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Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen produced a strong back nine of three birdies in five holes from the turn to win a tense final-round battle with South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber and claim his maiden European Tour title in the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club on Sunday.

Hansen closed with a composed 67 to win on 19 under par, with Nienaber taking second place on 17 under after a 70 and following a classic back-nine battle for this title.

Hansen went into the final round one shot behind the 20-year-old Nienaber. The South African made three consecutive birdies from the fourth hole to move ahead of the field and looked to be headed for his breakthrough victory on the European Tour, while Hansen could only respond with one birdie on the front nine.

“Wilco played really solidly and holed some good putts for pars and birdies that kept him going and he didn’t let me in. So I had to do it myself with a strong finish,” said Hansen.

The Dane finally made his move with birdies on holes 10, 12 and 14 to tie Nienaber on 19 under par. And the young South African then faltered coming in with bogeys at 17 and 18.

“It was a fun battle out there with Wilco. I kept the head calm out there and we stuck to the plan in terms of where we wanted to hit our drives and approaches. I kept pushing. It started slowly but suddenly the birdies came on the back nine.

“The putt on 10 set something going, then I had a good save on 11 and a good up-and-down on 12. But I think the par save I made on 13 was also key and kept me going in that stretch.”

So unflappable for most of the final round, Hansen felt his emotions coming to the fore on the 18^th and then as he greeted his wife Elisabeth via a Zoom call on a laptop on the side of the green.

“The emotions came out there. I’m just pleased to get it done after a few near misses. I’m pleased to prove to myself I can win out here,” he said.

Nienaber was able to take some positives from his experience.

“Winning is the nicest, but all credit to Joachim. I’m happy with the way I played. I just made two mistakes at the end, but next week is another week. This is my first runner-up on the European Tour, so I’m happy with that,” he said.

South African Wilco Nienaber is on the brink of a maiden European Tour title as he heads into Sunday’s final round of the Joburg Open with a one-stroke lead at Randpark Golf Club.

The 20-year-old South African signed for a third round of 67 in Saturday’s wet weather to top the leaderboard on 16 under par. His nearest challenger is Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen following an impressive 64 in the difficult conditions.

South African Brandon Stone also posted a 64 to join a group of players on 11 under and including countrymen Jacques Blaauw and Shaun Norris as well as England’s Richard Bland.

Nienaber overcame a difficult start in which he was one over for his round through the first five holes, and then settled into his rhythm with five birdies thereafter.

“It felt like a struggle, but I holed a few crucial putts that kept the momentum going,” he said. “But I enjoyed it a lot out there. It was an interesting day with umbrellas going up and down, and rain tops going on and coming off. But my caddie Jason (Scheepers) has been really good. It felt like he had more than two hands at times because he was carrying so much.

“The final round is going to be great. It will be the first time I’m in that situation and I’m just going to embrace it and enjoy it.”

Hansen is looking to become only the second Danish winner of the Joburg Open following Anders Hansen in 2009. He surged through the field with a front nine of 29 including an eagle and four birdies, and then added a bogey and two birdies on the second nine.

“It was one of those days where the umbrella went up and down about 15 times, but I kept a cool head out there. I played well with some good iron shots. I’ve played well on this golf course before and I like it here,” he said.

Nienaber’s power game, though, has given him a definite advantage this week, and the rest of the field are well aware of what they need to bring to Sunday’s final round.

“There are holes out here where he’s got an unbelievable advantage,” said Bland. “He played behind us and some of the tee shots he was hitting on the back nine – it’s not really a fair fight. He’s only going to move forward and we’re going to have to try and catch him.”

South Africa’s Jacques Blaauw worked his way through a difficult day of wind and a weather delay on Friday and signed for a sublime 63 that earned him the lead at the halfway stage of the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club.

Blaauw heads the field on 13 under par, one shot clear of countryman Wilco Nienaber who signed for a second round of 67. The second round had to be completed on Saturday morning before the start of the third round because of the weather delay on Friday.

But the completion of the round didn’t affect Blaauw’s lead.

“I’m very happy I was able to finish. I hit it very well all day and then made some putts. I only made one bogey so I’m very happy. It was very windy out there, but I found it didn’t affect my distances that much,” said Blaauw, who is searching for his maiden European Tour title after coming close with a second-place finish in the 2015 Tshwane Open.

“I can’t think ahead because there are two more rounds to go. Golf is the job and I need to get that job done. But I’ve done some good work in the build-up to this tournament and I’m very happy with how it’s turning out.”

