Author: Michael Vlismas

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7th November 2023

Lombard ready for another shot at ‘Africa’s Major’

South Africa’s Zander Lombard is determined to use his experience of leading the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2019 as he prepares for another shot at ‘Africa’s Major’ at the Gary Player Country Club this week.

Lombard was delighted to be back at Sun City on Tuesday for an event which this year boasts a stellar 66-man field including defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Major winners Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari and Justin Thomas, and Ryder Cup stars Max Homa, Nicolai Højgaard and Robert MacIntyre as well as a host of other DP World Tour winners.

“It’s great to be back. It’s always a special week with friends and family that come to support. That’s what you play golf for. It’s great to have a few of the PGA Tour golfers here as well and it adds to the value of this event. I’m just really looking forward to this week,” said Lombard.

The South African had a memorable 2019 tournament when he played alongside Ernie Els and Lee Westwood in the second round and shot 65 to lead by two going into the weekend. He then enjoyed a Saturday in front of his home fans and which he finished with a one-stroke lead going into the final round, before ending tied eighth.

“It was just so special playing with Ernie and Lee. I gained a lot from that week in terms of how to deal with that pressure and how to entertain the fans while still focusing on your golf. I’ve matured a lot in the two years since then and I’m looking forward to the challenge this week.

“I’m currently 30th on the Race to Dubai Rankings and I’ve had a solid season. I went a bit quiet during the middle of the season, but the start and the finish of it has been strong. My game is in a good place. My head is in a good place. I’m just really looking forward to putting a good score together this week. I’ve got nothing to lose and will just play my best.”

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

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Football legend Michael Owen will join SunBet exclusively at 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge

Football legend, pundit and SunBet brand ambassador Michael Owen will be part of Team SunBet at this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge from November 9-12 at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City.

Owen will join Tean Sunbet at this iconic event as the former Liverpool, Manchester United and England striker makes a guest appearance at this year’s tournament and joins the Sun City fans in watching a 66-man field that this year features Ryder Cup stars and Major winners, including Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre and defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, as well as multiple DP World Tour winners Rasmus Højgaard and Adrian Meronk.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be back in South Africa as a proud SunBet ambassador. SunBet’s involvement in the Nedbank Golf Challenge is a fantastic opportunity, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.” 

“As someone who’s passionate about sports, being at the Nedbank Golf Challenge is a real treat. I’m looking forward to meeting SunBet customers, enjoying some top-tier golf and experiencing the Sun City hospitality.”

The 2023 edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge will be a festival for golf fans and punters alike, with SunBet, the official sports betting partner of “Africa’s Major”, offering better odds and more markets at this year’s tournament as well as two VIP interactive golf games.

SunBet will have a variety of markets to choose from to cater for every need with an extensive array of pre-match and Live-in-Play offerings (https://sunbet.co.za/.html#filter/all/all/all/all/in-play) which includes:

  • Outright winner
  • Leader after each round
  • Top nationalities
  • Live-in-Play hole winner
  • Live-in-Play winning margins
  • Live-in-Play group betting

Golf fans will once again have the luxury of quick and easy betting online during the week of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Placing a bet is as easy as registering an account, making a deposit and picking a winner.

“SunBet is South Africa’s premier online gaming and sports betting platform. We’re delighted to welcome Michael Owen to Sun City for one of SA’s most iconic events. We are looking forward to an exciting tournament whilst giving our fans the option of the best array of golf betting markets as well as live interactive games at the tournament for our VIPs. The quality of this year’s field is matched by what we believe is an equally unrivalled golf betting platform,” said Simon Gregory, SunBet CEO.

“We’re catering for the whole experience this year of exciting pre-tournament and live betting options to ensure that fans can really embrace every aspect of their love for golf and this tournament through their SunBet experience,” said Gregory.

There will also be OTT kiosks conveniently situated at the entrance of the SunBet marquee, where the public can purchase vouchers which can be used to bet on the Nedbank Golf Challenge as well as other sports. These vouchers can be purchased by cash or debit or credit card.

SunBet offers an astounding betting experience, complete with sophisticated features and products, such as the ever-popular Slots, Live Games, Sports Betting, BetGames and Lucky Numbers

All Sun MVG members have the opportunity of linking their SunBet accounts with their MVG cards, with each online bet struck at SunBet counting towards their Sun MVG balance.

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.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

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The Score with Erik van Rooyen

South African Erik van Rooyen claimed an emotional two-stroke victory at the World Wide Technology Championship at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico for his second PGA TOUR career win. The triumph was bittersweet as he had received news earlier in the week that his best friend, Jon Trasamar, was terminally ill with cancer.

