Nedbank Golf Challenge programme by The Publishing Partnership

nedbank

GOLF CHALLENGE

29 November – 2 December 2012

Best of 2012 golf awards

Westwood aims for NGC hat-trick

The

caddies

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The long putter debate continues men behind

CALCAVECCHIA defends his nedbank champions challenge title

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contents nedbank golf challenge 2012

74 24

36 126 12

A warm welcome

From the Nedbank Golf Challenge organisers and sponsors

A big thank you

Thank you to this year’s sponsors

24 The 2012 golf awards

The players, tournaments and moments that made this year great

32 The dozen in the dollars

In its 32nd year and with a superb field, the Nedbank Golf Challenge promises to be another thrilling event for spectators and players alike

The field

Features, stats and facts on the defending champion and the rest of the field

70 A tribute to golf’s great player Gary Player – world golf legend, and one of South Africa’s most endearing sporting figures

116 72 You can see a putt, but can you see it? How specialised eye training can make all the difference to your game

74 The caddies behind SA’s greatest golfers The right-hand men who have led our greats to victory

The next big things in SA golf Meet the young guns making waves on local – and international – fairways

86 Challenge of champions

We welcome the Nedbank Champions Challenge players as the event enters its third year

106 The Olympic lords of swing How important will it be to win Olympic gold in golf in 2016?

111 A tale of two swings

A step-by-step look at the swing sequences of Martin Kaymer and Peter Hanson

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

What’s hot?

New equipment from the game’s leading manufacturers

126 Should the long putter be banned? Long putters are under scrutiny as more and more players win using them

132 A whole perspective

Take a hole-by-hole walk through the Gary Player Country Club course with us

148

Paying it forward

Sun International’s involvement with The Sports Trust, disabled golf and Scouts South Africa

152

Developments at Sun International

Refurbishments and renovations at a few of Sun International’s resorts keep guests coming back

160

Behind the scenes

165

Roll of honour

A look at some of the off-course activities from the 2011 event Winners, final scores and money earned in the tournament since 1981

FOR SUN INTERNATIONAL Director: Resorts Operations John Lee Tournament Director Alastair Roper Event Manager Leedam Vercellino Photography Grant Leversha, Gettyimages Sun International Public Relations Alison McKie Sponsor Liaisons Leedam Vercellino, Irooshka Govindsamy, Elardus Senekal, Warren Rudolph For The Publishing Partnership Editor Matthew Pearce Managing editor Wendy Maritz Art director Hilary Knight Executive directors Mark Beare, John Morkel Advertising sales manager Nic Morkel Advertising sales Sameegha Samaai, Grant van Willingh, Justin Lyons, Jean Ramsay. For sales enquiries for the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge programme, please call Nic Morkel on tel: 021-4885926 or cell: 082-468-6490. Advertising coordinator Janice Mclean Reproduction Hirt & Carter Printing Paarl Media KZN Produced for Sun International by The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg, 8018. Copyright Sun International 2012. Editorial and sales enquiries: Tel 021-424-3517, Fax 021-4243612, email info@tppsa.co.za. The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or Sun International. The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd and Sun International do not accept any responsibility for information published. For information on sponsorship and hospitality opportunities at the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge, phone Leedam Vercellino on 011-780-7471.

ed ito r’s le t ter

welcome to

the nedbank golf challenge

What exactly is it about this golf tournament that gets so many of us excited at this time of year? Perhaps it is precisely the time of year that has something to do with it. Your invitation or ticket to the Nedbank Golf Challenge is as clear an indicator as any that the end-of-year break is nigh and the unmistakable holiday feeling starts to take root. There are, of course, the golfers themselves who give us a rare kind of sadistic pleasure in the way they tackle a golf course that has proved itself such a brute to so many of us mere golfing mortals. Then there are the sideshows, the “added extras” that make a visit to this tournament so utterly memorable, whether you’re gazing at arguably the country’s most impressive fireworks display on Thursday evening, listening to some of South Africa’s very best musical and comic talent at the end of each day’s golf, or lapping up some truly five-star hospitality. Like the venue that will host this event for the 32nd time in 2012, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has something for everyone and never ceases to surprise

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

and amaze with its ability to “raise the bar” in terms of staging and delivery. There is much to look forward to again this year. History beckons for Lee Westwood, aiming to become the first ever player to win this event in three consecutive years, and it would be tough to bet against him, given his 2010 dominance, 2011 determination and his form coming into the tournament. But he has the majority of his European Ryder Cup team standing in his way and, regardless of how difficult first-timers have found it to win here, the massive confidence injection that incredible Ryder Cup final day gave the entire team will have made all of them believe that nothing is impossible. And to add some local flavour, Louis Oosthuizen – one of the form players globally in the back end of this year – and Charl Schwartzel will look to draw inspiration from a partisan local gallery. The Nedbank Champions Challenge sees the first two champions – Jeff Sluman and Mark Calcavecchia – returning to an incredibly strong seniors field, and what a privilege it will be to see Tom Watson in action over the course of this 54-hole event!

