Author: Michael Vlismas

The Sunshine Tour will tee off its 2024/25 season with the new Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq that will feature a field of champions throughout South African golf all chasing a first prize of R1 million.

The tournament, to be played at Royal Johannesburg Golf Club’s East Championship Course from 2-5 May 2024 and with live coverage on SuperSport, will include a field of champions comprised largely of winners of Sunshine Tour events during the 2023/24 season.

The field will also include:

– The winner of the 2023/24 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by the Courier Guy

– The 2023/24 Fortress Rookie of the Year

– The leading Papwa Sewgolum Class player from the 2023/24 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by the Courier Guy not otherwise exempt

– South African Winners of international tournaments held outside of the borders of South Africa from 1 January 2023 until the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq

– The winner of the 2024 Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit

– Sunshine Ladies Tour winners from 2024

– The winner of the 2023 Altron Big Easy Tour Order of Merit

– The winner of the 2024 African Amateur

– The leading amateur from the GolfRSA Order of Merit, as nominated by GolfRSA

– 5 wild card entries

“We are proud to welcome the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq and also supported by The Courier Guy to our Sunshine Tour schedule and look forward to teeing off our new season with a true celebration of the champions of South African golf,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“This tournament will celebrate the very best of South African golf as we showcase our Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour winners as well as our top transformation player, our next generation of professional stars and our top amateurs.”

Image (from left to right): Sunshine Tour champions Hennie Otto, Ryan van Velzen, Luca Filippi, Kyle Barker and Rupert Kaminski with Willie Vos, CEO Waterfall Management Company; Michael Clampett, Asset Management and Property Executive Attacq Limited; Simon Hill, Marketing Manager The Courier Guy; and Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour at the official launch of the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq.

Double PGA Tour champion Erik van Rooyen, Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, and a gallery of former Alfred Dunhill Championship winners will gather on the fairways of Leopard Creek Country Club this December as they head a strong field of Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour stars for this tournament.

Van Rooyen returns to South African fairways from 7-10 December after recently winning his second PGA Tour title in the World Wide Technology Championship last month.

He will be joined by the Major-winning duo of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.

Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion, has twice finished runner-up in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, while Schwartzel, winner of the 2011 Masters, returns as the winner of a record four Alfred Dunhill Championship titles as well as having finishing second on four occasions.

Schwartzel’s record in this championship is unsurpassed as he also holds the tournament total record of 24-under-par 264 and the biggest margin of victory in the history of this tournament of 12 strokes achieved in the same year of 2012.

This year’s field boasts the winners of eight of the last nine editions of this prestigious tournament.

Ockie Strydom will attempt to become only the third player in Alfred Dunhill Championship history to successfully defend his title.

Strydom made his DP World Tour breakthrough with his two-stroke victory in this event last year and which enabled him to also make his debut in the Majors in 2023.

The other champions who will line up for a shot at further Alfred Dunhill Championship glory include Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Branden Grace and Brandon Stone.

MJ Daffue and Dean Burmester add to the traditionally strong South African challenge.

“We’re delighted to welcome such a strong field and one including so many past champions to one of our iconic tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“Alfred Dunhill is one of the longest standing sponsors in world golf and the legacy of this support for the game is showcased in the return of so many champions of the Alfred Dunhill Championship to an event and a Leopard Creek golf course that is one of the most unique in world golf.”

The Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational celebrated another memorable weekend in which business leaders, sports stars, celebrities and Sunshine Tour professionals rallied in support of a dream to keep changing lives as they raised R3 million for the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School.

Gary Player was overwhelmed by the response to helping ensure the sustainability of the school he and his late wife, Vivienne, started in 1990 and which the Gary & Vivienne Player Foundation and its partners continue to support through this tournament at the Lost City Golf Course.

“I have been blessed to have experienced great success in my career and life, and for that I am truly grateful. I am overwhelmed by the show of support from all the wonderful people this weekend who gave up their time to be with us and to help me keep a promise to my late wife Vivienne that we will ensure the future of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School we both started all those years ago. Thank you in particular to our partners Rolex, Sun International, BMW, Amrod and new partners Citadel and Tabono as well as the Sunshine Tour professionals for all their support,” said Player.

The 36-hole pro-am tournament was won by the team of Sunshine Tour professional Robin Williams, business leaders Neil and Pam Senior, and chef and restaurateur Reuben Riffel on 188 points.

