Joburg Open and Joburg Ladies Open to bring world-class golf to local fairways

About Sunshine Tour

South Africa is one of the most prolific producers of world-class golfing talent in the world, and the Sunshine Tour has been integral to our nation’s success. The Tour has produced some of the most successful golfers on the PGA and DP World Tour both past and present, such as Gary Player, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman, Charl Schwartzel, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Erik Van Rooyen, and Garrick Higgo.

The Sunshine Tour has partnered with various organisations, brands, and stakeholders to create a platform for golfers from the southern African region and abroad to display their talent and become successful golfers on the global stage. These partners include the DP World Tour, Golf RSA, the South African Golf Development Board, the South African Golf Association, and the PGA of South Africa, with all these organisations contributing to the Sunshine Tour becoming one of the premier golf tours in the world.

In addition, hosting tournaments in the southern African region and visiting a variety of regions, climates, and courses helps stimulate economic growth and activity by involving local communities in varying capacities. These Sunshine Tour events have become highly anticipated both for players and golf fans. Of these events, none are more anticipated than the Joburg Open, the Investec SA Open Championship, and the Alfred Dunhill Championship; all are Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned events. These tournaments have seen some of the most well-known players in the world compete, including Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen, and Henrik Stenson.

The Sunshine Tour’s mission statement is Greatness Begins Here. As it continues to grow, it provides a platform for more golfers to achieve their own greatness while asserting South Africa’s position as a vibrant and competitive golfing nation.

The Joburg Open and Joburg Ladies Open will bring world-class men and women’s professional golf to the City of Johannesburg’s fairways, with these two premier tournaments showcasing international fields and providing global opportunities for the local game.

The Joburg Open will take up a new position on the worldwide golf calendar when this prestigious co-sanctioned event becomes part of the DP World Tour’s International Swing in 2025.

The sporting pride of Johannesburg has moved from its traditional November date to a new time slot of 6-9 March, 2025, with the €1 million tournament once again returning to Houghton Golf Club. The new date is because of a change in the global golf calendar.

The Joburg Open will now have an even stronger presence on the Sunshine Tour. It will be the last co-sanctioned tournament of the season.

The Joburg Ladies Open will complement the City of Johannesburg’s strong golf portfolio when this premier Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned event returns to Modderfontein Golf Club from 3-6 April 2025, with a total purse of €300 000.

“The Joburg Open and Joburg Ladies Open are mega sporting events that have proved to be consistent over the years in effecting tourism multipliers for economic growth and stimulus. Furthermore, we view them as key strategic instruments to unlock the sports tourism niche development area identified in the city’s tourism strategy. Evidently, the city values the significance of these tournaments which are able to take the wonders of our city to an international audience with our partners at the Sunshine Tour, the Sunshine Ladies Tour, the DP World Tour and the Ladies European Tour,” said Cllr Dada Morero, the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg.

“We are delighted to be returning to Houghton Golf Club and Modderfontein Golf Club, which are true jewels as two of the city’s leading golf courses. To also form part of the DP World Tour’s International Swing and provide more world-class opportunities for our South African professionals through its positioning so close to the end of the Sunshine Tour’s season, is going to combine for a memorable 17^th edition of the Joburg Open.”

Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said: “We are very excited about the new positioning of the Joburg Open on our international calendar. The Joburg Open has always been such a key tournament in terms of the global pathway it creates for our Sunshine Tour members, and with South Africans having won 10 of the last 16 editions of this prestigious tournament, it really represents a proud part of our golf history. We are equally excited to have the Joburg Ladies Open complement this and provide the same level of opportunity for our leading South African women professionals.”

Ben Cowen, the DP World Tour’s Chief Tournament & Operations Officer, said: “We are proud to have the Joburg Open join our International Swing and continue its status as an important event on our international calendar and our 2025 Race to Dubai. The Joburg Open has a wonderful history of creating opportunities while at the same time helping to transform the South African game, and we are proud to be able to support this.”

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