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20th January 2022

Longbella and Gilson lead Q School group into Final Stage

American Thomas Longbella and South African amateur Gregg Gilson led the golfers who made it through the First Stage of the Sunshine Tour’s Qualifying School at Maccauvlei Golf Club on Thursday.

Longbella signed for a final round of 72 and Gilson carded a 68 to both finish the 54-hole qualifying tournament on 10 under par. They ended one shot clear of South Africa’s Dean O’Riley and his amateur countryman Christopher Long.

The top 40 players and ties progressed to the Final Stage of Qualifying School, which will be played in April.

Longbella has been top of the leaderboard since round one and was delighted to make it through on his first attempt.

“It feels great to make it through. I’m excited for the Final Stage now, and hopefully the golf then is as good as it was this week. I’m flying back to the United States now and then I’ll be back here in April for the next step on the journey,” he said.

Gilson was equally pleased to advance.

“It was a good week. I’m just more relieved to get through. That was always the goal. To play well was a bonus though, and it will give me some confidence going into the Final Stage.”

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19th January 2022

Weather forces cancellation of round at Q School

The third round of the Sunshine Tour’s First Stage of Qualifying School had to be cancelled on Wednesday because of a waterlogged Maccauvlei Golf Club course.

A severe thunderstorm early in the day forced the golfers into the clubhouse, and thereafter the course was deemed unplayable.

“We pulled the golfers off the course just before a big thunderstorm, and we had about 25 millimetres of rain in 20 minutes. The course was waterlogged as a result of this because the water table here is already pretty high with all the rain they’ve had. After a course inspection we deemed it not possible to play today,” said Reinard Kilian, the Tournament Director.

The tournament has now been reduced to 54 holes, with the third and final round to be played on Thursday.

American Thomas Longbella leads the field on 10 under par overall, two strokes clear of South African amateur Christopher Long. Austria’s Bernard Neumayer, South African Dean O’Riley and his amateur countryman Sean Cronje are all on seven under par.

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American Longbella loving South Africa as he leads Q School

American Thomas Longbella retained his place at the top of the leaderboard after two rounds of the First Stage of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School at Maccauvlei Golf Club on Tuesday, and seems to be benefitting from practising next to a Masters champion before the start of this event.

Longbella added another round of 67 to climb to 10 under par overall and two strokes clear of South African amateur Christopher Long, who posted a second round of 68. Austria’s Bernard Neumayer, South African Dean O’Riley and his amateur countryman Sean Cronje all finished the day on seven under par.

Longbella, who grew up in Wisconsin, says he’s loving the Maccauvlei layout which reminds him of the golf courses he played as a youngster. And without even knowing it, he says he believes he shared the driving range with the Maccauvlei master himself, Charl Schwartzel.

“Last Friday I was on the driving range hitting balls and there was just one other guy there, but he was kind of behind me a bit so I didn’t really get a good look at him. But I could just hear him absolutely flushing every single shot. Then I went out to play nine holes and my local caddie said to me, ‘Do you know who that was? It was Charl Schwartzel’. I had been really focused on my own warm-up so hadn’t really paid attention, but my caddie seemed pretty convinced it was Schwartzel,” said Longbella.

The American has loved his time in South Africa, and it’s certainly showed in his golf as he signed for a bogey-free round on Tuesday.

“It was a good day again today. I hit the ball much better than I did in the first round. I hit a lot of fairways and greens and I kept it in play off the tee. It’s been fun. This is the first time I’ve been across the Atlantic. I’ve been enjoying the monkeys on the course. I’ve never seen a wild monkey in my life and now every day I’m seeing these little guys running around. It’s been great. Everybody here has been so nice.”

The First Stage finishes on Thursday. Only the top 40 professionals and ties will progress to the Final Stage.

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17th January 2022

American Longbella shares Q School lead with an ace

The journey to secure a place on the Sunshine Tour teed off for many prospective touring professionals this week with the first round of the First Stage of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School at Maccauvlei Golf Club on Monday.

American Thomas Longbella and South African amateur Sean Cronje led the scoring on day one with rounds of five-under-par 67. Longbella’s round included a hole-in-one on the par-three 16th. “I’ve just bought my playing group some drinks,” Longbella said after the round. “I wasn’t hitting my nine iron well all day. On the 16th tee my caddie said, ‘C’mon, give me a nine iron in the grooves’ and I was like, ‘Sure, I’d love to do that. I’ve been trying all day’. And then I absolutely flushed it. It pitched 10-feet past the hole and then trickled back in. It was a good day.”

