Author: Michael Vlismas

KNYSNA, Western Cape – Jared Harvey took advantage of the good fortune that came his way in Thursday’s first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final and opened with an eight-under-par 64 at the Pezula Championship Course to lead the field.

Harvey capitalised on an early start which saw him avoid the wind for most of his round and then enjoyed a bit more luck with his eagle two on the 17^th as he finished the opening day one shot clear of Neil Schietekat, who produced a scintillating back nine of six birdies. Rupert Kaminski and Oliver Bekker are next best on six under par.

Tara Griebenow leads the charge of the Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals with her opening round of four under par. A selection of the Sunshine Ladies Tour golfers are competing alongside the Sunshine Tour professionals for the same amount of prize money for the first time in the history of this series.

Harvey certainly took advantage of his favourable draw and his experience of a Pezula course which he played quite a few times in his days a member of the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation in nearby George.

“I lived in for George for a bit and we played a few amateur tournaments here. So I know the course even though we haven’t been back here for a while with the Tour. My game has also been there or thereabouts and I felt I was just lacking a spark. Today it arrived,” said Harvey.

“It was a little fortunate that I was off very early. For the first eight to 10 holes there was no breeze at all. I thought I could get off to a hot start and use the opportunity. I kind of felt that this was the kind of morning where if you’re on your game you can make birdies and get going.”

If there was a sense that this was his day then it was confirmed with his eagle on the 17^th.

“It’s a funny story actually. On the second day of the pro-am, that was the hole we started on with the shotgun start. I’ve got a trusty old two iron that’s like my baby. So yesterday I had a go for the green and the head of the club flew right off and it went into the fynbos in front of me. First hole of the pro-am. I managed to sort the club out and get it repaired. So when we got to 17 this morning I pulled out the same club hoping everything would stay intact, and I was very happy to see I’d hit the green and it was close to the flag.”

Harvey has shown quite an affinity for the Vodacom Origins of Golf series over the years. He won on the series in 2017 and has also had a further three top fives on the series.

“I’ve also just felt the Vodacom Origins series gives you the opportunity to play a run of tournaments in our winter and you can build a bit of momentum. A lot of the locations on the series have also suited my game, with a few of them always played on the coast. I think in general it has treated me well.” – Michael Vlismas

KNYSNA, Western Cape – The 12-year-old girl who was part of the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) children and the Sunshine Tour professionals at Wednesday’s Vodacom Origins of Golf clinic on the Pezula Championship Course did what she always does when she receives her food parcel. She put it aside, to take home to her family.

It didn’t surprise Johan Erasmus, the SAGDB Development Manager for the Southern Cape who has worked in the grassroots growth of the game for 20 years, and which the Vodacom Origins of Golf series has also supported for the same amount of time through clinics such as this.

“She does that with all the food parcels we hand out. She takes it back home to her brother,” he said.

It was another powerful reminder of what the partnership between the Vodacom Origins of Golf series, the Sunshine Tour and the SAGDB has meant to children who by society’s standards should have no future, but who through golf can still have hope.

“These kids come from difficult situations where golf can really change their lives. When some of our kids join the programme and get to a golf club, for many it’s the first time they’ve ever seen a bathroom. When they travel with us to tournaments, it’s the first time some of them have ever slept in a proper bed,” said Erasmus.

“I love seeing what golf can do for the kids. It goes far beyond hitting a golf club. We always say that if we work with one thousand children, maybe one will become a professional golfer one day. But the values and lessons they learn in golf they can take back to their communities, and that’s our real success. If we can change one child’s life and start a chain reaction that changes a community, then we’ve achieved something.”

It’s a vision that aligns perfectly with Vodacom’s own commitment to hold an SAGDB golf clinic at every single Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament around the country.

“It’s about creating hope for these children to see that if they follow this path they can get themselves out of their situations,” said Martha Lamola, acting CEO of Vodacom Business.

“They might not all be professional golfers one day, but this gives them that hope to realise, ‘I can also be somebody’. Our communities are challenged, and anywhere where we can shine a light is the biggest thing we can do for them.”