Blaauw’s putting in particular stood out, with playing partner Scott Jamieson declaring, “I’ve never seen somebody putt as well as he has for the past two days.”

“I’ve switched to the arm-lock putter and I’m very happy with it,” said Blaauw. “I’m looking forward to the weekend. It’s a bit different without spectators, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Nienaber was just as delighted to finish off his second round on Friday and remain in contention for this title.

“A delay is never nice, and I had it on that part of the course I really didn’t want it. Those last four holes are really tough, but I got through it. I’m happy I finished,” he said after a round which he held together despite not being happy with his tee shots.

“Hitting fairways here is key and I didn’t really do that today, so I had more par putts than birdie putts. I made it difficult for myself. But I’m really excited. I’ve put myself in a good position and I’m excited to see what happens on the weekend.”

Canadian Aaron Cockerill is currently in third place on 10 under following his second-round 68, while joint first-round leader Shaun Norris is still in contention on nine under after a second round of 70.

Wilco Nienaber silenced even the local peacocks with his booming drives as he joined Shaun Norris in a South African double act that topped the leaderboard after Thursday’s first round of the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club.

The local duo led the field with their rounds of eight-under-par 63, giving them a one-stroke lead over American Johannes Veerman and Canadian Aaron Cockerill. They are followed by a group of five players on six under.

Nienaber’s power game was in full flow on Thursday as he hit driver and then wedge into some of Randpark’s par fives. On the par-five 12^th hole he had a seven iron in which he hit to six foot and holed the putt. And on the par-five fourth hole he hit his drive 439 yards and then his second to five feet before missing the eagle putt.

“I just didn’t trust my first instinct on my line so just missed that for eagle,” he said after his round of one eagle, nine birdies and three bogeys.

“Everything worked for me today. I’ve worked a lot on my putting. It’s not yet where I want it to be, but it’s getting there. Overall, my game was just solid. It’s also nice coming back to a course I know well, and also just to see some familiar faces who I played junior and amateur golf with.”

Nienaber also praised his new caddie, Jason Scheepers, who used to caddie for multiple European Tour winner Hennie Otto.

“I only met him on Monday this week and it’s been good so far. I really like him as a person as well so hopefully it’s a good partnership starting. He was really good on my approach clubbing. I just said to him it’s really important for me to hit my shots pin high, and he helped me a lot with that today.”

Both Nienaber and Norris were indeed relishing playing on home fairways again after spending most of their years overseas.

“A round of eight under is nice around any golf course, but to do it here in the first round of the Joburg Open and being back home again is great. I haven’t played much in South Africa since I turned pro,” said Nienaber.

Norris was just as delighted with his round, which included an eagle, six birdies and no bogeys.

“It’s been good to be home. I’ve been playing my home course quite a bit and putting in some low scores there, which has been building some confidence before this. I grew up playing on courses like Randpark. I can remember as a 16-year-old playing a South African Amateur here. But I’ve been hitting the ball nicely over the last few months. I’ve got a good strategy this week to take it the course on and give myself some opportunities,” he said.

Veerman is also back in familiar territory. He led the first round of the South African Open here in January with a 62 – albeit on the neighbouring Bushwillow course, with both courses used for that tournament.

“I started with a bogey which really came out of nowhere, but then I birdied the next hole which is a tough hole and that really settled me. The course is great, but these fairways are so tight that you have to drive the ball really well. There is no room for mistakes.” – Michael Vlismas

The City of Johannesburg welcomed its first major international sports event since the easing of lockdown restrictions when Councillor Geoffrey Makhubo, the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, hit the honorary tee shot to signal the start of Thursday’s first round of the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club.

“It’s very exciting for us as the City of Johannesburg to be able to showcase our amazing city and be able to let the world know we are still open for business. The Joburg Open is a great leap for us in terms of our COVID-19 economic recovery in Johannesburg,” said Councillor Makhubo.

Randpark’s Firethorn course will host a mix of Sunshine Tour and European Tour professionals over the next four days as they compete for a prize fund of R19.5 million.

“Johannesburg is the home of golf in South Africa, and Randpark is one of the finest golf courses we have. The course is in pristine condition for this tournament, and I think the professionals will enjoy themselves.”

The Mayor also said he hopes the Joburg Open provides even more encouragement for tourists to visit Johannesburg and enjoy what the city has to offer.

“We have a lot to offer, even though there are COVID-19 restrictions. We are still in lockdown, but an eased lockdown of Level 1. For visitors to our city we still have game reserves to enjoy, the Cradle of Humankind, and world-class shopping. So please come and visit.”

