For 30 years Vodacom has been making a difference in South Africa through our various causes and initiatives.
Whether it’s through the Vodacom Foundation, the Women’s Network Forum or the Code Like a Girl programme, we are always striving to allow South Africans to grow and perform on a bigger stage.
For two-thirds of our existence, we’ve also been running our annual Origins of Golf pro-am series, which gives young up-and-coming amateur golfers the opportunity to play alongside professionals.
What is Origins of Golf?
Origins of Golf is an annual national pro-am series that has been running for the last 20 years. This makes it the longest one of its kind, and it also forms part of the bigger South African Sunshine Tour.
The series was initiated by Vodacom to serve as a platform for the next generation of pro golfers to hone their skills in real tournament play as amateurs among professionals. Origins of Golf runs for five months during winter.
Some major names who got their start at Origins of Golf
As per its mission statement, Vodacom Origins of Golf has spawned the career of some of SA’s best known pro golfers. These include:
Thomas Aiken: Winner of three rounds on the inaugural Origins of Golf series, Aiken has competed on the full Sunshine Tour and the European Tour. Notable wins for him on the European Tour include the Open de España, the Avantha Masters and the Africa Open.
Louis Oosthuizen: One of the most recognised names on the European and PGA Tours, Oosthuizen won one round of the inaugural Vodacom Origins of Golf. He has gone on to build a reputation on the PGA Tour with a top ranking of fourth. He won The Open in 2010 and had runner-up finishes in the other three Major championships: The Masters, the US Open and PGA Championship. He also has 10 wins on the European Tour, including the Africa Open and South African Open.
Charl Schwartzel: While Schwartzel may have only finished as a runner-up of one round of the 2010 edition of the Origins of Golf, he has gone on to make a name for himself on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. This includes earning a coveted Green Jacket for winning The Master in 2011 and earning a career-best ranking of No 6 on the PGA Tour.
Jean Hugo: Hugo holds the record for the most single wins at Origins of Golf. He has 11 tournament play wins in the series spanning from 2006 to 2015 along with other victories in the Platinum Classic and the Volvo Finnish Open. He has also played on the European Tour, where he has a best finish of 34th on the Order of Merit.
What Vodacom provides to Origins of Golf
Besides being the main sponsor for the event, Vodacom also serves as the tech partner, providing connectivity and other tech support at Origins of Golf Events. This will allow participants and their partners to keep abreast of their lives and work commitments remotely while they are competing in the series.
When does the tournament kick off?
Origins of Golf will once again run during the winter months in 2024, and will comprise four events running from August to November, These are the official dates:
Highlands Gate Golf and Trout Estate (Mpumalanga)
Pro-Am dates: 14-15 August 2024
Tournament date: 16-18 August 2024
Sishen Golf Club (Free State)
Pro-Am Dates: 18-19 September 2024
Tournament date: 20-22 September 2024
Wild Coast Sun (KZN)
Pro-Am dates: 9-10 October 2024
Tournament date: 11-13 October 2024
Oubaai Golf Estate (Western Cape)
Pro-Am Dates: 11-14 November 2024
Tournament date: 14-17 November 2024
The Sunshine Ladies Tour will also be returning to Origins of Golf, where talented young women golfers will compete for the same prize money as the men.
For more information on the women’s competition, read this blog about how Vodacom Origins Of Golf Supports Gender Equality.
