JOHANNESBURG - South African professional golf has received a major boost with the announcement that the Joburg Open will make its return to the Sunshine Tour and European Tour schedules in November, thereby ushering in the country’s return to international golf following lockdown.
The 2020 Joburg Open will be played from November 19 to 22 at Randpark Golf Club with support from the City of Johannesburg, and with a prize fund of R19.5 million.
This will be the first international men’s golf tournament on South African fairways in nine months, and a timely boost for the South African economy as it emerges from the Covid-19 lockdown.
It will also be the first of a run of tournaments co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Tour this summer, with further announcements to come.
The Joburg Open was last played in 2017 before the City of Johannesburg agreed to support the Sunshine Tour and absorb this event into the South African Open Championship for the duration of the latter’s hosting in Johannesburg.
The tournament first teed off in 2007 and boasts an impressive array of past champions including Major winner Charl Schwartzel and multiple European Tour champions Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Andy Sullivan and Darren Fichardt. The last tournament in 2017 was also the first significant victory for India’s Shubhankar Sharma and his emergence as one of the new stars of world golf.
The European Tour will return to South Africa next month when the Joburg Open is contested from November 19-22.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 20, 2020
“We are extremely pleased to welcome back the Joburg Open to our schedule in what is also a momentous moment for South African professional golf as we also welcome back international competition to our fairways after a lengthy break,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.
“I’d like to the thank the Mayor and the City of Johannesburg for so graciously supporting us for the duration of the South African Open’s hosting in Johannesburg, and we are delighted that we can announce the return of a much-loved tournament amongst the residents of Johannesburg.”
“I’d also like to thank the Sunshine Tour Board, our sponsors, partners and the European Tour for their support. My special thanks go to our Chairman, Johann Rupert, who has been instrumental in terms of the strength of our partnership with the European Tour, and also our Executive Director, Selwyn Nathan, who has worked tirelessly with us to achieve this momentous restart of our international schedule.”
European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley said: “I am delighted to see the Joburg Open back on our schedule this year. We have a wonderful relationship with the Sunshine Tour stretching back over many years and this co-sanctioned tournament is another example of that.
“I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Johann Rupert, Thomas Abt, Selwyn Nathan and everyone at the Sunshine Tour for their commitment in making this happen, in addition to the Executive Mayor and the City of Johannesburg for their help and support.”
African News Agency (ANA)