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LANSERIA, Gauteng – It all comes down to this.

A field drawn from the top 50 available Sunshine Tour professionals, a season of consistency, the last 72 holes, and everything to play for.

The R3 million DNi Tour Championship presented by RMB, which tees off at the Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate on Thursday, will bring down the curtain on one of the most historic seasons in Sunshine Tour history.

At the same time, as the final tournament of the Sunshine Tour’s new Courier Guy Playoffs Series, the DNi Tour Championship will also reward the Tour’s most consistent performers of the 2024/25 season with potentially life-changing opportunities.

Daniel van Tonder heads into this week’s tournament in first place on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. With second-placed Shaun Norris not in the field this week, it will be up to third-placed Dylan Naidoo to see if he can put any pressure on Van Tonder.

Van Tonder is looking to close out an incredible season in which he’s won four times and had a further 13 top-10s.

With only 555.19 points separating Van Tonder and Naidoo, and 795.10 points on offer for the winner this week, it would take a victory by Naidoo and an uncharacteristic slip-up by Van Tonder for the latter not to claim his first victory on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. Van Tonder has twice finished runner-up in this race in his career.

There are also significant rewards on offer this week.

The top three professionals on the final Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy will all receive DP World Tour cards for the following season. For those who already have DP World Tour cards, this incentive will pass down to the next non-exempt player but to a limit of the 10^th-placed finisher on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

The first-place finisher will receive exemptions into the Nedbank Golf Challenge as well as two Majors – The Open Championship and US PGA Championship – and a R500 000 cash bonus. Second place will earn a R200 000 cash bonus, while the third-place finisher will earn a R100 000 bonus.

It’s exactly the kind of week and season-ending showdown that Dr Ryan Noach, DNi Group Chief Executive Officer, expected for their inaugural foray into the world of professional golf.

“DNi is thrilled to be hosting the DNi Tour Championship, in partnership with RMB and the Sunshine Tour. This championship creates a platform for the leading 50 Sunshine Tour professionals to compete for top spot at the challenging Blair Atholl golf course. DNi stands for greatness and excellence, and prides ourselves on partnering founders in distribution, telecoms and tech businesses to excel, grow and win! Golf offers a unique platform for industry leaders to engage socially and competitively, and together with RMB, we look forward to the event and the time together with valued colleagues,” he said.

It reflects a similar sentiment from Rob Leon, Investment Banking Managing Executive at RMB, who said: “RMB is proud to partner with DNi in bringing another exceptional event to the Sunshine Tour calendar. This partnership is built on a shared belief in greatness and optimism – whether that be in sport or business. Just as we support businesses by providing financial and strategic backing within a collaborative ecosystem, we also recognise the importance of investing in talent and creating opportunities for excellence. The partnership is a natural fit, and we look forward to building on it in the years to come,” he said.

The leading rookie will also be crowned by the end of this week, with Altin van der Merwe currently leading the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings and the race to the R200 000 cash bonus. – Michael Vlismas

KEMPTON PARK, Ekurhuleni – With so much on the line in The Courier Guy Playoffs Series, it’s hardly surprising that everybody from the young pros to the experienced ones were feeling it in Saturday’s third round of the Serengeti Playoffs at Serengeti Estates.

Coetzee held onto his lead in this event, with a third round of 69 lifting him to 16 under par and three strokes clear going into Sunday’s final round. It will be a big final round for him as he seeks the affirmation of the hard work he’s put in since his return from injury.

The experienced Sunshine Tour professional started his third round with four birdies in his first five holes, and will try to put his double bogey on 18 out of his mind.

Daniel van Tonder is his nearest challenger on 13 under following a solid 64.

But Jonathan Broomhead, who is sitting tied third with Stals Swart on 12 under par, summed up the  general tenseness of the playoffs when he said, “There’s a lot on the line at the moment. I was struggling to handle my nerves today”.

Coetzee though was very happy with his long game in particular.

“I’ve been working on all parts of my game really hard, so it’s nice that something has clicked in my long game, which gets the ball into play with a chance to do something.”

If anything, as he seeks to hone his own competitive edge after his injury, Coetzee has been more than willing to lend some of his experience to the younger professionals on the Sunshine Tour.

“I feel like you learn a lot and if you take it to the grave what is the point? There is a lot to share. I tell the guys that my door is always open, just ask me and I will tell you what I know,” he said.