Longbella said his decision to come out to South Africa and enter the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School was based on watching Erik van Rooyen’s progress on the PGA Tour.

“Just watching Erik convinced me that the Sunshine Tour is a good place to come and play.”

Longbella and Cronje lead by one over the South African trio of Rigardt Albertse, brother of Sunshine Tour professional Louis Albertse, Dylan O’Leary and amateur Christopher Long.

Albertse was delighted with his start. “It went very well. I was very good from the tee, had a few loose iron shots and then was very good with my short game,” said the man who is making his second attempt at the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, and who has the benefit of some inside knowledge thanks to his brother.

“Thanks to Louis I have a good idea of what life on the Sunshine Tour is all about. It’s a dream of mine to play on the Sunshine Tour.”

Long was equally pleased to make such a good start to a week which he sees as playing a vital role in his future aspirations.

“When you look at the likes of Garrick Higgo, Louis Oosthuizen and so many others, they all started here on the Sunshine Tour. This is a great foundation and that’s the plan for me.”

The Tour’s Qualifying School has drawn a field of professionals and amateurs from South Africa as well as England, Germany, the United States, Austria, South Korea, Switzerland, Reunion Island, Zimbabwe, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

The First Stage finishes on Thursday. Only the top 40 professionals and ties will progress to the Final Stage.

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13th January 2022

Sunshine Tour pros chip in to help animal rescue sanctuary

Albatrosses. Eagles. Birdies. Sunshine Tour professionals clearly love their “feathered friends” that go well on a scorecard inside the ropes. But outside the ropes, their hearts lie with all animals – including their four-legged friends – as the Tour’s Players’ Committee showed with a surprise donation of R10 000 to the Glen Graze Rescue and Rehabilitation Sanctuary in Somerset West, and which was matched by another R10 000 from professional Justin Harding.

Sunshine Tour professionals Harding and JJ Senekal were on hand on Thursday to deliver the cheque to Glen Graze founder and owner Suzanne Mostert and her partner Pierre Steyl. The Players’ Committee donated R10 000, while Harding generously decided to match this amount for a total of R20 000 donated to the sanctuary.

“We heard of the need of this animal sanctuary through our Membership Manager Joanne Newell. The sanctuary has a nursery school on their property which helps fund their work with the abandoned or abused animals they rescue. But because of COVID-19, the nursery school’s numbers have declined severely and this has placed even greater financial pressure on the sanctuary. So as players we decided to try and help,” said Oliver Bekker, Chairman of the Sunshine Tour Players’ Committee.

Harding was particularly touched by the cause, which is why he decided to match the Tour’s donation with his own donation.

“It was a good day. This is such a beautiful facility and Suzanne and her team are doing such important work in the community for rescue animals. I’d really like to urge any other golfers or fans to please consider giving what they can to help them out,” he said.

Glen Graze’s Mostert was overwhelmed by the surprise donation.

“I cannot say thank you enough. This is the first time in our history at Glen Graze that something like this has happened to us. I really hope the Sunshine Tour professionals will become a part of our family, because it’s people like them that really carry us forward. I’m just so overwhelmed,” she said.

Glen Graze currently supports 19 rescue horses, 14 cats (all spayed), 12 dogs (excluding the 8 puppies), 4 donkeys, 2 cows, 2 sheep, 2 goats and 8 pigs, all of which are rescue animals.

Photo: (From Left to Right) Sunshine Tour professional Justin Harding, Pierre Steyl of Glen Graze, Caleb, Suzanne Mostert of Glen Graze and Sunshine Tour professional JJ Senekal at the handing over of a cheque for R10 000 from the Sunshine Tour’s Players’ Committee in support of the work done at the animal rescue shelter. Harding generously matched this amount with his own donation for a total of R20 000 that was donated to the sanctuary. Credit: Sunshine Tour.

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12th January 2022

Limpopo entrenches its place on the international golf calendar

The 2022 Limpopo Championship will play a major role in a new expanded seven-tournament stretch of international Challenge Tour events being played in South Africa that will showcase the province of Limpopo to an even greater international audience.

