Golf

Joburg Open tees off Sunshine Tour, European Tour season in SA

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2020 winner Joachim B. Hansen of Denmark
  • Post published:October 21, 2021

The 2021 Joburg Open will usher in the start of the Sunshine Tour and European Tour’s major summer season in South African golf when the R17.5-million tournament is played at Randpark Golf Club from 25-28 November.

One of the City of Johannesburg’s flagship sporting events will begin a three-week stretch of international golf tournaments in South Africa, to be followed by the South African Open Championship (2-5 December) and the Alfred Dunhill Championship (9-12 December).

Further to this, the Joburg Ladies Open has also been announced as a co-sanctioned tournament between the Sunshine Ladies Tour and the Ladies European Tour, with a prize fund of €250,000 and set to be played at Soweto Country Club from 3-5 March.

Last November’s Joburg Open, won by Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen, was vital in stimulating the restart of the Sunshine Tour and South African professional golf following the hard lockdown. Hansen’s four rounds in the 60s helped him to a two-shot victory over home favourite Wilco Nienaber.

This will be the 14th edition of a tournament that boasts a strong list of past champions including former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, PGA Tour winner Branden Grace, and multiple European Tour winners George Coetzee, Richard Sterne and Darren Fichardt.

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“We are extremely pleased to announce the Joburg Open as the first tournament on our co-sanctioning schedule at the end of this year,” said Thomas Abt, commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“I’d like to thank the City of Johannesburg for so graciously supporting us over the past several years. I would also like to pay tribute to the late councillor Geoff Makhubo, the former mayor of Johannesburg, who sadly passed away. Councillor Makhubo was a very close friend of the Sunshine Tour and one of our greatest supporters who was passionate about seeing the Joburg Open succeed as a major international event for his city. Our thoughts will certainly be with him at this year’s tournament.

“We are also very proud to announce the co-sanctioning of the Joburg Ladies Open with the Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour, and to continue the important work at Soweto Country Club and this golf club’s role in inspiring a whole new generation of golfers.”

Photo: Luke Walker/Getty Images