Dean Burmester has confirmed that he will defend his Investec South African Open title when this prestigious championship returns to one of its most historic venues of Durban Country Club from 27 February to 2 March 2025.
Burmester claimed an emotional three-stroke victory in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament last season, adding his name to an illustrious list of past home champions from Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els to Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Thriston Lawrence.
Lawrence, the 2022 champion, has also confirmed that he will tee it up as part of a strong field of Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour stars chasing the $1.5 million prize money for the 114th Investec South African Open Championship.
The championship is returning to Durban Country Club for the first time since 2010 when Ernie Els won his fifth national Open here.
“For us as South Africans it’s our fifth Major and we all want to win it so badly. To have won this championship sponsored by Investec, who gave me my first break as a young professional, is very special. I’m very grateful. This is a tournament I watched growing up and I watched legends like Ernie (Els), Retief (Goosen), Louis (Oosthuizen) and Branden (Grace) win this,” said Burmester.
The championship will also have a new date. The shift from its traditional December slot on the international golf calendar to February is as a result of an international schedule change on both the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour.
“Investec believes in the power of homegrown talent and as such sponsors both the men’s and women’s Investec South African Opens as powerful symbols of national pride. The Investec South African Open is core to the foundation of South African golf and we are incredibly excited to see the championship, the second oldest Open in world golf, return to the equally iconic Durban Country Club and for Dean to make his title defence here. Dean has a long and proud history with Investec and we are looking forward to celebrating what will most certainly be a fantastic 114th edition of this prestigious championship,” said Peta Dixon, head of sponsorships at Investec.
“The championship’s return to KwaZulu-Natal has received enthusiastic support from the local community, as it is geared to support the region’s economy, showcasing the province’s unique appeal to the country and the world, and driving direct growth for KZN through generating business and commerce opportunities,” added Dixon.
Durban Country Club has undergone a significant renovation and the redesign of several holes to present a golf course that has been upgraded and strengthened for its hosting of the 114th Investec
South African Open Championship.
“We are extremely proud to host the Investec South African Open Championship for a record 18th time and to showcase the major upgrades to the golf course. We are privileged to have the Investec South African Open back on these fairways for what we are sure will be a challenging and memorable test of golf,” said Errol Stewart, Chairman of Durban Country Club.
Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said: “The Investec South African Open has a rich and proud history in South Africa golf, and Investec’s passion for this championship and our game as a whole extends to their immeasurable support of the Sunshine Tour and our transformation programme. We look forward to what will be a true showcase of the Investec South African Open in partnership with the DP World Tour.”
Ben Cowen, the DP World Tour’s Chief Tournament & Operations Officer, said: “The Investec South African Open is one of the world’s oldest national Opens and we are proud to co-sanction it for the 28th time in 2025.”
“The return to the iconic Durban Country Club coincides with a change in date as this historic tournament forms part of the International Swing on the 2025 Race to Dubai. We are grateful to Investec and the Sunshine Tour for their support and look forward to working alongside them in the coming months.”
Issued by Michael Vlismas Media
