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The Virtual Sunshine Tour (VST) will be taking it to the next level this weekend in a first for South African professional golf – a virtual golf knockout tournament.

The VST Knockout powered by Gauteng Provincial Government will feature a total of eight golfers from the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour competing against each other in a knockout format on Saturday 6 June and Sunday 7 June, and which will be streamed live on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.

In another significant move, Soweto Country Club will be the host virtual course of this tournament. This brings this iconic golf club, which has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment by the Sunshine Tour and in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government and a host of private and public benefactors, into an entirely new digital space.

“We are extremely excited about this next phase of the Virtual Sunshine Tour. This is part of our greater strategy to engage with and reach a new audience on platforms where they wouldn’t normally consume golf,” Thomas Abt, the Deputy Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said at the launch of the tournament on Thursday.

“It has been extremely difficult to have no opportunity to play live golf, and this has been a challenging time for all of us in South African golf. As a Tour, our foremost priority is to give our member players the chance to earn a living, and we cannot do that at this time. We also need to give our sponsors value during this time. So we’ve had to reinvent ourselves somewhat, and the Virtual Sunshine Tour has definitely gained momentum. No other professional sport that we know of in South Africa has had this kind of consistent virtual presence during lockdown, so we are very proud of what we’ve achieved this far. This tournament is another important step in that growth.”

The format of the VST Knockout powered by Gauteng Provincial Government will see four matches played online on Saturday 6 June from 12:00 to 17:30. The semi-finals and final will be played on Sunday 7 June. The first semi-final will be played from 12:00 to 13:00, followed by the second semi-final from 13:30 to 14:30. The final will take place from 15:00 to 16:00.

The eight professionals will compete for a total of R6 500 in prize money, with the winner earning R3 000.

Sunshine Ladies Tour professional Lejan Lewthwaite is one of the eight professionals who will compete this weekend. “I jumped at the chance to be a part of this because I’m just itching to be competitive in some way again,” she said.

“It’s been tough as a professional athlete to stay focused during this COVID-19 lockdown and as we wait for golf courses to re-open, so in that sense, I think the Virtual Sunshine Tour has been an awesome concept.”

Sunshine Tour professional Heinrich Bruiners said he is equally excited about the chance to compete in a virtual golf tournament for the first time. “I’m so excited just to be able to be competitive again and get those competitive juices flowing.”

Abt also paid tribute to the significance of Soweto Country Club being the virtual host this weekend.

“It’s very exciting. The Soweto Country Club project was the vision of our Commissioner, Selwyn Nathan, and all of us who have worked on it have been privileged to be a part of it. The Gauteng Provincial Government have been amazing partners with us on this project, and we’re very pleased to give them this opportunity to showcase that even more in the virtual space.”

VST Knockout powered by Gauteng Provincial Government Match Schedule:

Saturday 6 June

VST Match 1: Thabiso Ngcobo vs Dwayne Basson (12:00 – 13:00)

VST Match 2: Dylan Mostert vs Nikhil Rama (13:30 – 14:30)

VST Match 3: Casandra Hall vs Oliver Bekker (15:00 – 16:00)

VST Match 4: Heinrich Bruiners vs Lejan Lewthwaite (16:30 – 17:30)

Sunday 7 June 

VST Semi-Final 1 (12:00 – 13:00)

VST Semi-Final 2 (13:30 – 14:30)

VST Final (15:00 – 16:00)

In light of the Gauteng High Court Ruling that declared the country’s Alert Levels 3 and 4 lockdown regulations unconstitutional and invalid, GolfRSA in conjunction with all the golf bodies, is taking action and legal advice to ascertain the repercussions the ruling holds in terms of the ongoing discussions between GolfRSA and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.

The High Court suspended the declaration of invalidity of the regulations for 14 business days, meaning that the current Alert Level 3 regulations remain in effect until 24 June 2020 or such sooner time that the Minister amends and republishes the regulations.

It is not clear whether the ruling impacts the positive progress we have made in our consultation with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture – or not. But once we have a better understanding of our position, we intend to take the appropriate action to ensure that our bid to re-open the golf industry at level 3 remains on track.