In this official tournament publication, we hope you will find the information on the players and the course useful and illuminating, but also the features we have put together to ensure that it remains relevant beyond the days you spend here at Sun City. Among other things on these pages, you will get a sneak preview of some of the latest equipment about to hit your golf shop’s shelves, have a PGA teaching professional analyse the swings of Martin Kaymer and Peter Hanson to see what you can learn from them, enter the debate around the possible banning of the long putter, look ahead to Olympic golf making its debut in 2016, and join us as we present some unofficial awards for the golfing year that was 2012. Enjoy it and, above all, enjoy the tournament and everything that goes on around it, both inside and outside the ropes. This Nedbank Golf Challenge will surely be, yet again, one of those weeks that will make you more proud of being a South African.

Matthew Pearce Editor

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welcome

celebrating 32 years of this premier golfing event is another milestone of which we are enormously proud

he Nedbank Golf Challenge

(NGC) signals the end of another successful year at Nedbank, with the bank being voted South African Bank of the Year by The Banker Magazine and Best Bank in South Africa by Euromoney International Finance Magazine, and winning the Financial Times and International Finance Corporation Sustainable Bank of the Year for Middle East and Africa Award for 2012. Additional highlights during the year included the successful introduction of a number of digital innovations to the market, empowering clients to do their banking securely, anytime, anywhere. The Nedbank App Suite™ was launched, built around Approve-it™, the best online security currently available in South Africa, together with MyFinancialLife™, the first-to-market secure, online personal financial management tool. Celebrating 32 years of this premier golfing event in South Africa is another milestone of which we are enormously proud. The Nedbank Golf Challenge has the distinction of hosting every golfer ever to hold the position of world number one since the official ranking system came into effect. This is a fitting tribute to one of South Africa’s greatest resorts and

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

golf courses, and reaffirms the tournament’s status as Africa’s Major. In addition to this flagship event, we also invest in golf development through the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open and support the First Swing golf clinics for children with disabilities. As the official banking partner to the Sunshine Tour, we are also the proud sponsor of the Nedbank Affinity Cup, a Sunshine Tour event. Nedbank is a founding trustee of The Sports Trust too and, together with Sun International, we contribute to golf development through The Sports Trust Challenge, a corporate fundraising event that takes place on the Monday after the NGC and raises R1 million annually for sports development. Many of you will have read about the Tournament of Hope to be staged in South Africa next year from 21 to 24 November. At the time of writing we are not certain what this means for the NGC, but we can assure you that Nedbank remains committed to South Africa’s golfing future and will continue to contribute to raising the profile of golf domestically. I would like to thank Garth Collins, Alastair Roper and the team at Sun International for the efforts that have gone into making this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge a truly memorable event. Thank you for your attendance. I trust you will have a fantastic time at Africa’s Major.

Mike Brown Chief Executive, Nedbank

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welcome

the annual tournament has grown in international stature and continues to attract the world’s highest-ranked players

t’s now more than 30 years since Sun International hosted the first Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club. Since then, the annual tournament has grown in international stature and continues to attract not only the world’s highest-ranked players, but draws thousands of spectators – and many, many more TV viewers – to what is by any measure one of the most dramatic and challenging courses on the world circuit. Over the years, as the Nedbank Golf Challenge’s reputation and purse have grown, we have been proud to welcome the very best players in the world to experience the natural splendor of Sun City. Just as exciting, is the prospect of the Nedbank Champions Challenge, in which Tom Watson will lead the strongest senior field we have ever assembled. He will be joined by a group of players who have

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

played at Sun City in several previous tournaments, among them Jeff Sluman, Nick Price, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and, of course, Mark Calcavecchia, who will be defending his title. As always, I am grateful to our sponsors who, even in these difficult economic times, have continued to demonstrate their confidence in the considerable marketing value of the Nedbank Golf Challenge and its irresistible appeal to the international community of followers of professional golf. In extending a warm welcome to all our guests, both on and beside the fairways and greens, I sincerely hope that this year’s event will prove as thrilling and rewarding as the tournaments of the past three decades.