It’s also exactly what keeps driving Erasmus and his team.

“If we have a tournament in Knysna or Plettenberg Bay, then we leave home at 3am and start picking up the kids along the way. It’s all worth it when you see how much they enjoy the game. A day like this with Vodacom and the Sunshine Tour is a day when they are away from the reality of their difficult circumstances, and they have an opportunity to change their lives.”

It was exactly such an opportunity that changed the life of Franklin Manchest who came through this very programme on his journey to now competing on the Sunshine Tour.

“Franklin grew up in a house just behind the home of one of our coaches, and he saw our coach chipping golf balls. That’s how he became interested in the game. Now Franklin is playing on the Sunshine Tour. If you look at where Franklin grew up, he wouldn’t have had that opportunity to make it in life if it wasn’t for golf.”

This week’s tournament is the final on this year’s Vodacom Origins of Golf series, with the Sunshine Tour professionals competing from Thursday to Sunday on the Pezula Championship Course. – Michael Vlismas

The 2023 Joburg Open will tee off an historic international season on the Sunshine Tour as the tournament celebrates the start of the DP World Tour’s new Opening Swing to its global season with a world-class field and a host of added incentives on offer.

The Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament will take place at Houghton Golf Club from 23-26 November with a field already including former Joburg Open champions Thriston Lawrence and Branden Grace as well as Dean Burmester, Christian Bezuidenhout and a selection of the leading professionals from the DP World Tour.

There will be several added incentives for the professionals this year including a share of a sizeable cash bonus pool on the Opening Swing and the opportunity to possibly play their way onto the DP World Tour and ultimately the PGA Tour.

Since 2007 the Joburg Open has been a leading tournament on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour calendars with a proud record of creating opportunities for young professionals to take their careers onto the global stage, and supporting the transformational drive of South African golf through exemptions into the tournament for members of the Sunshine Tour’s Papwa Sewgolum Class for historically disadvantaged professionals or invitations for leading GolfRSA amateurs to gain competitive exposure.

The 2023 Joburg Open will be the first to tee off the DP World Tour’s new globally restructured season as it ushers in an Opening Swing that will run from November to December this year. This swing will have its own Order of Merit, and the leading professional at the conclusion of this will earn an extra $200 000 and, if already a member of the DP World Tour, an invitation into the Hero Dubai Desert Classic – a Rolex Series tournament – and a spot in each of the DP World Tour’s ‘Back Nine’ series of nine lucrative tournaments towards the end of the season from August to October 2024.

The value of a strong start to the season in the Joburg Open translates into possibly finishing within the top 110 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings at the conclusion of the ‘Back Nine’ to earn a DP World Tour card for 2025, while the top 70 also qualify for the DP World Tour Play-Offs where the top 10 will earn their PGA Tour cards (if not already members) for the following season, as well as compete for a share of a $6 million bonus pool.

“The Joburg Open has always sought to mirror the ambitions of the City of Joburg’s residents and create an aspirational effect amongst our residents. This year’s Joburg Open epitomises this spirit of opportunity,” said Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda.

“We know that golf courses are where business deals are struck. So, we believe that this is the place where we are going to talk about how we are going to build, repair, and grow the City as well as attract investment.

“Johannesburg is a world-class African city and the Joburg Open reflects this through its status in world golf as an event that creates opportunities at the highest level and which can transform lives. This is the kind of sporting excellence we are proud to be associated with, and equally so with organisations as globally respected as the Sunshine Tour and the DP World Tour.”

Thomas Abt, the Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said: “We are excited to welcome back some of our leading professionals for the Joburg Open and the start of an exciting international season on the Sunshine Tour.”

“The months of November and December on the Sunshine Tour represent an incredible opportunity for our Sunshine Tour members, starting with the Joburg Open. It really is quite possible that one of our members can perform well on this Opening Swing and set up a season that could see him earn a PGA Tour card by the end of it. That’s the power of the global pathway we’ve worked hard to create with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.”

Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour’s Chief Executive, said: “We have a longstanding history with the Sunshine Tour, and the Joburg Open is a terrific example of how that strategic partnership continues to benefit members of both Tours through increased playing opportunities and pathways.”

“It is the first of six events on our 2024 schedule which are co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, and it is also one of two events which will launch both our 2024 Race to Dubai and our inaugural Opening Swing. There will therefore be even more for players to compete for in this year’s edition of the Joburg Open.”

Tickets for the Joburg Open are available at www.sunshinetour.com

KNYSNA, Western Cape – The Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins of Golf comes full circle this week as the 2023 Grand Final of this prestigious series is played at the Pezula Championship Course where it first teed off in 2004.

A selection of South Africa’s DP World Tour, European Challenge Tour and Asian Tour campaigners have returned to home fairways this week for the final of a series that over the past two decades has launched the careers of some of the country’s golf stars and defined the careers of others.

Oliver Bekker, Dylan Mostert and Neil Schietekat are joined by current Sunshine Tour winners Luca Filippi, Robin Williams, Malcolm Mitchell, Rupert Kaminski and a host of others in a strong field that also includes the rising stars of the local game.

It was on the fairways of Pezula that the Vodacom Origins of Golf series teed off with its first tournament in 2004.

Ulrich van den Berg had only been a professional for five years when he finished second one shot behind Patrick O’Brien in that first tournament. He was back on the putting green at Pezula on Tuesday, returning as a seven-time Sunshine Tour champion.

Jaco van Zyl was also less than three years into his professional career when he finished fifth in that 2004 tournament. He was also at Pezula on Tuesday as a now 15-time winner on the Sunshine Tour – including the 2008 Vodacom Origins of Golf Final.

That first year of the series saw Louis Oosthuizen win a Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament in what was his first victory on the Sunshine Tour.

This week’s field also includes Jean Hugo, the winner of a record 11 Vodacom Origins of Golf titles.

And while over the past two decades the Vodacom Origins of Golf has run like a golden thread through the careers of many Sunshine Tour stars, some are now only beginning to make their mark on the series.

Gerhard Pepler and Jonathan Broomhead, who finished tied third in the Vodacom Origins of Golf opener at Zebula this year, are both second and third respectively on the Fortress Rookie of the Year rankings as they chase victory this week.

Luca Filippi, twice a winner on Tour this year, has finished in the top 10 in the previous three Vodacom Origins of Golf tournaments this year. And young star Yurav Premlall has finished in the top 10 in the last two Vodacom Origins of Golf events. – Michael Vlismas

La Réserve Golf Links has already been described as a “game-changer for golf in Mauritius” and an “unparalleled experience of pure golfing drama”, and this December the world will see exactly the impact it intends to make as one of the most anticipated new golf course developments to open this year.

This masterpiece of golf course design on the rolling hills of the Bel Ombre estate in the south of Mauritius is the creation of co-designers Louis Oosthuizen – the 2010 Open champion – and renowned golf course architect Peter Matkovich.

La Réserve Golf Links is a sublime addition to the already impressive golf portfolio of Heritage Resorts under the banner of Heritage Golf Club and including Le Château Golf Course, thereby transforming the south of Mauritius into a true home of golf.

The course distinguishes itself as the first and only contemporary links in the Indian Ocean with spectacular ocean views from every tee and green.

From 14-17 December it will take centre stage during Golf’s Most Beautiful Week as the host of its first professional tournament in the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open with a field including Oosthuizen, defending champion Antoine Rozner and five-time DP World Tour winner and Heritage Golf Club ambassador Marcel Siem.

“La Réserve Golf Links is a game-changing course for Mauritius and Heritage Golf Club as a select global golf destination,” said Jonathan Menteath, General Manager of Heritage Golf Club.

“This piece of land with panoramic views over the Indian Ocean is extraordinary and fulfils our vision to create a world-class course for global golfers seeking the purest golf experience in one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth.”

Co-designer Matkovich has guaranteed that this year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open field will be presented with a golf course that plays exactly like a traditional links and requires similar strategy. The greens will need a deft putting touch with several slopes on them and a variety of pin placements available, while a strong collection of par-threes will also test the field.