The ruling casts legal uncertainty over the country’s regulations at a time when Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to rise. However, we remain firm and committed to our position that we can return to golf safely.

We reiterate that our golf facilities are ready.

We have been hard at work since the start of the lockdown to put Covid-19 protocols in place. We are prepared for the return of golf in line with our comprehensive Risk Mitigation Strategy for golf facilities, which adheres to all the demands of the government’s health regulations.

In addition to the Best Practice Protocols in place, GolfRSA has purchased the advanced version of HealthDocs App, which will ensure that all golf clubs and facilities address the Covid-19 compliance regulations in terms of digital screening, monitoring, tracking and recording of all staff and golfers who enter a facility.

We firmly believe we are on the right path and we are intent on seeing this process through. But we will consider every other option available to us. This is vital, as only through the return of golfers to the courses can we save the clubs, resuscitate the R48 billion (pa) golf industry and mitigate significant job losses amongst the more than 40 000 people directly employed.

Sincerely

For all the latest news, information and guidelines surrounding golf and its return please visit the GolfRSA website and their Covid-19 Information Centre.

Link – www.golfrsa.com

Following the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture’s briefing this morning, GolfRSA on behalf of all South African golf bodies, would like to go on record in expressing our disappointment around the continued uncertainty in terms of where the return of golf stands at Alert Level 3.

There are sufficient examples globally that have proven that golf can return safely and in so doing, reignite the industry.

We have been clear with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, through our detailed proposals and supporting documents, that a prerequisite for any professional golf to be practiced or played is for golf facilities to be open to all.

Golf clubs in the main worldwide derive their revenue from amateur golfers playing golf and this is essential for golf courses to survive. There are approximately 40 000 people employed by golf clubs across South Africa, and 85% of these employees fall in the most vulnerable economic sector.

Our overriding priority is to save jobs without adding any risk.

All South African golf bodies are united in their belief that we are well-prepared for a safe return of golf. We have the necessary protocols in place, including a comprehensive Risk Mitigation Strategy, Best Practice Guidelines and the advanced version of Healthdocs – an all-inclusive screening and monitoring application – available at all golf clubs.

Golf is played in wide open spaces and lends itself naturally to social distancing. The sport is globally recognised as healthy exercise for persons of all ages and is also an excellent stress-reliever.

We are acutely aware of government’s priority to safeguard lives, restrict the spread of the coronavirus and to save jobs in order to revive the economy. It is our strong belief that without the return of golf and opening up of golf facilities, the industry will collapse.

We will urgently pursue all avenues to engage with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, including the Sports Steering Committee and Appeals Committee as referenced by the Minister of Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.

Sincerely

Grant Hepburn – CEO GolfRSA

Selwyn Nathan – Commissioner Sunshine Tour

Ivano Ficalbi – Chief Executive PGA of South Africa

Chris van der Merwe – Chairperson Club Manager Association of SA

Further to the regulations in respect of Alert Level 3 announced on Thursday, 28 May 2020, we would like to address the concerns of the entire golf industry.

The vague nature of the regulations has led to different interpretations and was fuelled by misleading information in the media.

In a video conference meeting with the Director-General of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and his team earlier today, it was confirmed that as things currently stand, golf courses will not be allowed to open under the Alert Level 3 regulations.

However, please rest assured that we are still in ongoing discussions with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture on your behalf. The department is in turn actively engaging with the National Command Council in order to seek more clarity on golf and other non-contact sports ahead of the Minister’s briefing on Saturday, 29 May.

GolfRSA, the Sunshine Tour, the PGA of South Africa and the Club Management Association of Southern Africa are firmly united in their belief that golf courses and facilities should open for all golfers. Best Practice in other parts of the world has seen golf return for recreation and exercise in accordance with Covid-19 protocols. These bodies all support the belief that golf for all should return before any professional golf tournaments resume.

It was reiterated in the conference call with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture today that the survival of the golf industry is dependent on a bottom-up approach. Revenue generated by amateur participation is what funds the facilities that, in turn, employ thousands of people. The professional game is entirely dependent on this eco-system for its existence.