With Van Tonder chasing him, and young guns like Broomhead and Stals Swart also ready to take advantage, Coetzee will use every bit of his vast experience in a final round poised to be an incredible showcase.

And that’s exactly what The Courier Guy Playoffs Series demands. – Michael Vlismas Media

KEMPTON PARK, Ekurhuleni – George Coetzee will take a three-stroke lead into the weekend of the Serengeti Playoffs after a 66 lifted him to 13 under par on Friday.

Coetzee birdied his first two holes on Friday and then produced a strong run of scoring mid-round when he collected five birdies in six holes over the turn as he climbed the leaderboard.

“Today was bit more challenging. I played really well and I am actually really happy with my game,” he said.

It was exactly the round Coetzee needed to boost his confidence as he continues his return to the game from injury.

“My expectations have been a bit low the last six months, so it’s lekker to be playing some good golf again. I am riding the wave that I’ve got this week. I’ve been working hard, putting in my hours, but not seeing it in the scores. I am enjoying everything coming together and shooting some descent scores.”

At the halfway mark of this week’s tournament, which is the first in the new Courier Guy Playoffs Series, Coetzee is focusing on what he has control over and is not thinking too far ahead.

“I’m just going to try and stick to my routine, be a bit more holistic and do the right things. I train the right ways so I can play the right way. I play a lot of golf. I’m just going to try and play well this week and we will see what happens.”

Johnathan Broomhead, who won at this golf course in 2024, impressed with his round of 65 to make him Coetzee’s nearest challenger going into the weekend on 10-under par.

Ricky Hendler, after a second round of 66, is trying to break into the top 20 on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and is currently well placed in joint third on nine under par together with three-time tour champion Pieter Moolman (68), and Stals Swart (68) who is looking for a maiden win on tour. – Michael Vlismas Media

George Coetzee and JJ Senekal set the tone for the Sunshine Tour’s new Courier Guy Playoffs Series as they both opened with rounds of seven-under-par 65 to share the first-round lead in the Serengeti Playoffs on Thursday, and with Dylan Naidoo just one shot behind them.

Coetzee, a 14-time Sunshine Tour winner, and Senekal, a three-time champion on tour, took advantage of a receptive Serengeti Estates golf course to claim a one-stroke lead in the first tournament of the new Courier Guy Playoffs Series.

Naidoo, the Investec South African Open champion, signed for a six-under-par 66 to join Altin van der Merwe, the current leader on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings, as the leaders’ nearest challengers.

But while Coetzee and Senekal signed for the same score, they were two very different rounds of golf.

Coetzee’s round had it all, including 11 birdies and four bogeys, with routine pars a rare commodity on his scorecard.

“It started off pretty good, then good in the middle and good in the end. There were a couple of silly errors through the day, but altogether I think it was finally a decent round of golf from my side. The good golf was good. I’ll just try and build on that,” said Coetzee.

Coetzee is searching for his first win since 2022 and, faced with a strong field and a golf course in pristine condition this week, has decided to play an attacking game.

“It’s a bit wet so you can attack the flags with the longer clubs, and I think the guys will take advantage of that. That was the plan for me today. It worked most of the time. I obviously paid the price a couple of times, but that’s the price you pay for being aggressive.”

Senekal’s round was far steadier with eight birdies and only one dropped shot on the par-three 15^th. It was a strong finish of back-to-back birdies on his last two holes that saw him join the lead.

The Sunshine Tour is headed for an historic finish to its 2024/25 season with the inaugural The Courier Guy Playoffs Series over the next two weeks where the leading professionals will compete for a total of R5.5 million in prize money, DP World Tour cards, and exemptions into The Open, the US PGA Championship and the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

The Courier Guy Playoffs Series begins this week with The Serengeti Playoffs at Serengeti Estates, which will feature the leading 72 available players on the Sunshine Tour 2024/25 Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

Then next week will see the top 50 players on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy progress to The DNi Tour Championship presented by RMB at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate.

Both events will feature no halfway cut.

This week’s field at Serengeti is an incredibly strong one including Daniel van Tonder, the current leader on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, and his nearest challengers Shaun Norris and Dylan Naidoo. A total of eight of the top 10 on the current standings will be in the field this week.