“It’s not a course where you can power your way around and hit high shots into elevated greens. We’ve gone back to how links golf was played, low along the ground, bouncing it in. I thought about some of the great players like Peter Thomson, Bobby Locke and Gary Player and how they mastered links, by playing the course in front of them and the shots each hole required. From the first tee until the 18^th green, there are so many ‘Wow!’ moments.”

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.

For the images of La Réserve Golf Links, please credit: Jacob Sjöman

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – Martin Rohwer had the good graces to call it “unexpected” and thanked the weather for helping him, but his wonderful victory in the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya at Umhlali Country Club on Friday was down to the fabulous golf he played on the final day.

Starting the last round eight shots off the lead, Rohwer fired a superb six-under-par 65 on Friday, lifting him into a playoff with Christiaan Burke. Rohwer then parred the par-three 18^th hole three times, with Burke making bogey on the third attempt, to seal a most unlikely triumph.

“I just made the cut on the number yesterday and I missed the cut last week, so to win is obviously unexpected,” a delighted Rohwer said. “The win never crossed my mind and I was just thinking about getting a low round and moving as high up the leaderboard as possible.”

“But the way the weather changed, Mother Nature did me a favour. We heard that the wind was going to pick up in the afternoon and as soon as I stepped off the 18^th, the wind turned south-westerly and started blowing quite hard. So it was a struggle for the later golfers.

“I made a really nice putt for eagle on the par-four 14^th and then I chipped in for birdie on the 15^th and that really threw me into contention. I then just tried to hold on and post something. I thought I might then potentially have a chance.

“I had not hit a shot for a couple of hours and then I went to the range before the playoff. The 18^th is a relatively short [182m] par-three with quite a strong wind coming off the left and I hit seven-iron all three times. I made a good putt for par on the first playoff hole, par again and then two putts for par the third time as Christiaan made bogey,” Rohwer said.

The Kloof Country Club golfer said his putter was his other main benefactor as he claimed his third individual title on the Sunshine Tour.

“The best part of my game was on the greens. I made some really nice putts. I drove the ball pretty well too. It’s been a pretty solid season. I’ve finished third twice, had another top-10, and I’ve only missed two cuts. But I’m stoked to win and hopefully I can take this form into the summer swing and the rest of the year,” Rohwer said.

The 30-year-old had three birdies and a bogey on the front nine, and then dropped another shot on the par-four 12^th. But that was followed a tremendous birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie run as Rohwer roared into contention.

With overnight leader Jonathan Broomhead struggling to a five-over-par 76, Burke took control with three consecutive birdies from the ninth hole giving him a two-shot lead over Luke Brown and Luke Jerling.

But Burke then dropped shots on the 14^th, 16^th and 18^th holes to sign for a 72 and give Rohwer a chance.

Brown (67) and Jerling (71) also had late bogeys as they finished in a tie for third on four-under-par, just one stroke behind.

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – Jonathan Broomhead did not have the services of a hot putter and it was a tougher, windier day at Umhlali Country Club on Thursday, but the Sunshine Tour rookie still managed to hang on to the lead after the second round of the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya.

The 22-year-old will go into the final round with a narrow one-stroke lead after following up his wonderful 63 on the opening day with a one-over-par 72 on Thursday.

Broomhead is on seven-under for the tournament and will have to hold off the challenges of Christiaan Burke (-6), Keenan Davidse (-5) and Doug McGuigan and Luke Jerling, who are both on four-under.

But the way he held his round together amidst great frustration on Thursday augurs well for his composure in the final round as he chases a maiden professional title.

“It was a tough day and it is hard to stay calm under pressure. The wind was up today, it blew a lot harder and from the other direction, so it was a lot more tricky out there today,” Broomhead said.

“I hit the ball fine, but I just really struggled with my putting. I didn’t make nearly as many putts as on the first day. It was not an easy round. I was in a couple of spots I should not have hit into, but I held on quite nicely.”