The fourth edition of this tournament, presented by the Limpopo Tourism Agency and co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and Challenge Tour, will be played at both the Euphoria Golf & Lifestyle Estate and Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate from 31 March to 3 April for a total purse of $250 000.

More significantly, it will be the penultimate tournament in a record stretch of seven Challenge Tour events being played on the Sunshine Tour in 2022, and which will bring the brightest young stars from both the Sunshine Tour and Europe to Limpopo fairways.

“Our province is a prime tourist destination and we have earmarked golf as one of the key tools to market what we can offer,” said Moses Ngubeni, acting CEO, Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA).

“When the professional golfers and golf fans arrive here from all corners of the world, they will be presented with a holistic offering of wildlife, scenery, cultural attire and traditional cuisines. For the LTA, this tournament also plays a significant role in promoting local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises.”

The week’s activities will begin with the official qualifying round on Monday 28 March, and which is followed by the tournament pro-am on Tuesday 29 March. On Wednesday 30 March, the next generation of Limpopo golf stars will be hosted at a golf clinic that will give them exclusive coaching from some of the leading professionals in the field. The 72-hole tournament then tees off from Thursday to Sunday, and with a host of entertainment and hospitality activities planned to also showcase the best of Limpopo.

Multiple Sunshine Tour champion Brandon Stone is expected to defend his title in a field that should also include two-time Limpopo Championship winner JC Ritchie and other stars and Sunshine Tour champions such as James Kamte, Toto Thimba Jnr., Jbe Kruger and Hennie Otto.

“South Africa is blessed with an abundance of great golf courses, good weather and spectacular wildlife and scenery. Limpopo has all of this in one province. The Limpopo Championship is a fantastic advert for the wonders of South Africa. This is a tournament that since its inception in 2019 has played a key role in the Sunshine Tour’s growth of our international footprint on the Challenge Tour. We are delighted that it will play such a major part in an expanded Challenge Tour schedule on the Sunshine Tour this year,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

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20th December 2021

Sunshine Tour announces strong growth for 2022 schedule

The Sunshine Tour has announced a bold start to 2022 with a schedule including two new tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, and seven tournaments co-sanctioned with the Challenge Tour including a new event in Tanzania.

The opening four months of the New Year will see South Africa’s professional golfers competing for almost R80 million in total tournament prizemoney in what is an extremely strong and lucrative start to the Sunshine Tour season.

“A tremendous amount of work together with the ongoing support of our Chairman Mr Johann Rupert, our Executive Director Selwyn Nathan, our Board of Directors, our partners and sponsors has allowed us to announce what we believe is a fabulous Sunshine Tour schedule to start the year with,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“We are delighted to be able to grow our relationship with the DP World Tour and the Challenge Tour with the offering of even more opportunities for our member professionals to secure a place on an international tour while playing at home. This significantly enhances what has always been our global pathway to success for our professionals.

“We also have several new sponsors on board that have recognised the value professional golf offers. I’d also like to pay tribute to our existing sponsors – Dimension Data, Bain’s Whisky, City of Cape Town, the Limpopo Tourism Authority, Vodacom and the Kit Kat Group – many of whom have been with us for a very long time and who continue to give us the means to build on a Sunshine Tour brand that is globally recognised as a place of opportunity and reflective of our slogan that ‘GreatnessBeginsHere’.”

The Sunshine Tour’s 2022 schedule tees off in the final week in January with the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.

February, March and April include the Challenge Tour’s Southern African Swing, which has now grown from three tournaments to seven.

The first new event is the Jonsson Workwear Open, which will be played at both Durban Country Club and Mt Edgecombe Country Club.

“Creating opportunities for passionate people to perform at their peak is the common thread that ties the Sunshine Tour to Jonsson Workwear. We are proud to introduce the Jonsson Workwear Open, a flagship event that will support our continuous efforts in building Durban as a city and KwaZulu-Natal as a region of endless possibilities,” said Nick Jonsson, Chairman and CEO of Jonsson Workwear.

This is followed by the Mangaung Open at both Bloemfontein Golf Club and Schoeman Park Golf Club.

The SDC Open also joins the Challenge Tour co-sanctioned schedule and will be played at the Zebula Golf Estate & Spa and Elements Private Golf Reserve in Limpopo.

“As an organization passionate about developing others in their personal and professional life, we took up this opportunity as a means of getting a greater awareness around what the SDC Group does to develop and grow the skills and wealth of people in South Africa. We are honoured to be associated with the prestige that comes with the tournament,” said Daniel Gibhard, CEO of the Skills Development Corporation (SDC).