But more important than the trophy is the fact that this event once again brought together what has over the years become a close family of people who know the value of opportunity and what it can mean in a child’s life.

“It’s incredible to be part of this cause and the legacy of Mr and Mrs Player that started 30 years ago. It’s a privilege to take this forward into the future and change people’s lives and change our country for the better. The school caters for children between the ages of three and six years old and it’s such an honour and privilege to make a difference in their lives, and it’s our responsibility as South Africans to do so,” said Reon Barnard, a trustee of the Gary & Vivienne Player Foundation and a director of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School.

It’s a message that was echoed by many of the participants at this year’s tournament.

“Whenever we are blessed with good fortune in life, you need to pay it forward. Enjoying life and the successes in life is made even better if you can share that and open doors for others as well. That was the overriding feeling from this weekend,” said Riffel.

Zack Rasego, one of the most respected caddies in the global professional game, also attended the event this weekend and shared his story of how opportunity changed his life.

“I was 16 and growing up poor in the nearby village of Ledig when we were recruited in the late 1970s by Mr Player for the first caddie training programme at Sun City. I am where I am because of that opportunity. Mr Player saw something in me and it was a life-changing opportunity that I was given,” said Rasego, who went on to caddie for Gary Player in his victory in the 1988 Senior Open as well as Louis Oosthuizen when he won the 2010 Open and a host of other top professionals.

And South African rugby icon Naas Botha also expressed perfectly the spirit of this tournament to use golf to change lives.

“Gary Player has played a part in all South African sportsman asking the question, ‘How am I going to contribute through my sport?’. Being able to do that means far more than any record you’ve held, and it’s how I approached my own career in rugby.”

Photo: The winning team in the 2023 Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational (from left to right) of Robin Williams, Pam Senior, Gary Player, Neil Senior and Reuben Riffel.

The Sunshine Tour professionals gathered in support of Gary Player, who helped to lay the platform for the Tour they compete on and whose career they seek to emulate, as they joined sports celebrities and business leaders in the first round of the Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational at The Lost City Golf Course on Saturday.

The professionals are playing in this star-studded pro-am field as part of the drive to raise funds for the Gary & Vivienne Player Foundation and its work supporting the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School.

Saturday’s first round saw the team of Sunshine Tour professional James Hart du Preez, Sunshine Tour Commissioner Thomas Abt, businessman Simon Hill and former cricketer Robert Frylinck take a one-point lead on 94 points.

There was a lengthy delay in the round due to thunderstorms but for the young Sunshine Tour professionals taking part, the silver lining to the dark clouds around Sun City was definitely the opportunity of just being around an icon of their sport.

“As a South African golfer we’ve been blessed to have so many great golfers come from this country, but it all started with Gary Player. He was really the one who pushed the envelope out there and played international golf, and made it possible for us to also go overseas and achieve our dreams in other countries. I think I speak on behalf of all of us professionals when we say thank you for what Gary Player has done for us and our Tour. Without him we wouldn’t be where we are now and wouldn’t be playing for the kind of money we are on Tour,” said Robin Williams, who has already won in his rookie season on the Sunshine Tour.

It was a message echoed by Gerhard Pepler, also a rookie on the Sunshine Tour and who won the Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge to qualify for this weekend’s tournament.

“I think any South African golfer will tell you that Gary Player kind of started professional golf in South Africa for us. Without his support we wouldn’t be here today, and he keeps doing so much for even the new generation of golfers. His energy is incredible. I’ve heard him referred to as the youngest 88 year old out there, and having seen it first-hand this weekend I now believe it too,” he said.

The more experienced Christiaan Basson spoke of how Player inspired him with his different approach to golf.

“Growing up he was always one of the golfers I looked up to. His work ethic was always an inspiration. But he also did things differently to the other golfers. He was a trendsetter and wasn’t scared to try new things and lead the way in a lot of areas of the game, including fitness. He pioneered the golf fitness we see today. He’s just always been somebody to look up to,” he said.

Young Sunshine Tour professional Jovan Rebula first played with Gary Player when he was six years old. “Mr Player is an inspiration to us all as the greatest golfer South Africa has ever produced. We played a practice round on Friday before this tournament and then went to the driving range and he was there doing a clinic with some kids. He even gave us a quick lesson on the range. It’s always special to get his insights into the game. He’s always been good to us as South African golfers. He’s been everything for the Sunshine Tour and we’re all trying to live up to his legacy.”

