date: 10/05/2026
Venue: Real Club de Golf El Prat, Barcelona, Spain
Prize Money: €398,262.32
Road to Dubai: 38th
Richard Sterne
In 2026, Sterne ended his 13-year trophy drought on the DP World Tour by winning in Belgium and taking his trophy tally to seven on that circuit.
Tournament: Soudal Open
Date: 24/05/2026
Venue: Rinkven International GC, Antwerp, Belgium
Prize Money: €402,686.27
Road to Dubai: 34th
Michael Hollick
Hollick’s journey is widely regarded as an example of perseverance: after years of modest results and balancing coaching with competition, he reached the highest level of his career in his late 30s rather than at the beginning of it.
He turned professional in 2012 and joined the Sunshine Tour. His early career showed promise and culminated in his first Sunshine Tour victory in 2015, but sustained success proved difficult.
For nearly a decade, Hollick struggled to consistently contend for titles and often finished outside the top ranks of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
Around 2020–2022, and after years without major success, he considered stepping away from tournament golf. He then began working with coach Neil Cheetham to rebuild his game. He also became a teaching professional at Mount Edgecombe Driving Range in Durban, sharing his experience with up-and-coming golfers while continuing to compete selectively.
His persistence paid off because he returned to win multiple Sunshine Tour events during 2024 and 2025. He finished seventh on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, earning a coveted DP World Tour card for the 2026 season.
Breakthrough on the DP World Tour:
In July 2026, at age 39, Hollick captured his first DP World Tour title by winning in Germany last week.
The win completed one of the most remarkable comeback stories in recent professional golf and followed a period when he had nearly left tournament golf to focus solely on coaching.
Tournament: BMW International Open
Date: 05/07/2026
Venue: Golfclub München Eichenried, Munich, Germany
Prize Money: €445,468.68
Road to Dubai: 34th
Ian Snyman – Asian Tour
Snyman recorded his maiden victory on the Asian Tour when he claimed the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open in May, 2026. It was his 83rd start on the Tour and came after a slew of impressive performances since joining in 2022. He’d finished joint second once, missing a six-foot putt on the 18th at the New Zealand Open to miss out on a play-off in 2025, equal third twice, and tied for fifth on two occasions.
Tournament: Taiwan Glass Taifong Open
Date: 07/05/2026
Venue: Taifong Golf Club
Prize Money: $90,000.00
Asian Tour Order of Merit: 3rd
Retief Goosen
The two-time major champion also graced the winner’s circle this year; claiming the PGA Champions Tour’s Mitsubishi Electric Classis at TPC Sugarloaf, 24 years after he took the PGA Tour’s BellSouth Classic on the same course.
Goosen closed with a 14-point round under the modified Stableford scoring system to beat Stephen Ames by two points. It was the 57-year-old South African’s fifth win in 150 starts on the senior tour.
Tournament: Mitsubishi Electric Classis
Date: 24/04/2026
Venue: TPC Sugarloaf
Prize Money: $300,000
Charles Schwab Cup Money: 6th
Shaun Norris:
Shaun Norris won the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour in late May 2026, securing his ninth career victory on the circuit. The South African golfer shot a record-breaking 24-under-par and won by five strokes.
The Mizuno Open served as a qualifying event for The Open Championship. By winning the tournament, Norris punched his ticket to the major championship held at Royal Birkdale
Tournament: Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open
Date: 28/05/2026
Venue: JFE Setonaikai Golf Club
Prize Money: ¥20,000,000
Points Ranking: 8th