Fellow golfers, the industry is too valuable to all of us to make rash and uncalculated decisions and unity amongst all the role players in golf is arguably now more important than it has been since the lockdown started.

We ask all golf industry role players, members, golfers and staff to exercise patience and to give us your support as we continue to consult with government on your behalf.

To avoid misinformation and confusion, we urge you to consult the latest updates on the Covid-19 Hubs on our respective official websites and our official social media platforms.

GOLFRSA

Website: www.golfrsa.com

Facebook: @Golf RSA

Twitter: @GolfRSA

Instagram: @golfrsa

PGA OF SOUTH AFRICA

Website: https://pga.co.za/

Facebook: @PGASouthAfrica

Twitter: @PGASA

Instagram: @pga_sa

CLUB MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Website: https://www.clubmanagement.co.za/

Facebook: @SAClubManagers

Twitter: @SAClubManagers

SUNSHINE TOUR

Website: https://sunshinetour.com/

Facebook: @SunshineTourGolf

Twitter: @Sunshine_Tour

Instagram: @sunshinetourgolf

By Michael Vlismas

The European Tour has announced a new date for the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player as part of its revised 2020 schedule.

‘Africa’s Major’ is one of four rescheduled Rolex Series events and is now scheduled for December 3-6 at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City. It will remain the penultimate tournament of the European Tour season and will be followed by the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, which will now take place from December 10-13 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where the 2020 Race to Dubai Champion will be crowned.

Tournament host Gary Player was amongst the first to express his delight about the new date for the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

“I am so excited that a date has been set for the Nedbank Golf Challenge,” said Player. “It’s one of South Africa’s favourite sporting events. I’m sure the public will be as elated as I am. The tournament does so much good for tourism and advertising our beautiful country. I’m eternally grateful for the European Tour and all our sponsors involved.”

Mike Brown, Chief Executive Nedbank Group, said: “Despite the unprecedented challenges that we are currently facing in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, we trust the 40^th anniversary of the Nedbank Golf Challenge – now back in its early December timeslot –  will give millions of South Africans and sports fans around the world something very special to look forward to. Our brand has become synonymous with ‘Africa’s Major’, a showcase of our country to the world and a household name in the world of golf having played host to the world’s leading golfers. As Nelson Mandela reminded us – Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”

Anthony Leeming, Chief Executive Sun International, said: “This has been an unprecedented time for all of us in golf, and we’re grateful to the European Tour, Nedbank and all of our partners in working together to ensure that we can still present the 2020 Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player. The Nedbank Golf Challenge is a week in South African sport that brings tremendous joy to so many people and we look forward to continuing this in such trying times for everybody. As a showcase event for us as a resort and one that we take immense pride and pleasure in, we look forward to hosting another edition of ‘Africa’s Major’ in a safe and responsible manner and in ongoing consultation with the South African government and relevant health departments.”

The Nedbank Golf Challenge will also form part of the European Tour’s new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative, which will include all European Tour tournaments from July until December. ‘Golf for Good’ aims to give back in four key areas:

â–ª Helping the communities in which the European Tour plays

â–ª Rewarding the true heroes, such as frontline key workers

â–ª Raising funds for specific causes

â–ª Highlighting once again the many health benefits that golf offers

In South Africa, these ‘Golf for Good’ contributions will be directed towards the local charities and Corporate Social Investment initiatives supported by the Nedbank Golf Challenge and Sun International. More details will be announced.

Following the suspension of the season on March 8, the European Tour will return to action behind closed doors in July with a new UK Swing involving six tournaments being played in July and August

Two further Rolex Series events have also been rescheduled, with the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club moving to October 8-11 and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club now taking place the following week, October 15-18.

Details of subsequent tournaments on the European Tour from September through to November will be announced in due course, with a variety of scheduling options currently under consideration as the global situation continues to evolve.

Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive, said: “Since the suspension of our 2020 season in early March, we have taken a measured approach in reassessing our schedule, informed every step of the way by our medical advisers and government guidance.

“We have consistently said that safety is our absolute priority and that is why today we are announcing our resumption in two months’ time supported by a comprehensive health strategy which has been led by our medical team.