Valli Moosa

Chairman, Sun International Limited

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welcome

Today, the nedbank golf challenge’s status as a prestige event on the international golfing circuit is well entrenched

he Nedbank Golf Challenge

occupies a special place in the Sun International calendar, and has been one of Sun City’s most popular and keenlyanticipated annual events since it started life in 1981 with only a handful of players. Today, its status as a prestige event on the international golfing circuit is well entrenched and it boasts official World Ranking points. As the European and North American winter follows the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup, as well as the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, South Africa’s summer sunshine offers the best golfers from around the world an opportunity to round off their year in an environment and atmosphere that are equalled by very few other tournaments. In 2012 Lee Westwood returns to defend his title against a strong field that includes European Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer, Scotland’s Paul Lawrie and South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen. In all, no fewer than seven members of the victorious European Ryder Cup team will be competing for a total purse of $5 million. The Nedbank Challenge also attracts vast numbers of spectators and golfing enthusiasts

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

who know that at Sun City they will be treated to not only a sporting bonanza, but to an array of entertainment that has come to characterize the resort. Sun International is particularly proud of our portfolio of golf courses, spread throughout the Southern African region and representing some of the best golfing facilities that the game has to offer. Each course presents golfers with unique challenges and all are highly ranked for their playability as well as their championship credentials. The group’s flagship course is the Gary Player Country Club here in Sun City, designed by the great man himself and the first layout to conform to USGA specifications when it was built in 1979. This year, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has again succeeded in drawing some of the circuit’s top players, while the Champions Challenge has assembled a powerful field of senior players, confirming its popularity as a tournament among some of the greatest golfers in the history of the game. On behalf of Sun International, it is my very great pleasure to welcome you to Sun City and the 2012 Nedbank Golf Challenge. May your stay with us be as memorable as it is enjoyable!

Garth Collins

Acting ceo: Sun International Limited

welcome

the tournament has welcomed some of the finest players in the world over the years and this year promises to be an exciting event

n behalf of the Sunshine Tour, I would like to take this

opportunity of congratulating Sun International and Nedbank on the staging of the 32nd Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. I would also like to welcome the professionals in both the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the 2012 Nedbank Champions Challenge, which features so many of the legends of the game, many of whom played on the Sunshine Tour early in their careers. The tournament has welcomed some of the finest players in the world over the years and this year promises to be an exciting event, with Lee Westwood, a great friend of South Africa, vying to become the first player to win three in a row. He will have stiff competition from the likes of South African-born Justin Rose and other members of the victorious European Ryder Cup side who will be trying to lift the coveted trophy. However, our South African boys will also be hard to beat, as usual. Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel continue to impress on the world stage, and Schwartzel,

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

in particular, will want to improve on last year’s showing in front of his home crowd. Louis has been in sublime form over the last couple of tournaments – a hot putter might well make him unstoppable around the Gary Player Country Club. Look out for Garth Mulroy, our 2011 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner: while he may not show much emotion on the course, he will be burning with desire to prove that he belongs in this elite field and the local support will no doubt lift him. Having playing privileges on both the PGA and European Tours is evidence of his quality and, while he will be disappointed that he has not done as well as he would have liked to in the US this year, he will be keen for a good finish to the year. Being sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour brings important Official World Ranking points to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and a win at Sun City can be an excellent way to finish the year by either consolidating or moving up the ranking for the world’s best. Finally, I would like to welcome you, the spectators to this wonderful event. Enjoy the start of your end-of-year holidays, but remember there is still plenty of fine golf to be watched over summer on the Sunshine Tour!

Selwyn Nathan

Executive Director, Sunshine Tour

sponsor thanks

a big thank you

Sun International and the Nedbank Golf Challenge Tournament Organising Committee express their warmest thanks to the loyal and dedicated sponsors who have supported this event

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

t h e b e s t o f 2 0 12

the 2012 Golf Awards

It’s been another banner year for global golf, and here are some of the moments, players and tournaments that have made it great

The Clutch Putt Award

A six-footer to win the Ryder Cup is already one of the biggest putts a player could be asked to make. Throw in the fact that you’re German, there’s a slight footprint indentation on the line of your putt, and everybody is thinking “Langer. 1991, Kiawah Island”, and suddenly it’s a whole different matter. Perhaps the most important putt in golf this year was Martin Kaymer’s six-footer on the final green at Medinah to beat Steve Stricker and ensure Europe retained the Ryder Cup. “There will never, ever be a more important putt in my life,” said Kaymer.

Golf’s First Olympic ‘Medal’ For 2016

With golf being included in the 2016 Olympics, the race to secure the contract to design the Rio 2016 Olympic Golf Course was a fiercely contested one. Whoever won it would secure a place in posterity. In the end, American Gil Hanse beat some of the biggest names in golf-course design to secure the contract.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

The WelcomeBack Award

The South African Women’s Open made its return to the international women’s golf circuit for the first time in three years this July. South Africa’s oldest women’s professional golf tournament reclaimed its place on the Ladies European Tour (LET) calendar.