By Erik van Rooyen

To be honest, I don’t really know where to start. I was quite numb after that eagle putt went in on 18 and you imagine yourself being full of euphoria and being ecstatic, and I was just numb. I think it’s because of everything that’s happened with my friend, Jon Trasamar being so sick. I guess the moment hasn’t hit me yet.

I was calm during the final round because there is bigger stuff in life than golf. If you look at my ball, there’re music notes on there and “J.T.” written on it and it’s for my best friend. He’s got melanoma and he’s not going to make it. Every shot out there was for him. When you’re playing for something bigger than winning some trophy, it puts things into perspective. At the end of the day, whether I won here or lost, it did not really matter. When something motivates you like that, when you make a putt or miss a putt, who cares.

The emotions got to me after the second round. I’d shot 8-under, I get back to my room and I just break down in tears. It wasn’t that calm all the time but when I step onto the golf course, I’ve got a job to do and that’s what it comes down too at the end of the day, doing your job. Now we can celebrate and cry. Until the last putt, it was all focus and doing it for Jon. We love him so much and I’m still in disbelief what he’s going through. I wish I could take all his pain away. We’re flying up to Minnesota to see him and we’ll give him a high five.

When I left South Africa to the U.S. as a 19-year-old, it’s never easy as I grew up in a really small town. Leaving home wasn’t easy. Jon and his family lived about two hours away from Minneapolis, and I arrived in Minnesota in September of 2009 and they were there at the airport to meet me, to say hi, because he was going to be my roommate and teammate at University of Minnesota soon after. We obviously became best friends. He’s like a brother to me. We were roommates for three out of the four years I was in college. I still think he’s got one of the best short games I’ve ever seen and he pursued a career in golf up until recently. 

Jon was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma about a year ago. He was clean in April when he gave me a call and sent a picture of the scan and he was free of cancer. So obviously that was an incredible moment for all of us. Not soon after, it came back. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle. On Tuesday, he sent us a text, saying he’s got six to 10 weeks left. They did a bunch of scans and cancer was in all his organs, everywhere. I don’t think he’s got that much time left. I hope he was watching the final round. We’ve texted and I’ve told him how much I love him. All I want is to go play nine holes with him somewhere. And extremely selfishly, that puts all of this into perspective. Is it fun to win golf tournaments? Yeah, it’s fun. I’ve been playing golf since I was 8 years old, extremely competitive and we want to win. But it doesn’t matter. When I kick the bucket one day, whenever that might be, this is not what I’m going to be thinking about. I’m going to be thinking about the people I love the most and Jon Trasamar is one of those people.

It’s been a trying year up until about two months ago when it came to my golf. For sure, it’s been the worst year of my career to date. I was struggling and made a coaching change and started working with Sean Foley the week of the U.S. Open and started turning things around.

Sean helps mainly with perspective. I wasn’t hitting it that bad when I started working with him, but I wasn’t getting great results. I was missing cuts. I think at one point, I missed 10 cuts in a row. So I think what makes Sean so great is, he’s got this awesome knowledge about the golf swing and the human body, and how the body functions and how to get the club square on the ball, but just perspective. When we talk, sometimes it’s an hour and we don’t even talk about golf. We talk about life and the person you want to be, how you want to be on the golf course, not being an idiot out there and being the person off the course and being the same person on the golf course. That’s really the conversations we’ve had.

It’s also quite special to win on a golf course designed by Tiger Woods. I saw Tiger earlier in the week and he’s obviously an absolute legend of the game and to play on a golf course that he’s designed and to win a PGA TOUR tournament that is somehow in a small part linked to him, it’s extremely special.

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6th November 2023

Inspired Van Rooyen claims second PGA Tour title

The hug was deep and meaningful. Erik van Rooyen was silent as his lengthy eagle putt dropped and he pumped one fist while his caddie Alex Gaugert put both his arms in the air. A silent stare followed between player and caddie. These long-time friends didn’t need to say anything. How could they? Why would they? They already knew.

This one was for Jon.

Jon Trasamar played collegiate golf alongside van Rooyen and Gaugert at the University of Minnesota. They won the 2014 Big Ten Championship as a team, and Trasamar finished tied for third as an individual. He kept clawing away at the grind that is professional golf. Mini-tours, mostly. A caddie gig to help pay the bills. A wife, Allie – they met in 2016 and were married in 2022.