Brandon Stone tees it up in this week’s Joburg Open determined to complete what he calls the trilogy of victories in Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned tournaments at Randpark Golf Club.

Stone has already won the South African Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which are co-sanctioned with the European Tour. The return of the Joburg Open to the European Tour schedule gives him the chance to complete his trilogy when this tournament tees off on Thursday.

“The Joburg Open is the last leg of the trilogy of Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned tournaments that I’m going for. I’d love to add this one as a win this week,” Stone said on Tuesday.

But in the bigger picture of what 2020 has delivered, Stone is full of praise for the fact that he and his fellow professionals simply have the Joburg Open as the start of three big weeks of competitive golf in South Africa, including the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the South African Open.

“The reward of having three big tournaments in South Africa now is fantastic. We’re extremely fortunate to actually play tournament golf this year, especially when you look at other sports around the world and how limited they’ve been.

“The work that the European Tour and Sunshine Tour have done is simply sensational. You can see the people in charge have been working tirelessly to get us back out here again. I’m very fortunate to be in an occupation where I’m playing for R19.5 million on a beautiful golf course in beautiful weather, so there are worse places you could be and sometimes you need to just remind yourself of that.”

Having experienced the stringent COVID-19 testing protocols on the European Tour, Stone was full of praise for the work done by the Sunshine Tour and City of Johannesburg to ensure the safety of the professionals competing this week.

“Once I arrived on-site and went through all the testing and protocols, you could see everyone here knows what they’re doing. They’ve spent a lot of time and effort in getting the Joburg Open to the standard it needs to be under COVID-19, and to be honest I think they’ve excelled. It’s sensational. The lab and testing was so professional. There’s nothing enjoyable about taking a COVID-19 test, but having someone with a smile on their face do it to you sure helps. South Africans are known for their positive attitude in challenging times, and this week has been no exception to that.”

And Stone feels his own form is peaking at exactly the right time for his return to home fairways.

“It’s been a strange year for everyone. I had a few nice results before lockdown, and then over the last few months I’ve been slowly getting back to that kind of form again. My game feels like it’s coming together nicely. I also love this golf course. The greens are always fantastic here, and you have a really nice mix here of some strong holes and those that are a little more forgiving.” – Michael Vlismas

Michael Vlismas

It was the performance of Tiger Woods at The Masters that has made young South African star Jayden Schaper even more determined to take the challenges of 2020 and turn them into opportunity in this week’s Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club.

Schaper returns to the scene of his incredible performance in January’s South African Open hosted by the City of Joburg where, as the country’s top-ranked amateur, he challenged for the title and finished tied sixth behind winner Branden Grace.

He now tees it up in this week’s R19.5 million Joburg Open as one of the professionals in this Sunshine Tour and European Tour co-sanctioned field. Schaper secured his playing privileges at the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School in March and was looking forward to his rookie season before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

But the 19-year-old is determined to use Woods’s example at The Masters, where the 15-time Major champion followed up a 10 on the par-three 12^thhole with five birdies in his next six holes of the final round, as his own motivation this week.

“It’s been an odd year that nobody could’ve predicted. It’s been tough to have my first year as a professional where you just have to sit at home, and I cannot go out and do what I’ve prepared for my whole life. But all the good players find a way to bounce back. I watched Tiger Woods make 10 on the 12^th hole of The Masters and then come back with five birdies in six holes. I’m trying to take it the same way. Everybody gets a tough break sometimes, but the great players show how they come out of that,” Schaper said after a practice round at Randpark on Monday.

There is certainly a sense of opportunity for Schaper this week. Since the Sunshine Tour’s restart in August, Schaper has looked solid with only one missed cut in his last eight tournaments as well as three top-10s. He’s now starting to feel like his game is approaching where he wants it to be, and the Joburg Open could well provide the same spark to his career as it did for some of South Africa’s top professionals when the tournament tees off on Thursday.

Branden Grace claimed his first European Tour title in the 2012 Joburg Open. The Joburg Open was also a first European Tour title for George Coetzee when he won it in 2014, and it’s the same for Haydn Porteous, who won this title in 2016.

“This is the time to peak. These next three weeks (the Joburg Open, Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open) are really important. I didn’t expect these events to happen this year and am very grateful to everyone who made them possible. I’m playing on an invitation this week and I’m just as grateful for that. I’m just looking forward to it, and to going out and doing what I do best, which is playing golf and having fun.”

Of the many titles and records Gary Player holds, his 13 South African Open victories rank among the most special to the Grand Slam champion.

It’s therefore fitting that this year the second oldest national Open in golf will for the first time in its history be played at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from 3-6 December, jointly supported by Nedbank and Sun International.