Lydia Ko

Young Guns Award

Brooke Henderson

Guan Tian-lang

It’s been a year for the youngsters. In January, 14-year-old New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko became the youngest winner of a professional tournament when she won the women’s New South Wales Open by four strokes. She broke Ryo Ishikawa’s previous mark of 15 years, eight months, and Australian Amy Yang’s women’s record of 16 years and 192 days. Ko also went on to win the Canadian Women’s Open at the age of 15.

In April it was the turn of Guan Tianlang to make history by becoming the youngest player to compete in a European Tour event at 13 years, 173 days, when he teed it up in the Volvo China Open. Then in June, 14-year-old Canadian amateur Brooke Henderson won on the Canadian Women’s Tour. The march of youth continued when Andy Zhang became the youngest golfer to play in the US Open in June at the age of 14 years and six months.

Andy Zhang

The How-ToGet-It-Wrong Award

The Who-CaresAbout-ThatMastersMeltdown Award

In August, Rory McIlroy claimed his second Major when he won the US PGA Championship by a record eight shots at Kiawah Island. It was his second Major title and helped him to become, at the age of 23, the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour.

The biggest loser in the Ryder Cup was not the United States, or Davis Love III, or even Tiger Woods. It was ESPN golf columnist Gene Wojciechowski. Under the headline, “Ryder Cup all but locked up for US”, Wojciechowski wrote off the Europeans before Sunday’s singles. “It’s over... Time for the Europeans to fire up the private jets and head back home to Florida... I’ve got a feeling Team Europe is doomed. I’ve got a feeling that Tiger Woods isn’t going to go 0-for-Medinah. I’ve got a feeling that the eight veterans in that USA team room are reminding the four rookies it’s time to step on a few throats... It is as close to insurmountable as trying to climb Mount Everest wearing a T-shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops.” Oops.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

A LtChHeA M b ePsI O t N oSf C2 H 0 12

The Sheer Talent Award With his flair for the dramatic, Nicolas Colsaerts chose the day of his 18th birthday as the time to turn professional in 2000. A love for a good party saw him drop to 1 305th on the world ranking. Within three years of rededicating himself to the game, Colsaerts is a two-time winner on the European Tour and made history by becoming the first Belgian to play in the Ryder Cup when he was selected as a wildcard by European captain José María Olazábal.

The True Character Award

The What’s-In-TheWater-Down-There Award

It’s been another great year for South African professional golf. But you can forgive the world for wondering just how this country keeps producing such great champions. Especially the Americans. No sooner had top South African amateur Dylan Frittelli left the University of Texas after a sterling college career, than another young star in Brandon Stone started following in his footsteps. Stone teed off his college career in the Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament. He opened with a 69, then shot a nine-under-par 63 and finally a 72 to take the individual title and help his Longhorns team to win their first tournament of the season. His 63 featured seven birdies over his final 10 holes, and tied the lowest single-round score in relation to par in the university’s history. His performance saw him honoured as the Golf World College Player of the Week – in his first college tournament.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

After having his heart wrenched out of his chest by an unbelievable shot from Bubba Watson to win their playoff at the Masters, Louis Oosthuizen responded like a true champion. A week later, after travelling across 12 time zones, Oosthuizen won the Malaysian Open by three strokes.

The Giantkiller Award Charl Schwartzel took down Tiger Woods and then Rory McIlroy on consecutive days in the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final in October.

Best Event How could it not be the Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club? Down 10-6 going into the final day’s singles matches, the Europeans staged one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the Ryder Cup to win 14 ½ to 13 ½. There was Martin Kaymer’s nerve-racking six-foot putt to beat Steve Stricker. There was the spirit of Seve Ballesteros. There was the passion of Ian Poulter. No doubt about it, the Ryder Cup remains one of the greatest team competitions in all of sport.

The Tiger-TigerBurningSlightlyBright Award

Tiger Woods won three times on the PGA Tour in 2012, and he finished tied third in the Open Championship. Love him or hate him, that’s a great season by most standards.

Best Breakthrough

Branden Grace made history when he became the first player to win his first four European Tour titles in one year in 2012. Actually, he won five times worldwide this year, including the Joburg Open, Volvo Golf Champions, Volvo China Open, Vodacom Origins of Golf Final and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. All of this from a player who before the start of the year had to return to the European Tour’s Qualifying School to reclaim his playing privileges on the Tour.

