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NEWSLETTER 2018 Championship to their schedule. “Alfred Dunhill is one of the longest standing sponsors of professional golf on the European Tour, and this is a tournament that remains a highlight for our members.
Alfred Dunhill Championship returns to Leopard Creek The Sunshine Tour has announced that the prestigious Alfred Dunhill Championship will return to Leopard Creek this December following the completion of the extensive improvements to this internationally acclaimed golf course. The championship will be played from 13-16 December and will once again be co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Tour. The tournament was not played last year as Leopard Creek underwent improvements to what has regularly been voted the number one golf course in South Africa, and with its iconic setting bordering the Kruger National Park. “We are delighted to be going back to Leopard Creek for the Alfred
Dunhill Championship, which is one of the flagship tournaments of South African golf,” said Selwyn Nathan, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour. “We are extremely grateful to Johann Rupert for his longstanding support of the Sunshine Tour and the growth of South African golf as a whole at both a professional and development level through his establishment of the South African Golf Development Board.
“We thank Mr Rupert and Alfred Dunhill for their continued support of professional golf and look forward to returning to Leopard Creek for what is one of the most enjoyable weeks on our global schedule.” The Alfred Dunhill Championship has an illustrious history with a list of former world number ones, Major winners, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup players having featured in the tournament over the years and including Rory McIlroy, John Daly, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Trevor Immelman, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. South Africa’s Brandon Stone was the last winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship with his victory in 2016.
SNEAK PEAK
“I would also like to congratulate Mr Rupert on the improvements made to Leopard Creek. I have had the privilege of playing it, and I am in no doubt that the improvements will set a new benchmark in the game in both the challenge it presents to the professionals as well as its always impeccable conditioning.”
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Keith Waters, the Chief Operating Officer of the European Tour, welcomed the return of the Alfred Dunhill
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McIlroy Returns Tour Goes To Kenya City Lodge Renews Partnership
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Sunshine Tour Newsletter
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FOREWORD FROM OUR TOUR COMMISSIONER ~ Selwyn Nathan Welcome to the 2nd edition of our newsletter, which we hope you find interesting and in some small way, keeps you up-to-date with what is happening “inside the ropes” of the Sunshine Tour. The new Official Order of Merit year has begun with a bang and we have successfully staged 5 events as part of our “Africa Swing” during April and May. Our strategy of growing our events in Africa is working and we are about to travel up to Kenya in a couple of weeks for the new KCB Karen Masters. As I mentioned in the last newsletter this is a focus for us and we hope to make some more announcements in this regard shortly. Following the successes of Oliver Bekker last year, two of his Stellenbosch friends have won events in the early part of the season. JJ Senekal won the Zanaco Masters in Zambia and Justin Harding won both the Investec Royal Swazi Sun Open and the Lombard Insurance Classic. Success is contagious and these three close friends are obviously enjoying their golf and being in the winner’s circle. It was nice to see Bryce Easton emerge as the winner of the Zimbabwe Open, Rourke van der Spuy at Mopani Redpath Zambia Open and Neil Schietekat at Sun City in June. Well done to you all. This is the time of the year when we have some time to reflect and plan for the busy season ahead and we are proud to announce that The Alfred Dunhill Championship will return to our schedule later this year. Leopard Creek has recently undergone some significant improvements and we look forward to seeing our members take
on this new challenge in the Lowveld in December. Alfred Dunhill has been a steadfast supporter of our Tour over many years and we thank them for their loyalty and commitment to the Sunshine Tour. Sponsorship is the lifeblood of our business and without sponsors we are not in a position to create playing opportunities for our members. We are extremely proud of the successes of our professional athletes both at home and on the international stage and we doubt whether we would be able to continue to produce great champions without the ongoing support of our sponsors and partners. We can never say thank you enough to you all. At the time of writing this report we are about to head to The Open Championship in Carnoustie to attend the International Federation of Golf Tours meetings and many other meetings which affect the daily business of golf in general and our own Tour. Many of you will not know that we are proud to be a founding member of the International Federation of PGA Tours which is comprised of the PGA Tour, European Tour, Asian Tour, Australasian Tour, the Japan Golf Tour Organisation and ourselves. The Federation also owns the Official World Golf Rankings and plays an important role with regards to the various World Golf Championship (WGC) events. These meetings take place bi-annually in Augusta during Masters week and
at The Open Championship and gives us an important opportunity to participate in discussion and decisions relating to the world of professional golf and to unlock opportunities for our members. We are extremely proud of our close relationship with the R&A Golf Club of St Andrews over many years and the Open Championship is the jewel in their crown, a championship all aspirant professional golfers want to win. We look forward to seeing many of our stars in action at Carnoustie this year and hopefully a South African will again raise the sought-after Claret Jug. The Big Easy/IGT Tour is in full swing and our collaboration has resulted in more events this year. This mini development tour provides an opportunity for many aspirant players and our own Gary Player Class and we know that the experience gained on this tour will equip those players with the skills and experience to win on the Sunshine Tour. After 6 events, Dylan Mostert
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leads the Official Order of Merit with two wins and a top ten finish.