The Tour then branches out into Tanzania for the first time for the new Mount Kilimanjaro Klassic at the Kilimanjaro Golf & Wildlife Estate in Tanzania.

“Tanzania’s Tourism is one of the main pillars of our economy. Golf has been identified as a major catalyst for tourism development globally. The launch of the Challenge Tour tournament will go a long way in developing golf tourism to showcase our unparalleled natural attractions,” said the Hon. Dr Damas Ndumbaro, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism in Tanzania.

These new Challenge Tour events join the existing Dimension Data Pro-Am (Fancourt), Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open (Royal Cape Golf Club and Rondebosch Golf Club), and the Limpopo Championship (Euphoria Golf & Lifestyle Estate and Koro Creek Bushveld Estate).

March features the two new tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, the $1.5 million Pecanwood Classic at the Pecanwood Golf Estate and the $1.5 million Steyn City Championship at Steyn City.

This takes to a total of five the number of tournaments the Sunshine Tour hosts on the DP World Tour, adding to the Joburg Open, South African Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The Kit Kat Group Pro-Am (Irene Country Club), Players Championship (Dainfern Golf Estate) and Tour Championship (Serengeti Estates) round off the new schedule.

And the country’s next generation of stars will have the opportunity to play their way onto the Sunshine Tour through either the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School or the Vusi Ngubeni Tournament for transformation golfers.

Sunshine Tour 2022 Schedule

17-20 January – Sunshine Tour Qualifying School First Stage (Maccauvlei GC and Benoni CC)

28-30 January – Vodacom Origins of Golf Final R1 000 000 (Gary Player CC, Sun City)

4-6 February – Kit Kat Group Pro-Am R1 000 000 (Irene CC)

10-13 February – Dimension Data Pro-Am $375 000 (Fancourt)

17-20 February – Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open $250 000 (Royal Cape GC and Rondebosch GC)

24-27 February – Jonsson Workwear Open $250 000 (Durban CC and Mt Edgecombe CC)

3-6 March – Mangaung Open $250 000 (Bloemfontein GC and Schoeman Park GC)

8-9 March – Vusi Ngubeni Qualifying Tournament (Modderfontein GC)

10-13 March – Pecanwood Classic $1 500 000 (Pecanwood Golf and Country Club)

17-20 March – Steyn City Championship $1 500 000 (Steyn City)

24-27 March – SDC Open $250 000 (Zebula Golf Estate & Spa and Elements Private Golf Reserve)

31 March – 3 April – Limpopo Championship $250 000 (Euphoria Golf & Lifestyle Estate and Koro Creek Bushveld Estate)

7-10 April – Mount Kilimanjaro Klassic $275 000 (Kilimanjaro Golf & Wildlife Estate)

21-24 April – The Players Championship R2 000 000 (Dainfern Golf Estate)

28 April – 1 May Tour Championship R1 500 000 (Serengeti Estates)

26-29 April – Sunshine Tour Qualifying School Final Stage R100 000 (Gauteng – Venue TBC)

26-29 April – Vusi Ngubeni Tournament R100 000 (Gauteng – Venue TBC)

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14th December 2021

New Steyn City Championship tees off on DP World Tour schedule

The Club at Steyn City in the north of Johannesburg will host its first major international tournament with the new $1.5 million Steyn City Championship, which will make its debut on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour schedule in March 2022.

The Steyn City Championship, scheduled to take place from 17-20 March 2022, will be the fifth tournament co-sanctioned by both the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour and will feature prominently amidst a strong South African Swing of DP World Tour and Challenge Tour events on local fairways.

Steyn City now takes its place on the global DP World Tour schedule, which visits 27 different countries in 12 months, putting the international focus squarely on this Nicklaus-design golf course.

“We are very excited to welcome The Club at Steyn City to our co-sanctioned schedule, and to be able to grow our international golf offering with another world-class event at an equally world-class venue,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“We have been discussing ways to develop a relationship with Steyn City and I’m delighted that we can announce this new tournament in partnership with the DP World Tour, and bring yet another major international golf tournament to the City of Johannesburg.”

The Nicklaus-design championship golf course anchors the internationally award-winning Steyn City Parkland Residence north of Fourways, Johannesburg.