And Kyle Barker has been privileged to play with Gary Player this weekend. “Mr Player means a lot to me as a person and as a professional golfer. I wouldn’t be playing the game if it wasn’t for him. I’ve learnt so much playing with him this weekend. He’s got so many different shots around the greens, even using a four iron to hit chip and run shots. He’s been chipping in, hitting driver of the deck, or hitting seven and eight woods to 20 feet from the hole. He’s incredible to watch. He’s got every shot. Without his input into the Sunshine Tour, it wouldn’t be as strong as it is today.”

As Gary Player sits at Sun City preparing to welcome sporting greats, celebrities and business leaders to the annual Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational this weekend, he thinks about the one person who helped him to see the difference between leaving behind a great golf career, or leaving behind a legacy.

“Vivienne was the rock in my life. She opened my eyes to more than just golf. She had such an intense love for children that it was her idea to start a school on our farm for the local community, and which grew into becoming the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School of today,” says Player of his late wife. It has been just over two years since Vivienne passed away from pancreatic cancer.

“In her last words to me, Vivienne asked me to promise to keep our Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation going and to ensure the children of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School continue to be taken care of.”

This weekend at Sun City, South Africa’s greatest sportsman will continue a promise he made to his wife in her final moments – with some help from his friends.

A selection of South African sporting greats and celebrities as well as business leaders and business giants such as Rolex, Sun International, BMW, Amrod, Citadel and Tabono will gather for the Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational at The Lost City Golf Course from 18-19 November to use golf to raise funds for the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School.

“From the day we opened the doors to the school on our farm in 1990, Vivienne absolutely loved these children like our own. She wanted to see all children thrive no matter their backgrounds or circumstances. Vivienne taught me unconditional love. She was a woman driven by love for people, which I share, and a desire for everybody to have their place in the sun. There is such a love around this tournament because her spirit is still so much a part of everything we do at the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation, and she will always be our guide in this sense.”

This weekend at Sun City, a promise will be kept.

A promise made to a woman who, while her husband became a legend, she helped to launch a legacy.

2023 Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational Celebrity Participants

Shaun Bartlett

Kenny Dalglish

Patrick Lambie

Felicity Shiba

Maps Maponyane

Sally Little

David Kau

Matthew Booth

Aaron Mokoena

Brian Baloyi

Stefan Terblanche

Jaco van der Westhuizen

Adriaan Strauss

Reuben Riffel 

Rolene Strauss 

Butch James

Rosko Specman

Rob Kempson 

Ryan Kankowski

Keegan Daniel

Robbie Frylinck

Jacques Rudolph

Herschelle Gibbs 

Paul Adams 

Jaco Kriel 

Waylon Murray

Rory Kleinveldt

Joey Rasdien

Gary Player 

Naas Botha 

Matthieu Pavon has added his name to an already strong field for the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open as the Frenchman seeks to build on his recent DP World Tour success when he tees it up at La Réserve Golf Links from 14-17 December.

Pavon, who challenged world number seven Max Homa for the recent Nedbank Golf Challenge title, broke through with his maiden DP World Tour title in the acciona Open de España by Madrid in October this year.

He joins a quality field in Mauritius that includes Major winner Lous Oosthuizen, defending champion Antoine Rozner, five-time DP World Tour winner and Heritage Golf Club ambassador Marcel Siem, the charismatic Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston who is making his return from injury, former European Ryder Cup star and winning captain Thomas Bjørn, and a host of Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour winners.

Pavon has been in impressive form on the DP World Tour this season as he’s climbed to 20^th on the Race to Dubai Rankings following his victory as well as six top-10 finishes.

He returns to an AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open tournament where he’s always performed well in the past, including finishes of tied fifth in 2017 and second in 2018.

“I’m just trying to keep doing what I’ve been doing since the start of the year. That win brought me a lot of confidence in what I’m working on with my coaches. Everything is clear in my mind and I just show up and try to do my best,” he said.

AfrAsia Bank also hosted its annual AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open Pro-Am qualifying tournament at The Club at Steyn City recently where AfrAsia Bank clients competed for a place in the official pro-am of the tournament on 13 December, and which was won by Johannes Markus Erne.

“I’m delighted to have won and look forward to playing with some of the world’s best golfers in Mauritius,” said Erne.