“Without question, we have had to think differently about the remainder of our 2020 season which is reflected in today’s announcement. As golf’s global Tour, diversity is ordinarily one of our biggest strengths, but in this instance, it has become one of our biggest challenges.

“I want to pay tribute to Rolex, BMW, Aberdeen Standard Investments, the Scottish Government, Nedbank, Sun International, the Sunshine Tour and DP World for their continued commitment to the European Tour which allowed us to move four hugely important tournaments on the European Tour into new dates later in the year.

“Not only did they show flexibility, but they also showed an understanding of the current global situation and we are truly fortunate to have them as partners of the European Tour.”

All European Tour tournaments will be subject to stringent safety and testing protocols. These are outlined in the Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy which has been developed by Dr Andrew Murray, the European Tour’s Chief Medical Officer, in consultation with health care specialists Cignpost, who will deliver the testing procedure, and advisers in many of the 30 countries the Tour plays. It is a strategy which will be continuously reviewed and will evolve, aligned with South African Government guidance and health guidelines.

APPENDIX 1 – TOURNAMENT DETAILS

 UK Swing

Jul 22-25 (W-S):           Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood, Close House Golf Club, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

July 30- Aug 2:             English Open, Marriott Forest of Arden, Birmingham, England

Aug 6-9:                        English Championship, Marriott Hanbury Manor, Hertfordshire, England

Aug 13-16:                    Celtic Classic, The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales

Aug 20-23:                   Wales Open, The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales

Aug 27-30:                   UK Championship, The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, England

Rolex Series:

Oct 8-11:                       Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland

Oct 15-18:                     BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, England

Dec 3-6:                         Nedbank Golf Challenge Hosted by Gary Player, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

Dec 10-13:                     DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE

Following President Ramaphosa’s speech on Sunday night, 24 May 2020, GolfRSA – on behalf of the delegation representing the golf industry – is waiting for the Level 3 Lockdown Regulations to be gazetted before making any comment.

Meanwhile, we are urgently seeking clarity on golf’s position from government. 

The Virtual Sunshine Tour, the Sunshine Tour’s online golf gaming challenge, will feature another first when round six of this Sunday afternoon’s showpiece between Justin Harding and Oliver Bekker has live scoring similar to that of a normal golf tournament.

The virtual golf game sees two professionals battle it out in a nine-hole strokeplay challenge, and golf fans who are unable to follow the live stream will now be able to monitor the scores on the Sunshine Tour website and App.

Thomas Abt, the Deputy Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said this new initiative underpins the Tour’s drive to offer golf to a variety of audiences across the world.

“Live scoring is going to work just like it does in actual tournaments. This is new, exciting and innovative. This is the direction that all sports, and not just golf, are taking. We are very pleased to be able to take the Virtual Sunshine Tour Challenge to a new height.”

Justin Harding is no stranger to this kind of “golf”. He finished in a share of fourth in computer simulation of the Masters behind winner Jon Rahm back in April, and using data processed by the company DataGolf.

“I think it’s the way forward,” Harding said. “I think even when guys have some weeks of you can have one of these as well.”

“It allows the public to stay a little bit more engaged with the players that they could potentially not hear anything about, with nothing happening. I think it’s going to be fun and Oliver and I are going to have a couple of laughs.”

“I think it is interesting,” Bekker said in a virtual press conference ahead of this Sunday’s match. “It’s a whole new thing, really. Gaming has been around for a while, I mean, you look at Twitch and Fortnite. There are people playing games that are earning millions of dollars a year. It’s a completely different kind of a world, obviously, for us as regular professional golfers, but it’s a really cool initiative by the Tour.”

Justin Harding says while he can’t wait to tee it up against an old friend in Oliver Bekker when the two battle it out in the sixth round of the Virtual Sunshine Tour Challenge – a free-to-watch live-stream YouTube – something’s bothering him.

“I don’t get to use my long putter in this game,” he said during a virtual press conference held ahead of Sunday afternoon’s match up. “That is a bit frustrating, and I don’t seem to be making as many putts in this game than I do in real life.”