Best Moment 1

Louis Oosthuizen didn’t give South African golf the fairytale ending we were all hoping for at the Masters this year. But he did write his name into Masters folklore with his albatross on the par-five second hole in the final round. A four-iron hit to perfection that drew an epic roar from the patrons at Augusta National Golf Club. It was only the fourth albatross in Masters history.

Best Moment 2

At the Volvo Golf Champions at The Links at Fancourt in January, the old and the new of South African professional golf came together on the 18th tee in a playoff. Rising star Branden Grace was up against Major Champion veterans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. If you’re Grace, what do you as the laaitie in a playoff situation with your boyhood idols? “I got on the tee, and there the two big men were. I said, ‘Howzit? Howzit?’ And off we went.” With that Grace beat his idols, and began writing his own history in the game. NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

t h e b e s t o f 2 0 12

Best Comeback 1

Ten years after his last Major victory, and following a steady slide down the World Rankings mirrored by a loss of confidence, Ernie Els won the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes. This after he missed the cut in the previous two Opens and failed to qualify for the Masters for the first time since 1993. Yes, his victory at Lytham was partly as a result of a spectacular collapse by Adam Scott. But it was Els who applied the pressure by posting four-under par on the back nine on Sunday, and the world of golf felt true joy.

Best Comeback 2

After he won the Open Championship in 1999, Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paul Lawrie admits he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t handle the pressure on him, and his game suffered. He slipped into depression and even thought of quitting golf for good. In 2012, he won twice on the European Tour and secured a place on the European Ryder Cup team.

The Sleeping Dragon Award

The Marathon Playoff Award

In September, Jiyai Shin and Paula Creamer battled it out over nine playoff holes before Shin won the Kingsmill Championship. It was the longest playoff between two players in LPGA Tour history.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

In June, Shanshan Feng became the first Chinese player to win a Major when she claimed the LPGA Championship. Not only was it her first Major title, it was also her first title on the LPGA Tour.

introduction

the dozen in the dollars

Now in its 32nd year, the 2012 Nedbank Golf Challenge promises to be a thrilling event for players and spectators alike

Martin Kaymer

Francesco Molinari

Bill Haas

Garth Mulroy

even members of Europe’s astonishing Ryder Cup team, one of them chasing an unprecedented third consecutive Nedbank Golf Challenge title, two multiple PGA Tour winners and three South Africans looking to feed off the energy of ever-enthusiastic home-ground galleries. Once again, the Nedbank Golf Challenge’s irresistible recipe is set to deliver its timeless entertainment value on the Gary Player Country Club course, while keeping the less fanatical visitors royally entertained off it. Defending champion Lee Westwood said in his trademark cheeky way before last year’s tournament that it was “impossible” for a first timer to win around this golf course, before

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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introduction

securing a comfortable two-stroke victory in defence of his 2010 title. One wonders, then, how much more confident Westwood will feel this year, with almost half of the field teeing it up at Sun City for the first time. Given that two of the rookies were Ryder Cup team-mates a couple of months ago, he will surely know to take nothing for granted. Those two, Nicolas Colsaerts and Peter Hanson, should both find this golf course to their liking, with the young Belgian being one of the longest hitters in the game before adding the advantage of altitude, and the Swede Hanson being one of the most consistent ball strikers on the European tour in recent years. Westwood witnessed first hand at the Ryder Cup just how destructive Colsaerts can be when in the right frame of mind, as he posted a 10-under par 62 as Westwood’s fourball partner in demolishing Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Intimidation clearly has no place in his vocabulary. Paul Lawrie, enjoying the ride of an extraordinary comeback year, has shown all the enthusiasm of a man 20 years his junior in a year in which he has won twice and earned an automatic Ryder Cup place as a 43-year-old. While he finished in a tie for last place on his only other appearance here as Open champion in 1999, Lawrie’s 2012 experiences will have convinced him that literally anything is possible. The other three Ryder Cuppers have all had experience at this tournament and, while Francesco Molinari battled to come to terms with the course last year, if he finds his touch on the greens he has the game to beat anyone, anywhere. Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer are two genuine title contenders and surely considered by the defending champion as the biggest threats to Westwood’s crown along with two of the three South Africans in the field. While the Ryder Cup is a matchplay, prize-money-less event, the players agree that the pressure that comes with it is like