And then melanoma. Cancer. He was in remission, and then, via text on Tuesday, van Rooyen and Gaugert learned the cancer had returned and spread throughout his body. Van Rooyen, after winning his second PGA TOUR title on Sunday at the World Wide Technology Championship, admitted the terrible truth. His friend was not going to make it. He and Gaugert would fly to Minnesota on Monday to see him for, likely, one of the last times. Van Rooyen said his friend has six to 10 weeks left – maybe less.

And that’s life. Real life. He knows the best man at his wedding won’t be around much longer.

“Every shot out there today was for him,” van Rooyen said, minutes after his victory at El Cardonal at Diamante was confirmed.

Van Rooyen admitted Friday after his round he got back to his hotel room and broke down in tears. He said Saturday night a win would “mean everything” because it would secure his job for 2024 – he entered the week at No. 125 on the FedExCup Fall standings, squarely on the bubble to retain TOUR exempt status – and he could go home to see his friend.

As a 19-year-old, van Rooyen left South Africa to attend the University of Minnesota. Trasamar and his family met him at the airport – they lived about two hours away from Minneapolis – and they were college roommates for three years.

“He was like a brother to me,” van Rooyen said.

Van Rooyen gets plenty with this victory – job security and opportunities for big events and nearly $1.5 million – but winning wasn’t the emphasis, he said. He might not have cared whether he won or lost Sunday, but van Rooyen did win. In style, too.

Sunday brought high drama throughout, with four players separated by just a shot into the 72nd hole. But van Rooyen wasn’t playing for himself. He didn’t care about the birdies because he wasn’t thinking about the birdies. His friend, who he loves, was going through something that van Rooyen couldn’t believe.

Before he knew it, van Rooyen had an eagle attempt to win the whole thing. He had made six birdies already in eight holes, including mid-range efforts on Nos. 16 and 17. There was no way he was missing that eagle putt.

An incredible 8-under 28 on the back nine and a 9-under 63 Sunday in Mexico meant a two-shot victory over Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas. It was van Rooyen’s second TOUR title, his first coming at the 2021 Barracuda Championship.

It was a trying year, van Rooyen said. Coming into the week, he missed more cuts than he made and was 151st on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Total. He started working with instructor Sean Foley at the U.S. Open and has seen gradual improvement. The results have followed, slowly but surely; he finished tied for sixth at the Barracuda Championship in August, and he arrived in Mexico on the strength of five straight top-25s between the TOUR and DP World Tour.

Things coalesced on Sunday, with fervor.

“Listen,” Kuchar said, “the birdie-birdie-eagle finish is impressive. What was that?. … 8-under par on the final nine holes is quite an awesome finale. Hard to keep up with.

“At the end of the day you tip your hat and say that’s some awesome playing.”

It was indeed.

It was a dedicated triumph. Surround yourself, as the saying goes, only with people who are going to lift you higher.

Erik van Rooyen knew that about Jon Trasamar. No words were needed after that hug with Gaugert. They knew. It was a win for a friend.

“When I kick the bucket one day, whenever that might be, this is not what I’m going to be thinking about,” van Rooyen said. “I’m going to be thinking about the people that I love the most, and Jon Trasamar is one of those people.” – PGA Tour

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Sweet reward as Schietekat winsVodacom Origins Final

KNYSNA, Western Cape – After a challenging few weeks in which he battled with an injury, Neil Schietekat was rewarded with a two-stroke victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at the Pezula Championship Course on Sunday.

Schietekat showed every bit of his experience as he closed with a 67 to win on 15 under par overall, with Jacques P de Villiers finishing second on 13 under following a final round of 70. Hennie O’Kennedy took third place on 10 under par after signing for a 69.

Tara Griebenow finished as the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professional in the field on five over par with a final round of 75.

It’s been a tough period for Schietekat as he had to carry an injury while still playing in Asia at a critical part in the season. But it culminated in his second victory this season after winning the FBC Zimbabwe Open in May.

“It was a good week and I really want to thank my caddie for sticking with me through this injury and when the golf has struggled. But this brings us both a smile,” said Schietekat, who also won the magnificent prize of a six night Christmas cruise courtesy of MSC Cruises South Africa.

It’s also his second victory on a Vodacom Origins of Golf series that he’s been playing on since he arrived on the Sunshine Tour in 2007. Schietekat came close to adding his name to the illustrious winners on this series when he finished second in 2008 and he had another runner-up finish in 2013. Then in 2018 he won the Western Cape leg of the series.