To purchase tickets for the tournament please go to https://www.ticketbox.mu/

The 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open has once again drawn a glittering array of blue-chip sponsors, including AfrAsia Bank, Rogers Group, Rogers Hospitality, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, IBL, Beachcomber Resorts and Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Phoenix Beverages, Jacobs Coffee, Pro Carts, Mautourco, KOHLER, Häagen Dazs and Oxenham.

Investec, a patron of the Papwa Sewgolum Class for the Sunshine Tour’s transformation professionals, has awarded a sponsor’s invitation to Class member Heinrich Bruiners to compete in the Investec South African Open at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate from Thursday 30 November to Sunday 3 December.

Bruiners has received this ‘Out of the Ordinary’ reward in recognition of another strong season in which he’s had five top-20 finishes on the Sunshine Tour, finished second in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zebula, and is ranked 21^st on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

He is currently the leading professional in the Papwa Sewgolum Class not otherwise exempt for the Investec South African Open.

“It’s great to receive this reward for playing well so far this season. Anyone who is a professional golfer wants to play in their national Open. It’s a tournament that can change your life. This is the second oldest Open in golf and in that sense it’s a massive privilege just to play. To be part of such a special event is an achievement all on its own. It’s so inspiring for the transformation players that there is something to look forward to with an opportunity such as this from Investec,” said Bruiners.

Peta Dixon, Head of Sponsorships for Investec, said, “Adding to the title sponsorship of both South African Open Championships, Investec is a proud patron of the Papwa Sewgolum Class. Awarding our sponsor’s invitation for the second year running is another way in which our brand is growing transformation in South African golf. We ‘Never Settle for Ordinary’ and enable tomorrow’s stars to make the leap onto the professional circuit.”

“In light of our values of equality, belonging, inclusion and diversity, Investec takes tremendous pride in awarding a well-deserved player this ‘Out of the Ordinary’ opportunity. We congratulate Heinrich Bruiners – it is our honour to afford you the opportunity to showcase your talent on this world stage.”

Bruiners said he is looking forward to measuring himself against world-class players which includes defending champion Thriston Lawrence as well as Erik van Rooyen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Charl Schwartzel, Daniel van Tonder, Brandon Stone and Dean Burmester.

“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and it’s given me the motivation to work even harder. To compete against some of the best golfers in the world in your home country is so special. The field will be strong and the standard of golf will be high, so I’m going to allow myself to be a bit more aggressive in my strategy this year.”

This year’s Investec South African Open will include a host of festivities for golf fans and their families to enjoy.  These include the Sunshine Tour Beat the Pro competition, the daily chance for spectators to win limited edition zebra Converse leather sneakers by walking the Investec Blair Mile during the championship, an opportunity to find one of five mini Investec zebras hidden throughout the course each to the value of R5,000, and a long drive extravaganza after play on Saturday 2 December.

Tickets for the Investec South African Open Championship can be purchased at www.sunshinetour.com.

When the sun rises in Africa, you want to be the lion rather than the impala. That’s what Max Homa kept telling himself in the final round of a Nedbank Golf Challenge where he played like a lion to win ‘Africa’s Major’ at Sun City on Sunday.

Homa closed with a 66 at the Gary Player Country Club that included a memorable eagle on the ninth to win by four shots on 19 under par. It was the first victory by an American in this tournament since Jim Furyk in 2006, and it capped what Homa described as a life-changing first visit to Africa.

“Back home I’m fortunate to get a lot of great support. But I just can’t really get over that I can come across the world to people I’ve never met and they can be this kind and welcoming. I had these kids following me all day and they kept boosting me whenever it got tight and they kept cheering my name. I also had the mantra of rather be the lion than the impala in my head. And walking up 18 and that ovation was extra special. I just have to give so much credit to this country and the quality of the people,” said Homa.

Homa started strong and was three under through eight holes. Despite this he still had to withstand a strong charge from Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen, and the key moment came on the iconic par-five ninth hole.

“The shot of the tournament for me was on nine. If you’d told me I was three under through eight I would’ve thought I’d be leading and I was rather surprised to be tied for the lead with Thorbjørn on the ninth fairway. My swing felt good and I wanted to make a statement to myself, so I hit a beautiful three iron onto that green and made a relatively easy putt. It was a good time to hit a great shot.”

Olesen couldn’t sustain his charge and finished third on 14 under with a 69, while Nicolai Højgaard pushed through with a 68 to finish second on 15 under par. Justin Thomas came with a strong final round of 66 to take fourth place on 12 under par. And Hennie du Plessis finished as the leading South African in sixth place on 10 under par and on his debut in this tournament.

