JOHANNESBURG – South African golf came together to recognise one of its greats at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club on Sunday as professionals and amateurs celebrated the incredible contribution Denis Hutchinson has made to the game.
The annual Denis Hutchinson Challenge once again brought together professional golfers from the Sunshine Tour, Sunshine Ladies Tour and PGA of South Africa and amateurs from GolfRSA and the South African Golf Development Board to compete as teams in a celebration of Hutchinson’s career as a golfer and a broadcaster.
The team of Ivanna Samu, Nikhil Rama, Kael Strydom and Gregory Jacobs took top honours with 89 points on the West Course.
Hutchinson had multiple victories on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour in his playing career, including famously being the last amateur to have won the Investec South African Open Championship in 1959. Amongst his many accolades, Hutchinson has been recognised with Lifetime Membership of the Sunshine Tour and as Honorary Life President of the PGA of South Africa.
“Hutchy has been such a wonderful ambassador for South African golf for decades now, both as a player who competed with some of the greats of the game, and then as a commentator who became known as ‘The Voice of Golf’. It’s an honour for all of us in the family of South African golf to come together on a day such as this and take the time to recognise the immense contribution he has made to the game we all love,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.
Winning Team Photo (from left to right): Nikhil Rama, Kael Strydom, Denis Hutchinson, Ivanna Samu and Gregory Jacobs at the prizegiving of the Denis Hutchinson Challenge at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club on Sunday. Credit: Tyrone Winfield.