“This one is definitely a sweet win for me. Vodacom has been part of the Sunshine Tour ever since I started out in 2007. They’ve been a great supporter of the Tour. Without them we wouldn’t have had the playing opportunities we do in the winter. Pezula was also just amazing this week.” – Michael Vlismas

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3rd November 2023

New putter carries West into Vodacom Origins lead

KNYSNA, Western Cape – Rhys West bought himself a new putter after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final and it paid off as he led by the end of Friday’s second round at the Pezula Championship Course.

West followed up his opening 69 with a 66 to lead the field on nine under par. He heads into the weekend with a one-stroke lead over Neil Schietekat and Stuart Krog. Schietekat signed for a 71 on Friday while Krog added a 68.

Rupert Kaminski kept himself in contention with a 71 to head into the final 36 holes on seven under par. And a record three Sunshine Ladies Tour professional also made it through to the weekend in what has been a first in the history of this series where they have competed alongside the Sunshine Tour professionals in the same event for the same prize money.

With the wind gusts always a challenge at Pezula, West relied heavily on his short game on Friday – more specifically his putting.

“I bought another putter the day before. It’s the same putter as my old one. The shaft on my old putter was bent and we couldn’t fix it, so I just decided to buy a new one and the feel just started coming back,” said West, who started his round at the 10th and was already five under at the turn before he added three birdies and two bogeys on his second nine.

“I think the big thing is confidence. I’ve had a couple of good finishes and it’s just helped with confidence. I haven’t changed anything drastically in my game. It’s just short game and confidence,” he said.

It’s a recipe he’s hoping to keep sticking to over the weekend.

“It’s all weather dependent really. I can’t really push too hard or overpower a golf course. It’s just about thinking my way around and keeping my course management together. I’ll just keep playing the course the way it’s being presented.”

Zethu Myeki is the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professional heading into the weekend. Myeki signed for a 68 on Friday that lifted her to five under par overall. Tara Griebenow and Brittney-Fay Berger also made it through to the weekend. Griebenow signed for a second round of 75 for a 36-hole total of one under par, while Berger added a 74 that places her on one over par, with the cut falling on two over. – Michael Vlismas

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DP World Tour winners set for Nedbank Golf Challenge

Rolex Series champions Ryan Fox and Victor Perez are amongst a host of DP World Tour stars ready to tee it up at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, as the field is set for the latest edition of ‘Africa’s Major’ from November 9-12.

Frenchman Perez, who triumphed in the first Rolex Series event of the year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and Kiwi Fox, winner of the prestigious BMW PGA Championship, will join defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Major winners Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari and Justin Thomas, and Ryder Cup stars Max Homa, Nicolai Højgaard and Robert MacIntyre in the field at Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club.

The US$6,000,000 event will welcome a 66-player field including over 40 proven DP World Tour winners, and carries an increased number of Race to Dubai Ranking Points as the penultimate tournament on the 2023 DP World Tour schedule, ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk, who won for the third time on the 2023 Race to Dubai at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters two weeks ago, will go into the Nedbank Golf Challenge as the highest ranked player on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex in third place, narrowly ahead of Fox and Perez, who currently sit fourth and fifth.

Last week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters winner Sami Välimäki and runner-up Jorge Campillo will join two-time DP World Tour winner Vincent Norrman and Cazoo Open de France champion Ryo Hisatsune in Sun City, as well as Danish duo Thorbjørn Olesen and Rasmus Højgaard, both winners in 2023.

Germany’s Marcel Siem ended an emotional eight-year wait for a DP World Tour victory at the Hero Indian Open in February and he will be one of five Germans teeing it up in Sun City. Yannik Paul, Hurly Long and Maximillian Kieffer complete the German quintet alongside Nick Bachem, who is one of five DP World Tour players to have tasted success on South African soil so far in the 2023 season.

Bachem secured his maiden DP World Tour title at the Jonsson Workwear Open in March, the week after England’s Matt Baldwin won for the first time at the SDC Championship, with both players joining Joburg Open champion Dan Bradbury in the winner’s circle.

Thriston Lawrence, the Investec South African Open Championship winner, and Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy winner Ockie Strydom, who triumphed at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, will fly the flag for the home nation in Sun City, joining Zander Lombard, Louis de Jager, Branden Grace and Hennie du Plessis.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a highlight of the South African sporting calendar since its first edition in 1981, with two-time winner 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 is once again included on the DP World Tour schedule in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International.

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2nd November 2023

Fortune favours Harvey in Vodacom Origins Final

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 17th 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 17th.

“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

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1st November 2023

Driving a message of hope through golf

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

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New global incentives at 2023 Joburg Open

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