“The South African Open has always been immensely important to me in my career. I won it 13 times, but many times I couldn’t even play in it. I’d estimate that there were at least four occasions when I was in the prime of my career that I didn’t play the SA Open. But I’m extremely grateful to have won our national Open 13 times,” Player said of a record that will most likely never be broken.

The Gary Player Country Club will join an illustrious list of South Africa’s finest golf courses to have hosted the South African Open, and this is also a sense of great achievement for Player.

“I’m very proud that the Gary Player Country Club has been selected to host the SA Open this year. I can honestly say that never as a young man did I ever think the South African Open would be played on a golf course I had designed.

“Our national Open has travelled around the country and throughout its history has always been played on our most iconic golf courses. The fact that the Gary Player Country Club will now become a part of this history is a very special moment for me.”

One of the most exciting elements around this year’s South African Open will be the swapping of the nines at the Gary Player Country Club for this year’s tournament, thus seeing the picturesque par-five ninth hole serve as the finishing hole.

It’s a change Player is particulary excited about.

“That’s the most exciting thing about this year’s SA Open for me. It’s actually how the golf course was originally designed. As it plays now, the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th holes make for a very tough finish. By finishing on the ninth, it’s going to make for an exciting end to the tournament. You can make an eagle there and it changes everything. I think the fans are going to enjoy watching this year’s finish from their homes,” he said.

Louis Oosthuizen will be the first South African out when the first round of the 84th Masters begins today.

Oosthuizen tees off the 10th at 14:33 South Africa time in a marquee group with Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. Justin Harding, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Dylan Frittelli also all begin their Masters week off the 10th at Augusta National Golf Club.

Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel gets his challenge underway at 14:55 off the first, with Erik van Rooyen also teeing off the first on his Masters debut.

You can catch all of the action on SuperSport are as follows:

THURSDAY, 12 NOV
SS Action (210): 14:45-00:30
SS Golf (213): 14:30-00:30
SS Grandstand (201): 14:30-00:30

FRIDAY, 13 NOV
SS Action (210): 14:45-00:30
SS Golf (213): 14:30-00:30
SS Grandstand (201): 14:30-00:30

SATURDAY, 14 NOV
SS Action (210): 17:00-00:00
SS Golf (213): 17:10-00:00
SS Grandstand (201): 17:20-00:00

SUNDAY, 15 NOV
SS Action (210): 15:00-22:00
SS Golf (213): 15:10-22:30
SS Grandstand (201): 16:45-22:30

In a city that has played an important role in terms of the development of Black professional golf in South Africa, the return of the Joburg Open to the Sunshine Tour and European Tour schedules this November combined with the rebirth of Soweto Country Club will make for a very significant moment.

The 2020 Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club from 19-22 November represents a very tangible beacon of success that a young Black golfer from Soweto can aspire towards. And the development of a now world-class golf facility in Soweto, a project which began in 2016 as a partnership with the Sunshine Tour and the City of Johannesburg as well as various stakeholders throughout the golf world, provides that pathway to success.

All of which makes the timing of the Joburg Open’s return to the international golf calendar for the first time since December 2017 so important.

Soweto Country Club professional Sipho Bujela is amongst those who will attempt to qualify for this year’s Joburg Open, and he is indeed playing with greater purpose. “I will be playing for the young amateur in Soweto who wishes to be a professional one day,” he said when he played in the last Joburg Open in 2017.

Soweto golfer Vincent Tshabalala’s 1976 French Open victory remains the gold standard for the country’s Black professionals seeking to become the first since then to win a European Tour event.

This year, Toto Thimba Jnr, Keenan Davidse and Dylan Naidoo will be amongst those leading the charge to change that.

Thimba Jnr. is already a winner on the Sunshine Tour in last year’s KCB Karen Masters, while Davidse has been knocking on the door for several seasons now and came close when he finished tied seventh in the 2017 Joburg Open.

Naidoo made a powerful statement when he challenged for Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year honours at the end of last season, finishing third in that race, and he is clearly seen as a future champion following an impressive amateur career.

But the significance of a Soweto golfer’s success in the Joburg Open would be equally immense, and is something even 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman recognised when he attended the official opening of the new Soweto Country Club clubhouse in 2017.

“The opening of the clubhouse was such a passionate moment. You could feel the passion when the people were speaking, and you could feel how important this day was to them, and how important this club is going to be to the community,” he said.

This year, the aspirational link between Soweto’s young golfers and a place in future Joburg Opens will be as strong as ever.