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The Sunshine Tour would like to thank the following partners for their valued support.
We have recently signed a cooperation agreement with South African Senior Golf and this new senior tour will now fall under our brand umbrella and be known as the Sunshine Senior Tour. Neville Clarke must be applauded for his efforts to get this tour off the ground and we are delighted that our members who are 50+ can now extend their playing careers on the senior Tour. The Sunshine Ladies Tour again had a remarkable summer swing of 7 events. We are currently in discussion with the Women’s Professional Golf Association about the future of professional touring women’s golf and we anticipate that the Sunshine Ladies Tour will grow significantly in the foreseeable future. Again, I must thank all the sponsors of events for helping us grow this important tour. The players committee under the Chairmanship of Oliver Bekker work tirelessly for the benefit of their fellow members and I would like to thank them for their support and interest in helping us run this business. In closing I would again like to thank our Board of Directors for their contribution to the success of this business. All our directors, with the exception of myself, are non-executive and give of their time freely and unselfishly. Thank you for your guidance and support of our efforts. Our Tour starts to shift gear at the back of July and I wish all the members good luck in the busy months ahead. See you on the fairways and thank you for your interest in the Sunshine Tour.
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Sunshine Tour Newsletter
MCILROY RETURNS TO SUN CITY
News the cities.” This year the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player is once again part of the Rolex Series – the premium category of tournaments on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, with a prize fund of US$7.5 million at the event in South Africa – and will be a pivotal tournament in helping crown the Race to Dubai Champion and European Number One the following week. McIlroy said: “I have been fortunate to win the Race to Dubai on three occasions and this year I want to give myself every chance of winning it for the fourth time. “So the Nedbank Golf Challenge is a huge week on my schedule and the penultimate event before we battle it out for the Race to Dubai title.”
Rory McIlroy has confirmed his participation in the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player with the four-time Major winner set to headline a world-class field at the penultimate Rolex Series event on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai from 8-11 November 2018. The former World Number One will tee it up in Sun City, alongside 2017 Masters Champion Sergio Garcia, for the first time since 2009 after a strong start to the European Tour season with consecutive top three finishes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a tied fifth result at the Masters Tournament, and second place at the BMW PGA Championship in May. The Northern Irishman has unfinished business in South Africa following his runner up finish to Graeme Storm at the 2017 BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni, with the crowd favourite set to return to a country he has always enjoyed both on and off the golf course. “I’m looking forward to going back to Sun City,” said McIlroy. “I haven’t been there in a long time, so I’m excited about playing it. “I’ve always had a great time in South Africa whether it be playing golf tournaments, going on safari, or visiting some of
Tournament host Gary Player said: “I am thrilled that Rory McIlroy will be competing in Africa’s Major this year at the Gary Player Country Club in South Africa. Rory is a four-time Major winner and the crowds simply love rooting for him so no doubt his participation will bring even more energy to the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. We are going to have a fantastic field and we are all very excited to watch the drama on the course unfold in November.” Mike Brown, Chief Executive of Nedbank, added: “The Nedbank Golf Challenge is a world class platform to showcase our country and the golfing talent that abounds in South Africa and around the world. We are delighted that it continues to attract the top players in the world and look forward to hosting Rory McIlroy and other golfing stars at Sun City for Africa’s Major.” Anthony Leeming, Chief Executive of Sun International added: “We are excited to welcome back Rory to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, hosted by Gary Player, for the first time since 2009. The Nedbank Golf Challenge has a history of always attracting the greatest players of a generation to the Gary Player Country Club for this event. “I have no doubt that Rory making the decision to include Sun City on his schedule will convince a number of other top players to do the same this year, especially with our positioning as the second last tournament on the Race to Dubai and as part of the prestigious Rolex Series. Rory is also a tremendous friend of South African golf who has a huge following in this country, and his presence in this year’s field is bound to make for a memorable tournament.”