Harding knows a thing or two about losing out to Oliver Bekker – he was defeated by Bekker in sudden-death of the 2017 edition of the Lombard Insurance Classic and many other times in The Call of Duty video game, according to revelations made at the same press conference – but has other plans for the man he’s known for so long, for this Sunday.

“He (Bekker) seems to think he’s a natural in this game, I beg to differ,” said a determined Harding. “I’m hoping to get one up on him. He is a ninja when it comes to Call of Duty, I’m useless in that game but I am hoping to be a little bit more competitive on the golf one.

“I’ve been playing a bit longer than Oliver. I’ve probably been playing for about a month. It’s a lot more difficult than real golf, I won’t lie. It feels like you should be pretty good at it and sometimes, you’re not.”

Bekker, for his part, has been playing the game for just a little over a week and is looking forward to the good competition and some laughter on Sunday afternoon. “I just started playing the game last week and I think it’s a lot more realistic than some of the other golf games.

“For me, that’s also frustrating a bit because it almost feels like you’re playing on a real golf course on some holes and you’re not. But it’s very interesting.

“It is completely new. It’s innovative and I’m glad the Tour has done it. It’s the Tour getting ahead of the guys, putting us out there regardless of the fact that it’s a game or what they shoot in the game. It’s about getting people to notice that there’s something still going on in professional golf. In that regard, I think it’s great.

Previous clashes involved James du Preez and Wilco Nienaber, Brandon Stone and Haydn Porteous, Martin Rohwer and Jared Harvey and Heinrich Bruiners with Andre Nel. The live-stream begins at 15h00 on the Sunshine Tour YouTube platform.

The season was long, and character, patience and resilience were a matter of demand.

For some players, the overall achievements for the season matched the efforts put in, but many will feel that their season’s results betrayed the work they’d put in all year long.

Whether it was JC Ritchie’s sheer dominance or Daniel van Tonder’s never-say-die spirit which saw him finish second on the Order of Merit with a single victory to boot. From the emergence of Garrick Higgo and Wilco Nienaber to the resurgence of Jaco Ahlers. The season was great and golf writers, followers of the Sunshine Tour and commentators had a lot to be impressed with.

“JC Ritchie’s been so solid all season,” says SuperSport’s Richard Maspero. “His was just a standout campaign; 19 events, nine top 10s, three wins and just one missed cut. His record speaks for itself. And for a rookie, I think Garrick Higgo showed maturity beyond his years. Not often does a rookie win in their first season, and he did it twice.

“And, it’s the events he won, though. Sun City is an extremely tough track with a really impressive field. And then the Tour Champs, where you compete against the best on the Order of Merit. There’s plenty more to come from him. Very level-headed.

“And then there’s Christian Bezuidenhout who’s just gone from strength to strength. His win at Valderrama on the European Tour was just sensational. Taking down Jon Rahm in front of his home crowd on one of the toughest tracks on that Tour was astounding. Also, his victory in the Dimension Data Pro-am was nothing short of sensational. He looks completely at ease on the biggest stage and were it not for the outbreak of the COVID-19, we could’ve been celebrating many more staggering performances from him.”

Veteran campaigner on Tour, Vaughn Groenewald was just as impressed with the performances he saw this past season. While he admits that the top three players on the Order of Merit were the best performers, Groenewald was particularly impressed with Jayden Schaper’s performance.

“Look, it all went about as shown on the Order of Merit,” says Groenewald. “JC with all his wins, he was super-impressive. Danie (Van Tonder) was there too. He didn’t win a lot last year but he played solid golf all season. He was also impressive. And then Jaco Ahlers.

“Jaco played so well. Finished third on the Order of Merit and going on to earn his Asian Tour card was impressive. I caddied for him out there in Asia and that man can play. But I played with Jayden Schaper for the first time in one of the Vodacom Origins of Golf events. He impressed me so much and I can tell you now that he is going to be a great player.”

Some of the most impressive players included Thriston Lawrence who also claimed a breakthrough win via that Origins of Golf victory in Stellenbosch, Dylan Naidoo, Toto Thimba, Luke Jerling and James du Preez among many others.

Many players will have a lot to prove when the new season starts after the national lockdown and many will want to continue where they left off. Whatever the case may be, the upcoming season promises to be a cracker.