The South African Open Championship will return to Sun City from 2-5 December, with a prize fund of $1.5-million and with Christiaan Bezuidenhout back to defend his title.
Bezuidenhout, fresh from securing his PGA Tour card, will be joined at Sun City by, amongst others, fellow PGA Tour campaigner Dylan Frittelli. The field will also include European Tour champions Dean Burmester, Justin Harding and George Coetzee, while there is the expectation of support from more of South Africa’s leading international professionals.
The 2021 South African Open forms part of the Sunshine Tour and European Tour’s new landmark partnership concluded in July, which guarantees the South African Open as a co-sanctioned tournament until 2025.
Given that Covid-19 regulations have once again prevented the playing of ‘Africa’s Major’ – the Nedbank Golf Challenge – Nedbank and Sun International have again agreed to support the South African Open as it enters this new era of increased opportunity for professionals from South Africa and Europe.
“We are so excited to have both Nedbank and Sun International, two longstanding supporters of the Sunshine Tour, with us as we begin this incredible new chapter with the European Tour,” said Thomas Abt, commissioner of the Sunshine Tour. “They have always been important in our quest to create the best opportunities for South African professionals.
“As our national Open, the South African Open has also always represented a key moment of great opportunity for South African golfers to take their careers to the next level, and now even more so.”
Grant Hepburn, CEO of GolfRSA, also expressed his delight at what this new partnership brings to the national Open.
“GolfRSA and the South African Golf Association, who are custodians of the South African Open, are extremely proud of the legacy of the South African Open and the fact that it continues to be seen as one of world golf’s most historic tournaments.”