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VAN DEN BERG CLOSING IN ON HIS 400TH START Ulrich van den Berg is one tournament away from reaching a whopping 400 starts in his 19 years as a professional golfer on the Sunshine Tour, a milestone many can only dream of. The 43-year-old Van den Berg turned pro in 1999 and has amassed an unprecedented 104 top-10s while falling outside the top-50 on the Order of Merit only twice. In his rookie season – the 1998-99 season – he finished 97th and in 2008, he ended the year occupying the 57th spot. “Somebody told me in Swaziland that I was on 396 and maybe they got it wrong,” said a surprised Van den Berg. “So, I thought I would still be a couple short of 400. It has been fun. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been long, 19 years later and it’s 400 events, obviously coming up. It has had lots of ups and downs, but I met all the great people on the way. I enjoyed most of the time.” A disciplined professional, Van den Berg has won seven times since gracing the fairways as a professional on the Sunshine Tour, however, even after such successes, his ambition to achieve more remains intact. “From a playing perspective, I think I could have done a bit better,” he admits. “I think everyone has regrets, but most of all I’ve had a good time. I
have been privileged enough to travel the world, pretty much almost every continent. I would love to win again. I would love to compete at the top level in terms of the Sunshine Tour. I would love to be able to contend in some events and see if I can win again.” Finishing out of the top 50 on the Order of Merit only twice in two decades is testimony to the kind of competitor Van den Berg is. “I think I have been kind of a steady performer. You are always the master of your own success or demise. So, in that respect, you know you are going to take it on the chin and be able to accept that you get what you get in golf,” he said. Van der Berg is a strong believer that taking care of one’s health as a professional athlete is one of the ingredients for success and longevity. “I’ve always tried to keep fit,” he said. “I have always trained all my life with running and weight work. Maybe the fact that I have been able to stay fit has allowed me to keep my performance level up.” Unfortunately for Van den Berg, though,
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he will not reach this milestone at the forthcoming KCB Karen Masters in Kenya as he is recovering from surgery. “I’ve been getting quite ill of late, so we probed my health and we had a CT scan done and we found a cyst that had grown through from the top of one of the roots to one of my molars, that had grown through my jaw to my sinus cavity and it was seriously affecting my sinus cavity. Basically, my immune system was very low and I was getting sick at the drop of a hat. In Kitwe, is where I really got sick and I found myself in a hospital there, and suddenly you start questioning your health but thankfully my doctor sent me for the scan which revealed the problem with the sinus cavity,” he said.
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Sunshine Tour Newsletter
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A FITTING PRESENT FOR GRACE AT TRINITY FOREST Branden Grace gave himself a proper 30th birthday present when he carded a final round nine-under-par 62 in the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship at Trinity Forest Golf Club which saw him finish in a share of third on Sunday. “A good birthday present,” said Grace about his final round. “Things didn’t look too good at the start of the day, people playing out there and things like that. Couple hours later it was good.” The final round of the 2016 RBC Heritage champion, which boasted eight birdies and an eagle, was spoilt by the bogey he made on the par-four 13th. “It was good. Obviously, all pretty much started off with the bunker shot, birdie on the 1st. Otherwise, you’re
looking at maybe making a good par off of that start. Then I just played along. Gave myself some good chances. But I hit a lot of shots good today which was nice. I never really had those big birdie putts, big momentum putts you had to make and things like that. The eagle there, the bunker shot hole-out, it was pretty special.” Grace said. The setup of the course – designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore – did not only need a solid game plan for Grace, but also a bit of luck. “A little bit of imagination, a
little bit of luck here and there. You get more luck on the links golf course than maybe on a normal golf course. Breath of fresh air playing something different this week instead of the week-in, week out. It was fun.” He said. This event marked the final week for the PGA Tour players who are not otherwise exempt, to finish in the top 60 in the world ranking to be exempt for the U.S. Open in June, and the top 50 to be exempt for the British Open, a month later. Grace moved up to 33rd this week from 36th last week in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He is ranked 26th on the Race to Dubai behind fellow South Africans Dylan Frittelli who occupies 17th and Louis Oosthuizen at 21st.