But on yet another memorable Sunday afternoon at Sun City, it was Homa who birdied two of his final four holes to add his name to the long list of great champions of this tournament.

“I walked down that walkway to the ninth green today again and I pictured a plaque with my name on it alongside all the other greats there. It’s awesome to add my name to that. This is one of the more memorable weeks I’ve ever had. The safari we had last weekend – I just can’t put it into words. Then to come out here and put the cherry on top is fantastic. I’m excited to get home and see my son. I left when he had two teeth and now he’s got six.”

And as he flies home with a cheque for just over one million dollars, that’s the tooth fairy taken care of as well.

It’s always the names on the walkway that do it, and for Max Homa it’s no exception.

The American, who will take a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, admits that seeing the names of the winners of this event on the walkway that leads to the ninth green makes him determined to add his on there as well.

“Every day we walk up the ninth and they have the plaques of everyone who’s won here, and the names are impressive,” said Homa after his third-round 69 for the lead on 13 under par.

He is one stroke clear of Frenchman Matthieu Pavon who added a 70 on another day of intense heat at Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club. Nicolai Højgaard and Thorbjørn Olesen are both on 11 under par, with defending champion Tommy Fleetwood going into the final round on seven under.

But while in the future there stands the famous crystal trophy of ‘Africa’s Major’ for the winner on Sunday, it’s to the past that Homa has had his eye on over these last three days. In particular, the names of past champions Johnny Miller, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Nick Price, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and, most notably for him, Jim Furyk.

Furyk was the last American champion here at Sun City in 2006.

“It would be amazing to add my name to the tradition that’s been here,” said Homa, who has done a superb job of slowly acclimatising to a golf course he is playing for the first time and on the back of perhaps the least tournament preparation he’s ever had following a lengthy break.

After what he described as a “scrappy” start to his third round, Homa started to find his rhythm and then clicked into something truly special on the par-five 10^th hole when he chipped in from the bunker for eagle.

“That was big because I felt like I had been hitting some really good shots and not capitalising. I felt like nothing was going my way, so to have that one go in felt like a nice boost. It was one of those fun ones where at about 12 feet out you feel it just can’t miss.”

Behind him, Pavon is still feeding off the confidence of his maiden DP World Tour win in October.

“My confidence is high. The game feels good and now I’m competing against some of the best players in the world, so all I can do is give it my all in the final round.”

And Homa will do the same, reminding himself of the history of this great event as he looks to make history of his own.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge is poised for an intense weekend of action with a leaderboard that is as hot as the midday African sun and with American Max Homa and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon locked in a share of the lead at Sun City.

On a day when the 66-man field was given the option to wear shorts in the stifling heat, Homa signed for a 68 and Pavon added a 66 to see them share the lead on 10 under par. They are one stroke clear of England’s Dan Bradbury, who bogeyed the last to slip out of the lead.

European Ryder Cup star Nicolai Højgaard is just two shots back while Hennie du Plessis leads the South African challenge on seven under par.

But with defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and double Major champion Justin Thomas only four back, there is still plenty to unfold on the fairways of the Gary Player Country Club over the next 36 holes.

For Homa, it was another pleasant surprise to be at the top of this leaderboard.

“I’m very pleased and a little surprised. The body has felt better as the week’s gone on. I woke up today and felt like a golfer again. If you’re going to fly 20-odd hours over here you might as well play some good golf, so it’s nice that I’m doing that,” said the world number eight.

Pavon has been feeling equally comfortable.

“It’s been two solid days. Everything is clear in my mind and I just show up and do my best. I’m more focused on me than what anybody else is doing. I’ll grind as much as possible and then we see what happens on Sunday.”

But for both, the key has been avoiding the trouble lurking around these 18 holes.

“I played really smart and made it pretty stress free. You have to guess the wind right a lot. It’s incredibly confusing. So I feel like patience is key. I feel like we’ve done a good job in knowing where to leave the second shots and where not to be.

“It’s a very demanding golf course. You’re going to be out of position and you’re going to have some tricky shots, so I try not to overpower it. I’ll just play conservatively and rely on the putter.”

It was a similar theme for Pavon.

“I haven’t put myself in any trouble out there. It’s tight around the flags here so you need to be conscious about where you can miss.”