Broomhead began his round on Thursday with a bogey at the par-four first and he was two-over through five holes. But back-to-back birdies around the turn and another at the par-four 14^th partially offset two more bogeys on the back nine.

Burke started on the 10^th and was three-under when he reached the turn, but a bogey on the par-four ninth cost him a share of the lead, leaving him with a 69.

Davidse also shot 69 including an eagle at the par-five 13^th, his fourth hole, while veteran McGuigan dropped just one shot and posted a 66, the joint low-round of the day, to roar up the leaderboard.

As tough as Thursday was, Broomhead knows Friday’s final round could be even more daunting because talk of even stronger winds is being bandied about the scenic course just 20 minutes north of Durban.

“The weather forecast is apparently not so good in terms of even more wind. There are a few other things to worry about too and obviously there are going to be nerves leading in the final round. But I believe nerves are good and I won’t be looking too far ahead. I’ve got my processes and I will just stick to those,” Broomhead said.

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – Jonathan Broomhead, in his maiden season on the Sunshine Tour, roared to the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya on Wednesday when he shot a dazzling eight-under-par 63 at Umhlali Country Club, describing it as “just one of those rounds that happen now and again”.

Broomhead, who is contending for first place on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings, began his round on the 10^thhole and made the perfect start by birdieing the par-five 10^th and par-three 11^th holes. He also picked up a shot at the next par-five, the 13^th, and he collected a fourth birdie on the par-four 17^th.

The 22-year-old then began the front nine in rampant fashion with three successive birdies and then sealed his best-ever round on the Sunshine Tour with an eighth birdie on the par-four seventh hole.

It’s certainly not the first time the Durban-born Broomhead has played Umhlali CC and he said local knowledge helped, while conceding pretty much all aspects of his game were on-song on Wednesday.

“I’m definitely delighted. I chatted to myself yesterday [Tuesday] and said I would be more than happy with three-under-par in the first round. That’s a good round here, you’re not trying to shoot six or seven-under to stay in touch at Umhlali.

“But it was just one of those rounds that happen now and again and you just roll with it. I played a lot here as a junior and an amateur, so I understand the layout and I know the decent spots to hit the ball and where you must not hit it.

“The length of this course is not the longest [5943m] and I only hit two drivers today. But it’s one of those layouts where you have to position yourself very well. If you’re on the wrong side of the fairway, then you might not have a clear shot to the green. You’ve got to hit it in the right areas and miss in the right areas as well.

“But it was a very good day. I putted really nicely and made a couple of long ones, which always helps. I could see the lines nicely and I was very comfortable on the greens. I hit the ball just as good, I was decent off the tee and I never really got into much trouble,” Broomhead said.

There were also very good rounds of 67 from Keegan Mclachlan, Robin Williams and Christiaan Burke, who shared second place on four-under-par.

Williams was one of only two players to notch an eagle on the par-five 13^th and he was going along very well on five-under with three holes to play when he bogeyed his penultimate hole, the par-four eighth, to slip back into a share of second.

Williams is also contending for the Fortress Rookie of the Year title, with his victory in the Fortress Invitational three weeks ago at Glendower lifting him into first place on 644.72 points. Gerhard Pepler, who shot 72 on Wednesday, is second on 626.28, while Broomhead is third on 459.40.

“There’s a very nice incentive from Fortress [R200 000] for being the top rookie and you always want to do that in your first year, but it definitely doesn’t change my approach. If I can win like Gerhard and Robin have done, before the end of the season, then I’ll be in with a good shout.

“But it’s never easy winning and I’m not putting myself under any pressure. I’ll just stick to my processes, my game is in a very good spot and I’m comfortable on the greens. I just need to give myself chances to win,” Broomhead said.

Francesco Molinari will make his third appearance in ‘Africa’s Major’ when he returns to the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the first time in six years from November 9-12.