TOUR GOES TO KENYA FOR 2018 KCB KAREN MASTERS The Sunshine Tour will be going deeper into Africa in 2018 when the KCB Karen Masters will be played just outside Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi from 19 – 22 July at Karen Country Club. The title sponsor of the R2,000,000 tournament is Kenya Commercial Bank, and that partnership substantially expands the Sunshine Tour’s reach into sub-Saharan Africa. “We are really pleased that a partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank has given us this opportunity to expand the Sunshine Tour into fresh territory,” said Sunshine Tour Commissioner Selwyn Nathan. “Giving our members opportunities on an international stage is very exciting, and we believe the partnership will grow into the future. KCB Marketing and Communication Director Angela Mwirigi
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highlighted the importance of the event in Kenyan sports circles by saying, “ The KCB Karen Masters remains our most visible vehicle to share the greatness of the sport. The tournament is on course to becoming the pre-eminent professional competition in East Africa. We expect a thrilling competition, and, hopefully, it will provide massive excitement for the fans.” Speaking at the launch, Gary Todd, Tournament Director of the Sunshine Tour said, “Firstly, we’re excited to get this tournament going. Venturing into Kenya and partnering with Kenya
Commercial Bank reaffirms what the Sunshine Tour is about. We’re going to make the KCB Karen Masters a hit on the 2018 schedule.” Founded in 1937, Karen Country Club prides itself in being one of the oldest golf clubs in Kenya. A large part of the 18-hole course was built on the former coffee estate developed by the Danish pioneer, Karen Blixen, whose life and times were depicted in the lyrical film ‘Out of Africa’. Indeed, the shade trees from her coffee plantation still dominate parts of the golf course, 80 years after they were planted.
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Karen Country Club has one of the finest golf courses in sub-Saharan Africa. The club has come a long way from the small, flat greens, to slightly larger greens to cope with higher everyday usage. The 25-million shillings in redesigning and remodelling all 18 greens has proven to be a substantial step in making Karen Country Club a first-class golfing facility. The course is a superbly maintained par 72 for men, and a challenging 6,341 metres (6,934 yards) in length from the championship tees.
HARDING’S METEORIC RISE ON THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING Justin Harding’s dramatic Lombard Insurance Classic win in May – was his second victory in as many weeks – it served to show just how much a Sunshine Tour player can benefit on the Official World Golf Ranking playing just local tournaments. Harding didn’t only solidify his position at the top of the Order of Merit after five events in the new season, he also earned a significant movement on the world ranking for a completely locally-based player. While Harding’s winnnings at the time ensured a R240,000 gap between himself and Rourke van der Spuy who sat second behind him, it is his meteoric rise on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) which is impressive. After 23 events last season on home soil, Harding finished the year ranked 712th with eight missed cuts all year long. Fast forward five months and the man from Stellenbosch
is 57 spots away from the much sought-after position inside the top 100 on the OWGR. While self-confidence is vital and a positive thought process a golfer’s friend, even an optimistic Harding could not have predicted this sort of climb. After the first event of the year, the BMW SA Open, he was ranked 716th. With the movement of other players, Harding would enter the season-opening Zanaco Masters lying 422nd and he missed the cut. A week later, after finishing in a share of fifth at the Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open, his stock began to rise again, catapulting him up 42 spots
to position 380. A runner-up finish at the Mopani Redpath Zambia Open saw him move up five spots to 275th in the world.
play-off triumph against Jake Roos, his surge up those world rankings continued, as he jumped up 29 spaces to 157th this week.