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

Charl Schwartzel

local fans will be backing the South African trio as they look for the first home victory in five years nothing else they experience in professional golf. With that being the case, surely Rose and Kaymer will feel, after their experiences at Medinah, that they can cope with anything the game can throw at them. Rose’s birdie-birdie finish to beat Phil Mickelson from one down with two to play was arguably the key point in Europe’s victory, while Kaymer put the disappointment of an inconsistent year behind him in emphatic style by holing the clutch putt that ensured his team would retain the Ryder Cup. His form in strokeplay events since that massive confidence-booster has been ominous. And how Rose would love to win this event in the country of his birth, especially after having come so close before losing out by a stroke to Trevor Immelman in 2007. Potential dark horses this week are first-timers Carl Petterson of Sweden and Bill Haas, winner of 2011’s FedEx Cup and enjoying the unique privilege of having his dad, Jay, around for the week

as he takes part in the 54-hole Nedbank Champions Challenge. But local golf fans will be backing the South African trio as they look for the first home victory since Immelman’s win five years ago and Retief Goosen’s three years before that. Garth Mulroy gets his opportunity as winner of last year’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and, if judged on World Ranking alone, appears to be the field’s fish out of water. He will surely need a very fast start to be a contender on Sunday, but he does like this style of golf course and will want to prove to the galleries that he is more than deserving of his place. Charl Schwartzel has had a frustrating year in many respects, his putter has been streaky at best and he has made an admirable attempt to spread his playing efforts across the globe, which may have taken its toll. But at a tournament that played such a role in fuelling his desire to be a professional golfer when he came to watch Ernie Els here as a teenager, he will look to rediscover the spark that took him to a first major title in 2011. On form, however, the South African – and indeed the player in the field – with the best chance of unseating Lee Westwood from his two years of dominance is 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. In addition to his near miss at the Masters in April, Oosthuizen has put himself in winning positions in a number of big events this year and there could be no better end to the year for him than a Sun City victory. The rhythm and simplicity of his golf swing is greatly admired by fellow players and commentators alike and he clearly possesses the hallmark of so many great champions: a calm demeanour under the most intense pressure and scrutiny. But given Westwood’s dominance in 2010 and ruthlessness in 2011, along with his excellent current form, even the most patriotic South African would be hard pressed not to admit that the Englishman is the favourite again.

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lee westwood

s he stands on the brink of Nedbank Golf Challenge history, with the chance to become the first player to win three successive titles at Sun City, you can imagine that Lee Westwood is fairly calm about such matters. If anything, Westwood has learnt in a career that went from an all-time high to unfathomable lows, and then back to even more than he ever dreamt possible, that there is value in remaining in the present. He showed this during his unbelievable third round of 62 in last year’s tournament. When the weather delay interrupted that round, Westwood was asked what the first thought was that went through his mind. “What crossed my mind when the siren sounded? I thought it was a good time for lunch,” he said of the interruption. “They do a great stir-fry in the Player’s Lounge.” Westwood’s down-to-earth approach was also displayed when he became world number one for the first time in October 2010. When he heard the news, he was on his way to the supermarket to buy potatoes. In a period of great fanfare surrounding every single move his predecessor Tiger Woods made, this was as low-key as it came. But again, Westwood knows how fickle this game can be. In 2000, when he claimed seven victories worldwide and was sitting at number one on the European Tour Order of Merit, he included a victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Sun City as part of his achievements that year. And he was narrowly beaten in a playoff for the Nedbank Golf Challenge by Ernie Els at the end of the year. In 2001 he climbed to fourth on the World Rankings. But then came the inexplicable crash in form. In 2002, Westwood dropped to 259 in the world.

When he reached the top in 2010, it was only apt that he should celebrate with a victory at Sun City

In the 2001 Great North Open, he shot an 81 and missed the cut. He admits he was close to giving up the game for good. But Westwood was used to proving people wrong. At school, his teachers would often write on his report card, “Spends too long staring out of the classroom window”. Clearly, a man with estimated career earnings of close to £30 million is not too concerned about that now. True to his character, Westwood worked his way back to the top. He rebuilt his swing with David Leadbetter and took to a rigid gym programme and diet that honed him physically. When he reached the top of the golf world in October 2010, it was only apt that he should celebrate with a victory on the fairways at Sun City.

