European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald has confirmed his participation in the milestone 40th-anniversary edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
The former World No 1 will tee it up in ‘Africa’s Major’ from 10-13 November, returning to Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club for the first time since December 2014.
Donald has appeared in the Nedbank Golf Challenge twice since it was included in the DP World Tour schedule in 2013, when the event opened the 2014 season, finishing 19th and following that up with a third-place finish 12 months later.
The seven-time DP World Tour winner was named Ryder Cup Captain as Europe bid to win the trophy back from Zach Johnson’s United States side in Rome next September.
He joins a field that includes the defending champion and two-time Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood, who lifted the trophy in 2019 – the last time the event took place due to the Covid-19 pandemic – and South African DP World Tour winners Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Dean Burmester and Thriston Lawrence.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a highlight of the SA sporting calendar since its first edition in 1981, with an impressive list of former winners that includes the legendary Seve Ballesteros, SA golfing icon Ernie Els and Major Champions such as Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Trevor Immelman and Danny Willett.
Donald said: “I’m delighted to be able to play the Nedbank Golf Challenge in this landmark year for the event. It’s such a unique tournament and I have fond memories of my past visits to Sun City.
“It certainly doesn’t seem like eight years since I last teed it up there, and I’m very much looking forward to returning, both as a player and in my capacity as Ryder Cup captain, as the season draws to a close.”
The 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge will once again be included on the DP World Tour schedule in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International, this season as the penultimate event before the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. The $6-million event will also carry an increased number of DP World Tour Ranking Points, with 7,000 points available.
The winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit will also receive a place in the 64-player field at Gary Player Country Club.
The last edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2019 delivered record attendance figures and sold-out hospitality. Ticketing information for the milestone 40th event will follow in due course.