Following his victory in the Investec Royal Swazi Open a fortnight after the runnerup finish in Kitwe, Harding was well inside the top 200 players in the world and claiming the top spot on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in the process. He went into last week ranked 186th and following that hard-earned
To put things into perspective, in five months, Harding has won twice, made two topfives and missed one cut while moving up 559 spots from 716 when the year started to 157 today. That’s a solid feat for any payer who has played all his tournaments locally thus far.
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Sunshine Tour Newsletter
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GOLF DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA BROKE NEW GROUND WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE BIG EASY IGT CHALLENGE TOUR IN APRIL especially for amateurs, to play a full season to learn the necessary skills required for a future in competitive golf. “We offer a season-long schedule of 54-hole and 72-hole events with a 36-hole cut where they can learn to play under pressure and cope with fluctuations in performance so that they can make an informed decision about their future. Our schedule is built around different varieties of championship courses to expose players to any type of course they may face at the highest level. “Partnering with the Sunshine Tour to host the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour will create an even stronger competitive platform that will enable local players to prepare here on home soil for the next level in their careers.”
The Sunshine Tour launched the Big Easy Tour in 2014 as a mini-tour designed to give a wider crosssection of professionals the chance to play in competitive professional events, with the top five players at the end of each season progressing on to the Sunshine Tour. The IGT Challenge Tour, which started in 2010, has evolved into South Africa’s premier golf development tour. Supported by the success of their alumni, the IGT Challenge Tour has become a proven springboard to the Sunshine Tour. “Both tours enjoyed tremendous success and the achievements of the Gary Player School members who campaigned on the IGT Challenge Tour in 2017 further motivated us to look for a way to combine the two tours to advance the growth and development of golf in South Africa,” Nathan said. “This new joint venture enables us to stretch the existing Big Easy Tour from eight to 16 events and this will undoubtedly benefit our up-and-coming players.” IGT Challenge Tour commissioner Cois du Plooy welcomed the collaboration, saying that joining forces with the Sunshine Tour is a major step in ensuring a sustainable golf development programme in South Africa. “It is a very well documented fact that development tours are critical to a player’s progress,” said Du Plooy. “It is important,
The new venture offers added incentives for Big Easy Tour and IGT Challenge Tour members, which Nathan and Du Plooy believe will further raise the standard of competition on the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour. “The field size for the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour events will be 120,” Nathan explained. “Once the Big Easy Tour members have entered, the IGT Challenge Tour members will fill the field according to their Order of Merit rankings. “Furthermore, IGT Challenge Tour members can have their earnings count towards the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour Chase to The Els Club Copperleaf by taking out affiliated membership of R1 000. The leading five IGT Challenge Tour players and ties will automatically qualify for the next Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour event.” Du Plooy added: “The top 10 ranked players the final Chase to The Els Club Copperleaf will qualify for the Sunshine Tour and, in addition, players ranked 11 – 25 and the top 15 players on the IGT Challenge Tour Race to Q-School Order of Merit will also automatically qualify for the Final Stage of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School. All these incentives make for a very competitive golf development programme.” Sunshine Tour Players Committee Chairman Oliver Bekker applauded the new venture. “By combining their resources, the Sunshine Tour and IGT Challenge Tour now can offer a comprehensive golf development tour geared at giving the players the best of
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both worlds. The up-side is a highly competitive tour for all the participants with plenty of incentives that will reward those truly committed to taking the next step in their golfing careers.” The IGT Challenge Tour’s PGA and R&A certified staff will run the tournament administration in conjunction with a
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tournament director from the Sunshine Tour and the Sunshine Tour will administer the prize money payments for the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour. The 2018 Chase to The Els Club Copperleaf was launched on 3 April 2018 with the first Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour event at Killarney Country Club.