The field also includes Altin van der Merwe, who is the current leader on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings going into the final stretch of the current season.

This week’s tournament will play a vital role in the ultimate rewards the top professionals are competing for.

At the end of The Courier Guy Playoffs Series, the top three professionals on the final Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy will all receive DP World Tour cards for the following season.

The first-place finisher will also receive exemptions into the Nedbank Golf Challenge as well as two Majors – The Open Championship and US PGA Championship – and a R500 000 cash bonus. Second place will earn a R200 000 cash bonus, while the third-place finisher will earn a R100 000 bonus.

The leading golfer on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings at the end of the season will also be rewarded with a R200 000 cash bonus.

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – Shaun Norris will take a four-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the Joburg Open as he chases a third DP World Tour title and his second in just under three months.

Norris navigated his way superbly through some tricky third-round pin positions at Houghton Golf Club and signed for a 67 on Saturday to lead on 14 under par overall.

His nearest challengers are fellow South African Jacques Kruyswijk and Frenchman Adrien Saddier on 10 under par. Kruyswijk, who finished fourth in the 2023 Joburg Open and who won his maiden DP World Tour title in February’s Magical Kenya Open, signed for a third round of 68. Saddier posted a third round of 70.

Norris was still suffering from the ear infection that has plagued him this week, but it’s showing no signs of affecting his golf. He went into the third round just one shot clear of the field and that gap remained at the turn. But then Norris made three key birdies in five holes from the 10^th to extend his lead.

“The ear is still blocked and I can’t hear out of it. It was a little bit sore but the doctor has given me some good pain pills. It hasn’t been bothering me on the golf course. But when my brother (his caddie) is on my left-hand side I can’t hear a thing he says to me,” he said.

“But I hit the ball nicely and gave myself some good chances. Overall I can’t complain about the round. There were some bad shots here and there, but that’s golf. It’s more about how you handle the rest of the round.”

With the final round to come, Norris has no intention of playing it safe on Sunday.

“It’s nice to lead by four, but I want to win by 10 shots. So I’ll just keep going and change nothing.”

Behind him, Kruyswijk is relishing the final round challenge.

“I love chasing a leader. It’s why I play this game. I’m looking forward to a nice battle in the final round. Shaun’s playing some really good golf and it will take a lot to beat him,” said Kruyswijk, whose third round included a wedge holed out for eagle on the par-five 10^th hole.

And Saddier is hoping for a few putts to drop early on as he also chases this title.

“If that happens, I can put a bit of pressure on the leader and I can have a good day,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – Shaun Norris battled through the pain of an ear infection and still managed to lead the Joburg Open heading into the weekend at Houghton Golf Club.

The South African produced a strong 63 on Friday to lead on 11 under par overall, with Frenchman Adrien Saddier his nearest challenger on 10 under after a 65 in which he dropped at the last to sacrifice a share of the lead.

Norris has played sublime golf over the past two days despite the fact that he has been in pain with an ear infection that refuses to clear, and which has even made it difficult for him to sleep.

“I picked it up on Tuesday afternoon. I saw the doctor on Wednesday. They tried to flush it out and it didn’t work. They put  me on antibiotics. It’s frustrating. I can’t hear anything out of my left ear. But somehow it’s not bothering me on the golf course. I think as golfers, when we’re over the shot we’re focused on nothing else. But it is annoying in between shots because I just can’t hear anything out of that ear,” said Norris, who admits he was concerned about the impact an ear infection would have on his balance and his golf swing.

“That was my main concern, but fortunately it hasn’t hindered me at all.”

It certainly didn’t trouble Norris on Friday as he went bogey free around this par-70 Houghton Golf Club layout.

“The course is in fantastic condition considering the rain we’ve had over the last few days, and I’m really enjoying it.”

Norris heads into the weekend hunting his third DP World Tour title, and his second in just under three months after winning December’s Alfred Dunhill Championship.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma, the winner of the 2017 Joburg Open and Scotland’s Connor Syme are currently third on nine under par.

Sharma in particular is looking forward to a weekend at a tournament that holds special memories for him.

“Coming back to South Africa is always special, and the Joburg Open was my first win and which got me onto the DP World Tour. I still fondly remember my win here. It was life changing,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

Tickets for the Joburg Open are available at https://sunshinetour.com/tickets