And he did so in style, winning by eight shots. Westwood returned to Sun City a year later and beat another quality field by two strokes at the Gary Player Country Club. With that, the popular Englishman became only the sixth player in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge to successfully defend his title. With a final round of 73 for a total of 15 under, Westwood joined Seve Ballesteros (1983 and 1984), David Frost (1989 and 1990), Nick Price (1997 and 1998), Ernie Els (1999 and 2000), and Jim Furyk (2005 and 2006) as the only players to have defended their titles. “I’m delighted. It’s a great tournament to win. You just have to look at the names on the trophy to realise how special it is. It’s not the winning margin that is

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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important to me, but it’s the coming back and defending the title that is so satisfying,” says Westwood. It was a victory that was built on his brilliant third round of 62. “You’re always delighted with a good round on this golf course – you know you’ve played well,” Westwood said of his bogey-free round. He returns this year with the chance to make history. “I’d love to be the first to win three Nedbank Golf Challenge titles in a row. I’ve had a lot of support since coming here in 1998.” Westwood has definitely become a part of Nedbank Golf Challenge folklore. But while he has proved himself more than adept at winning “Africa’s Major”, the true fairytale ending to Westwood’s return to the upper echelons of the game would be a maiden Major victory. His best year in the Majors was in 2010, when he finished second in the Masters and the Open Championship. In 2009, he was tied third in both the Open and the PGA Championship. In 2011, he came close again with a third-place finish in the US Open. And this year he was third in the Masters and 10th in the US Open. The seriousness with which Westwood is chasing this goal is reflected in some tough decisions he made after missing the cut in the PGA Championship this year. He immediately split with his longtime coach Pete Cowen and was forced to take a temporary caddie in South African Mike Kerr, as regular bag-man Billy Foster suffered a bad knee injury. He’s also made a more permanent home in the United States to give himself the best possible

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Ping G10

IRONS

Ping i20

WEDGES

Ping Tour W

PUTTER

Ping Anser Milled 1

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Titleist Pro V1x

N ED B A N K G OL F C H A LLE N G E 2 0 1 2

chance at a Major title. And he’s taken inspiration from the late Major victories of both Ernie Els and Darren Clarke. “I’m not doing it for the sake of it. Any time you move your family from one place to another is a big decision. We’re obviously moving a long way but everybody is excited about it. I think playing over there on the courses all the time and with those kind of practice facilities and the right kind of weather should have a big effect, considering three of the four Majors are played there.” And Westwood has another ace up his sleeve. It’s no secret that the Englishman’s biggest stumbling block to winning a Major has been his short game. It has frustrated Westwood but it frustrated Tony Johnstone even more just watching it. So the Zimbabwean picked up the phone and assured Westwood he could help. “The boy has such talent, it’s frightening,” said Johnstone. And Westwood was certainly impressed with the immediate results. “It was amazing how quickly I’ve seen the improvements. My ‘feel’ on chipping has really come back. Tony just took me back to basics and simplified things...” It would be hard to bet against Westwood making history at Sun City this year. He’s won twice on the European Tour and Asian Tour, and he was once again on a winning European team in the Ryder Cup. And for a man who showed such character climbing back, it would be equally hard to imagine that he will not get that elusive Major title. “Winning a Major is the only thing missing for me. I’ve never been more disappointed than when I blew the lead on the final day at Turnberry and missed the playoff with Stewart Cink and Tom Watson. But I learned my game was good enough to win. I just need to finish.” But you can believe that he’ll enjoy the challenge a bit more this time. As Westwood says, “I know what it’s like to fall off the map. When you’ve felt the lows, it teaches you to enjoy the highs.”

biography BORN 24 April 1973 place Worksop, England TURNED PRO 1993 FAMILY Wife, Laurae; three children SPECIAL INTERESTS Films, snooker, cars, Nottingham Forest Football Club CAREER HIGHLIGHTS In November 2010 became world number one for the first time in his career, finished runner-up in both the Masters and Open in 2010, in the 2008 Ryder Cup he equalled Arnold Palmer’s record when he went 12 matches unbeaten, in 2000 he won seven tournaments and finished top of the European Tour’s Order of Merit 2012 highlights Won the Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour and the Nordea Masters on the European Tour, currently ninth on the all-time European Tour winner’s list with 22 victories 2012 majors Masters: T3, US Open: T10, The Open: T45. PGA Championship: MC World ranking 4 NGC record Ninth appearance. Finished tied fourth in 1998, fourth in 1999, second in 2000, fifth in 2001, tied fourth in 2004, tied fifth in 2008, first in 2010 and first in 2011