PLAYER RANKING PER TOUR We have played six Sunshine Tour tournaments this season, and after the Lombard Insurance Classic, all players in Category 9 were re-ranked based on their earnings for the season. The biggest mover in the rankings was Ryan Tipping, who moved up 73 positions. The next highest mover was CJ du Plessis, who moved up 66 positions. Sunshine Tour Order of Merit rankings; Rank
Name
Rank
Name
Rank
Pieter Moolman
▲ 63
102
Jade Buitendag
▼9
24
James Hart du Preez
▲ 52
103
Luke Trocado
▼9
26
Anton Haig
▲ 35
104
Wayne Stroebel
▼9
27
Louis Albertse
▲ 31
31
Thriston Lawrence
▲ 26
32
Philip Eriksson
▲ 37
33
Steven Lecuyer
▲ 53
37
Duane Keun
▲ 53
38
Ruan Conradie
▲ 42
42
Basil Wright
▲ 41
Rank
51
Jason Viljoen
▲ 27
36
Teboho Sefatsa
▲ 60
55
Tyler Hogarty
▲ 27
46
Thabang Simon
▲ 65
56
Roberto Lupini
▲ 27
54
Altaaf Bux
▲ 47
-
61
Franklin Manchest
▲ 37
62
Derick Petersen
▲ 44
1
Justin Harding
2
JJ Senekal
3
Rourke van der Spuy
4
Daniel van Tonder
5
Alex Haindl
59
Jason Smith
6
Bryce Easton
65
Damon Stephenson
▲ 10
7
Jaco Ahlers
66
David McIntyre
▲ 26
8
Colin Nel
68
Erhard Lambrechts
▼ 2
9
Lyle Rowe
70
Heinrich Bruiners
▲ 1
10
Jake Roos
88
Theunis Bezuidenhout
▼ 28
91
Gideon van der Vyver
▼ 27
94
Sean Bradley
▼ 20
95
Ty Capps
▼ 16
96
Marthin Scheepers
▼ 15
97
Ruan Huysamen
▼ 12
98
Victor Lange
For the full table please see the following link: http://sunshinetour.com/stats/ sunshine-tour/order-of-merit/ The biggest Q School graduate move, was made by Pieter Moolman, who moved up 63 places in the rankings. The Q School graduates are listed in the table below with their new ranking position.
Name
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The biggest Vusi Ngubeni Q School graduate move, was made by Thabang Simon, who moved up 65 places in the rankings. The Vusi Ngubeni Q-School graduates are listed in the table below with their new ranking positions. Name
72
Allister de Kock
▲ 27
105
Makhetha Mazibuko
▼ 8
106
Irvin Mazibuko
▼ 6
107
Thabo Moraba
▼ 5
108
Adriel Poonan
▼ 5
109
Yubin Jung
▼ 5
110
Phumlani Maluka
▼ 5
111
Gerrit Foster
▼ 4
▼ 11
112
Sipho Bujela
▼ 4
Jabulane Mabilane
▼ 4
99
Estiaan Conradie
▼ 11
113
100
Michael Schutz
▼ 11
114
Keelan Africa
▼ 4
101
Philip Geerts
▼ 10
115
Fezekile Kana
▼ 3
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Sunshine Tour Newsletter
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BUHAI RAISING SOUTH AFRICAN FLAG Reigning Joburg Ladies champion Ashleigh Buhai is no stranger to the winner’s circle on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, but like any athlete, her desire for more and tougher competition is unquenchable and as such, she aims to make a name for herself abroad. While many players often complain about having to play a lot of golf in a single season, Buhai, in contrast, enjoys every minute she gets on the golf course and says her schedule, which entails playing on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, the Ladies European Tour and the Ladies PGA Tour, isn’t something that bothers her an awful lot. “I’ve always been one to play a lot,” she admitted recently, “I think it has to do
with I needed to travel a lot as a junior in order to play a lot overseas as a South African. So, I think that’s why I still enjoy playing.” Since her Joburg Open victory, Buhai went on to claim the Investec SA Women’s Open in the last quarter before jetting off to the United States where she has made 17 starts while missing the cut seven times. She boasts two top 25s this year and the share of seventh she got at the
ShopRite LPGA Classic for Simply Give in June. “I’ve been close the last few weeks,” she said after that tournament. “I felt that some weeks I’ve been hitting it great and my putting let me down and vice versa. In the last two days, it just all finally started to click and I tried to commit and swing through the ball this week. We found a little something on the range on late Thursday and I was able to take it into play on Friday.” With three Ladies European Tour wins and eight on the Sunshine Ladies Tour under her belt, Buhai is used to competing at the highest level and it might just be a matter of time before she claims her second LPGA Tour victory.
