Category: Homepage News

Thriston Lawrence made a strong bid to become only the third player to win two Joburg Open titles as he opened with a superb eight-under-par 62 to lead the first round by three strokes at Houghton Golf Club on Thursday.

Lawrence, the champion in 2021 and who is looking to join Charl Schwartzel and Richard Sterne as double winners of this title, produced a flawless round of golf that started with five birdies in his opening six holes. He added a further three birdies on the back nine for a round that is the lowest ever recorded at Houghton Golf Club with the course playing as a par 70 as it is this week.

“The putter was hot. It felt like I was reading the putts really nicely. The greens are firm so you could play some nice shots and plan for the undulations on these greens. I was pin high a few times, the proximity to the hole was good and the putter was on fire,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence’s nearest challenger is fellow South African Nikhil Rama who signed for a five-under-par 65, while defending champion Dan Bradbury – who was playing with Lawrence – is in a strong group of players on four under par which also includes Zander Lombard, Andy Sullivan, Jayden Schaper and Stephen Gallacher.

“I was trying to hang on with Thriston but he left me on the back nine. It was great playing with him though because he just kept hitting good golf shots. I hit a lot of very good shots and I had a few putts that I don’t know how they missed, but I’m still happy with the start,” said Bradbury.

Rama was equally delighted with his start. The young South African professional played his way into this event with a top-five finish in the Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins of Golf Final, and took full advantage on Thursday.

“I’ve been playing really well and it’s good to see it pay off again. I know this golf course well. There was a bit of breeze but my game was very solid. I’m just enjoying it. It’s great being able to compete in a Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event,” he said.

The Joburg Open has drawn one of its strongest fields in history, with nine former winners of this event set to tee it up at Houghton Golf Club in Thursday’s first round of this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

It’s a strong appreciation of a tournament that also marks the start of the DP World Tour’s new season, and which is also the first event on the 2024 Open Qualifying Series. The top three golfers to make the cut this week who are not yet already exempt for the 152^nd Open at Royal Troon next year will secure their place in this Major.

Charl Schwartzel returns to a tournament where he owns the unique record of being the only golfer to have won back-to-back Joburg Open titles in 2010 and 2011.

“I saw some highlights of them showing my win in 2011 and I almost didn’t recognise myself. I was so skinny back then, but the swing looked really good,” said Schwartzel.

“Johannesburg has always been special to me. I’ve had good success in this area and especially at the Joburg Open, so I decided to make a comeback here and I’m excited about it.”

Defending champion Dan Bradbury returns as the most recent winner on a list of former champions also including Thriston Lawrence, Branden Grace, Joachim B Hansen, Haydn Porteous, Shubhankar Sharma, Darren Fichardt and Andy Sullivan.

For Bradbury, Lawrence, Hansen, Porteous, Sharma and Grace this tournament marked their first DP World Tour titles. Grace in particular won the 2012 Joburg Open to tee off a breakthrough year in which he won four titles internationally.

It all makes for a star-studded lineup ready to challenge for more Joburg Open glory this week.

“It’s great that so many former champions have come back to support the tournament. This is a great event on a good golf course, and this is a strong field this week,” said Bradbury.

“It’s a really nice feeling coming back. Just driving in here, everything looks the same as it did last year, so hopefully my game is also the same. It’s been a fantastic year for me and it all started here in Joburg.”

Lawrence returns as the 2021 champion, which was also his big breakthrough in a career that now includes four DP World Tour titles.

“It’s nice to see all the winners come back to support this tournament. This tournament changed my life and gave me the opportunities to get to where I am today. It’s also nice to be home and on a golf course I’m very familiar with having played these courses since my junior golf days. I’m looking forward to this week,” he said.

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

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

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

The field will also include:

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

– The 2023/24 Fortress Rookie of the Year

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

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

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

– Sunshine Ladies Tour winners from 2024

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

– The winner of the 2024 African Amateur

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

– 5 wild card entries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023 Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational Celebrity Participants

Shaun Bartlett

Kenny Dalglish

Patrick Lambie

Felicity Shiba

Maps Maponyane

Sally Little

David Kau

Matthew Booth

Aaron Mokoena

Brian Baloyi

Stefan Terblanche

Jaco van der Westhuizen

Adriaan Strauss

Reuben Riffel 

Rolene Strauss 

Butch James

Rosko Specman

Rob Kempson 

Ryan Kankowski

Keegan Daniel

Robbie Frylinck

Jacques Rudolph

Herschelle Gibbs 

Paul Adams 

Jaco Kriel 

Waylon Murray

Rory Kleinveldt

Joey Rasdien

Gary Player 

Naas Botha 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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