The Italian, a Vice Captain for Team Europe in their Ryder Cup triumph earlier this month, will join fellow Major winners Justin Rose and Justin Thomas in the field at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, as well as defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, with whom he forged the unforgettable ‘Moliwood’ partnership at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

The US$6,000,000 event, which will also feature European Ryder Cup winners Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Højgaard and American star Max Homa amongst the 66-player field, carries an increased number of Race to Dubai Ranking Points, and is the penultimate tournament on the 2023 DP World Tour schedule ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

The 2018 Open Champion finished in a tie for 12th on his tournament debut in 2013 before registering a tie for 27th on his last appearance in Sun City in 2017, and he is now looking forward to returning to South Africa as part of a strong field for ‘Africa’s Major’.

“This event has always been a highlight on the DP World Tour and I am really excited to tee it up in Sun City next month,” he said.

“Playing golf in South Africa is like nowhere else in the world. The wildlife is incredible to see and it is a great golf course as well. Gary Player is a legend of golf and it is an honour to play in an event which carries his name. I can’t wait to get down there.”

A host of DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour stars are assembling for the 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge, with four-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Højgaard and 2022/23 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Ockie Strydom, who has won twice on the 2023 Race to Dubai, also confirmed to tee it up in Sun City .

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a highlight of the South African sporting calendar since its first edition in 1981, with defending champion Fleetwood among a glittering list of winners including South African golfing icon Ernie Els – a three-time winner of the event –  the legendary Seve Ballesteros, and Major Champions Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman and Danny Willett.

The 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge will once again be included on the DP World Tour schedule in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International and will be the penultimate event before the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. The winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit will receive a place in the 66-player field at Gary Player Country Club.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

The Sunshine Tour’s rising stars are set for another season of incredible opportunity with the four European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned tournaments that will tee off the new year on South African fairways.

In February 2024, Sunshine Tour professionals will be able to compete in four Challenge Tour events on their home fairways in the SDC Open, Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open, Dimension Data Pro-Am and NMB Championship.

The value of these events in South Africa was clearly seen last season when Sunshine Tour professionals made a clean sweep of all four of these titles.

Oliver Bekker used his victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am to go on and secure his DP World Tour card. Benjamin Follett-Smith (Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open), JJ Senekal (SDC Open) and Dylan Mostert (NMB Championship) all used their victories last season to play the Challenge Tour in search of a DP World Tour card. 

Casey Jarvis also built on his strong start to the year in these four tournaments and went on to claim a maiden victory on the Challenge Tour as well as two runners-up finishes that currently puts him within the top five on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and on track to earn his DP World Tour card next season.

The new year will tee off with the Mediclinic Invitational from 25-28 January, with the host venue still to be announced.

This will be followed by the Challenge Tour’s South African Swing will tee off with the SDC Open at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa from 1-4 February, followed by the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open at Royal Cape Golf Club from 8-11 February, the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt from 15-18 February, and the NMB Championship at Humewood Golf Club from 22-25 February.

Following these events, the Sunshine Tour will host two DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments – the SDC Championship at St Francis Links from 29 February to 2 March and then the Jonsson Workwear Open at Glendower Golf Club from 7-10 March.

The Tour will then take on a local focus with the Stella Artois Players Championship at Dainfern Golf Estate from 21-24 March, the Limpopo Championship at Euphoria Golf Estate from 4-7 April and the season-ending Tour Championship delivered by The Courier Guy at Serengeti Estates from 11-14 April.

“The longstanding partnership between our two tours has been an invaluable step on the global pathway for Sunshine Tour professionals seeking to develop their careers on the international stage,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“It’s a vital opportunity for our members early in the new year to really set themselves up for a strong international season that can allow them to progress onto the DP World Tour, and we’re grateful to our partners at the Challenge Tour for being able to keep strengthening this relationship.”

Jamie Hodges, Challenge Tour Director, said: “We are delighted to further strengthen our relationship with the Sunshine Tour and take the Challenge Tour to South Africa for the fifth consecutive year. South Africa has always been a popular destination for our members and these events provide them with valuable playing opportunities at a time of the year when it is difficult to stage events in Europe.

“We have worked closely with Thomas Abt and his team to develop the global pathway and it has been wonderful to witness the exciting new talent emerge from the Sunshine Tour and earn a place on the DP World Tour through the Challenge Tour.”