CITY LODGE RENEWS TOUR PARTNERSHIP DEAL The Sunshine Tour has extended its relationship with one of its longest-serving partners, the City Lodge Hotel Group, for a further three years. City Lodge has had a long relationship with the Sunshine Tour as the official accommodation sponsor. What is today called City Lodge Hotel Pinelands (then called City Lodge Hotel Mowbray) was the first hotel to be located next to a golf course within a metropolitan area in South Africa. “Golf is a major sport in the business travel market, which is our key focus area,” said Zuki Jantjies, Divisional Director: Sales and Marketing of the City Lodge Hotel Group. “Being the official accommodation sponsor of the Sunshine Tour certainly sits well with our brands. We look forward to working with the Sunshine Tour for the mutual benefit of both parties. “We have certainly enjoyed our relationship with the Sunshine Tour over the years, and we will be actively seeking to gain
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more leverage and exposure from the relationship as it is one of our largest and longest standing sponsorships,” she added.
grateful for the opportunity to work with them and for the contribution to the growth of the Tour,” he added.
In turn, the Sunshine Tour is thrilled to have the successful relationship continue. “City Lodge is a key partner in the operation of the Sunshine Tour,” said Chief Operating Officer Grant Wilson. “Players and tournament staff certainly regard the hotels which are used during our tournaments as ‘home away from home’.
The City Lodge Hotel Group provides the Sunshine Tour with a fixed number of rooms annually which are used in the staging of tournaments throughout the country, while Sunshine Tour members receive 50 percent off the lowest advertised rack rate over weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and 15 percent off on weekday nights (Monday to Thursday).
“Partnerships such as the one with City Lodge are critical to the success of a business like the Sunshine Tour, and we are
The room deal is extended to all entrants of official Sunshine Tour events, including any non-members participating.
CONGRATS, 20 YEARS OF SERVICE ~ Clarina Davids Clarina, congratulations for your feat of 20 years with the Tour, take us back, who’s Clarina? I am the youngest of three daughters, born and raised in Stellenbosch. I matriculated in Cloetesville Senior Secondary School and started my career as a florist at the Spier Wine Farm and the J&B Met, as well as for Jewish Weddings. In 1998 I started as an Office Assistant at the Sunshine Tour – helping out wherever I was needed, and after only a few short years, I was officially appointed as the Receptionist. What is your favourite destination and why? The Kruger National Park is my favourite because I love the wildlife and being out in nature as well as visiting my family.
What do you do when you are not at work? I enjoy watching movies at the Cinemas, reading and long walks on the beach, as well as supporting my daughter along side the golf course. What would you say is your secret to serving such a long time with the Sunshine Tour? I have a passion for my work, because I understand the busy life of a pro golfer, together with commitment and dedication. Please take our readers into your office, what is your best and worst day in the office? The best days for me are, when I am the busiest behind my desk, my worst day would be when technology does not want to work, and I can not get in touch
telephonically with my colleagues on tour or deal with registrations and withdrawals in a timely manner. What are your fondest memories with the Tour? The fondest memories were always when, Louis Martin would show me appreciation for being me and for all the hard work and going the extra mile, as well as the friendship and bond we shared. Another fond memory was also when I worked a week in the media centre at the SA Open Championship at Pearl Valley, I truly learned a lot. What advice do you have for our readers? To always stay positive no matter how dark your days may seem or what life has to throw at you and to always have faith.
APOLOGY TO TOTO THIMBA Jnr Sunshine Tour would like to pass our sincere apologies to Toto Thimba (Jnr) for mistakenly naming him as Toto Mazibuko in the attached pictures from our first edition of the newsletter which was published in May. The pictures were taken during the Gary Player awards, which Toto finished third in the Gary Player class of 2017/18 Investec Order of Merit, 18 April 2018 at The Maslow Hotel. Sunshine Tour would like to congratulate Toto
3rd Place - Gary Player Award Toto Thimba (Jnr) (right)
Gary Player Class Winners FLTR: Toto Thimba (Jnr), Makhetha Mazibuko, Courtney De Barros, Keenan Davidse and Jacquin Hess
Thimba (Jnr) for his feat in the last season and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours in the current season of 2018/19.