The Steyn City Championship will showcase not only a magnificent golf course, but also one of the most talked about residential estates in South Africa – which was recently listed among the world’s top ten estates by wealth intelligence firm New World Wealth – to an international audience.

“It’s tremendously exciting for us to welcome our members and residents to this prestigious event, right on their home ground,” said Giuseppe Plumari, CEO of Steyn City Properties. “We’re equally thrilled to partner with the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour and open our doors to all attending corporates and, of course, the players.”

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8th December 2021

Van Tonder wins the SA Open

Daniel van Tonder echoed exactly what every South African golfer dreams of when he said, “I can walk around knowing I’m the South African Open champion”.

With his one-stroke victory at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday, Van Tonder joined the greats of South African golf in adding his name to this prestigious trophy.

“This is a special win. This is the second oldest Open in golf, and winning it is big. Watching people win it has always looked so good. And now I can say I’m the SA Open champion,” said Van Tonder.

On an overcast and at times wet Sunday at Sun City, Van Tonder produced a magnificent final round of 65 and birdied the final hole to win on 16 under par.

Oliver Bekker took second place on 15 under with a closing 66, and Hennie du Plessis finished third on 12 under with a final round of 69. The Freddie Tait trophy for the leading amateur went to GolfRSA National Squad member Yurav Premlall who finished in a share of 30th on two under par with a final round of 75.

Sunday morning began with the third round still to be completed, and with Justin Harding taking a commanding four-stroke lead at the end of it. But Van Tonder held his nerve and began his run with a birdie at the first hole. He turned in three under for his round and then produced the kind of back nine worthy of a champion as he made four birdies – including two in his last three holes – to take the title.

“I’ve been seven shots behind before. I’ve even been nine shots behind before. So I just played my game and made my putts. My mindset was to just go for it,” he said.

The win caps a memorable year for Van Tonder in which he claimed his maiden DP World Tour title  and played in two Majors for the first time.

“This year has been incredible, but it’s also been long and hard. We’ve been away for six months because of the travel restrictions. So to come back home and to a golf course I love, and win the South African Open is very special,” he said.

The amateur Premlall was delighted with his Freddie Tait triumph in his fourth appearance in the South African Open.

“I’ve waited a long time for this and it’s something I’ve always wanted. This one means a lot to me,” he said.

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Lawrence wins Joburg Open and books his ticket to St Andrews 1

30th November 2021

SA golfers determined in their quest for SA Open glory.

SUN CITY, North West “The message from the South African golfers competing in this weeks South African Open Championship at the Gary Player Country Club is a simple one. It’s the South African Open. That’s the focus. Nothing more.

To win the South African Open is any South African golfer’s dream. But I also believe any international golfer who competes on the Sunshine Tour also wants to win this championship because of its history, former SA Open champion Hennie Otto said from a hot Sun City on Tuesday.

A lot of things have changed in terms of this week over the past few days. COVID-19 has made things a bit different. But I can tell you one thing that hasn’t changed it’s still going to be an incredible honour for the golfer who lifts that trophy on Sunday.

Dylan Frittelli’s respect for his national Open has only grown since he first teed it up in this championship as a 16-year-old amateur. And his resolve to win it is as strong as ever.

I’m trying to win the SA Open and that was always, and still is, my major focus coming back to South Africa,  he said.

I remember qualifying at the age of 16 years old and getting in the field for the SA Open at Humewood. Ernie Els won that week. That was my first taste of SA Open golf. In my opinion, you always come back and you play in your national Open.

I’ve got to get my name on the SA Open trophy before I stop playing golf. I’m grateful for the tournament going ahead because it could easily just have been washed away in all that’s going on and nobody would’ve said a thing. But I’m really proud of the Sunshine Tour for pushing through and getting it done. And seeing the whole field filled with South Africans is tons of fun, and we all have a lot to play for this week.

Defending champion Christiaan Bezuidenhout was also very clear in outling his focus for this week.

It’s great to be back. I have some fond memories here. I’m ready for the week, and ready to take the trophy home again.

The 111th playing of the national Open has drawn a field that also includes PGA Tour winner Garrick Higgo; former South African Open champions Brandon Stone, Richard Sterne and James Kingston; multiple DP World Tour champions Dean Burmester, George Coetzee and Justin Harding; rising young South African professionals Jovan Rebula and Martin Vorster; and South Africa’s top five amateurs led by number one Christiaan Maas.