Number crunch European Tour Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 294.6 (46th) GREENS IN REGULATION 72% (29th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.71 (3rd) SCORING AVERAGE 70.49 (13th) MONEYLIST €1 642 087 (12th) As at 6 November 2012

p l ay e r p r o f i l e

NICOLAS COLSAERTS

icolas Colsaerts certainly has a flair for the dramatic. He chose his 18th birthday in 2000 as the day to turn professional and immediately secured himself a place on the European Tour. But the love of a good party saw him drop to 1305th on the World Ranking. It was a long, hard slog back to the top, but one from which Colsaerts has learnt valuable lessons. “I feel like I’ve led a few different lives. From the first day I got on tour, to playing okay, to completely losing it, to getting it back together and now being in the top 50 in the world. So I’ve been through a lot. I basically have seen the ups and downs, and so it got me to understand what really works for me.” He describes this time in his life as a “midlife crisis at age 25. It was just a life that doesn’t go with professional athletes, to be honest. You can’t go out and party and not practise. I took my situation for granted. I thought I was always going to be all right and, all of a sudden, you lose your game. You lose your confidence. You lose the motivation and you find joy elsewhere because you don’t find it on the golf course any more.” It was a trip to Australia in 2009 that brought the focus back. Colsaerts spent time at a golf academy in Brisbane, and the sight of younger, more motivated teenage golfers around him snapped him back to reality. Following a stint on the Challenge Tour

what’s in the bag? DRIVER IRONS WEDGES PUTTER BALL

Callaway RAZR Hawk Tour Callaway MB prototype Titleist Vokey Odyssey Black Series 1 Titleist Pro V1x

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

in 2009, he returned to the European Tour with a vengeance, and is now also a feature on the PGA Tour. His first victory on the European Tour came in the 2011 Volvo China Open. “I always knew I had this in me. It was just a matter of getting myself in gear and realising what I needed to do to become who I wanted to become. But I never lost faith because I knew I had it. I just needed to mature a little bit. “It was probably a good thing to take a bit of space from the game, step back from it and then realise how badly I missed playing good golf and understand all the things I could have done in my career. It was the right time to do it, to understand that I could be as good as anyone else.” That same year he reached the semifinals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship, losing to Ian Poulter. In 2012 Colsaerts continued his love affair with all things Volvo and won the Volvo World Match Play Championship when he beat Graeme McDowell one up in the final. It prompted Colsaerts to remark to the car manufacturer that he wished they would sponsor a Major. This year he made history by becoming the first Belgian to play in the Ryder Cup, when he was selected as a wildcard by European captain José María Olazábal. And Colsaerts loved his first taste of the Ryder Cup. “It was a lot of fun. I’ve never had so much fun and I want to have more. I dreamt about this. It felt wonderful to be able to produce and deliver on such a big stage with a lot of eyes on you and this unbelievable atmosphere.” Colsaerts was unbelievable in his fourball match with Lee Westwood against Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. His round of 10-under par included the most birdies of any round by a European rookie in Ryder Cup history.

biography BORN 14 November 1982 place Schaerbeek, Belgium TURNED PRO 2000 SPECIAL INTERESTS Sports, house music CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won the 2011 Volvo China Open on his way to finishing 20th on the Race to Dubai, his highest ranking to date 2012 highlights Won the Volvo World Match Play Championship, made his debut for the European team in the Ryder Cup at Medinah 2012 majors Masters: DNP, US Open: T27, The Open: T7, PGA Championship: MC World ranking 33 NGC record Debut

Number crunch European Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 318.6 (1st) GREENS IN REGULATION 75.7% (11th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.762 (42nd) SCORING AVERAGE 70.28 (8th) MONEYLIST €1 698 254 (11th) As at 6 November 2012

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p l ay e r p r o f i l e

bill haas

t’s going to be a true family affair when William Harlan Haas tees off at his first Nedbank Golf Challenge this year. With his father, Jay, competing in the Nedbank Champions Challenge this year and also having played in the regular Nedbank Golf Challenge before, Haas will have all the inside experience he needs. Haas is used to having plenty of golf experience around him, coming from a long line of golfers going back to his great-uncle Bob Goalby, who won the 1968 Masters. But it’s his father, Jay, whom Haas admires the most. “My dad is my golf hero and off-thecourse idol. I’m one of five kids, and he has talked about struggling on tour while he was raising us. He missed a few cuts in a row, and he said the pressure he faced was far different from anything he’d ever experienced, but he survived.” Haas turned professional in 2004 following a distinguished college career at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where he won 10 tournaments and received countless awards and accolades. Clearly, there was plenty of expectation placed on the younger Haas. “People expected me to be a big star after college but it took me longer.” He spent his first professional season on the old Nationwide Tour and earned his card for the PGA Tour at qualifying school at the end of 2005. His first season was a solid one,

what’s in the bag? DRIVER Titleist 910 D2 IRONS Titleist CB WEDGES Titleist Vokey PUTTER Scotty Cameron prototype BALL Titleist Pro V1x

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

highlighted by a finish of tied fourth in the Wachovia Championship, and he retained his card. In 2010 he made his breakthrough with victory in the Bob Hope Classic, and he’s since gone on to win a further three times. But Haas’s biggest payday came in 2011, when he won the season-ending Tour Championship and with it the $10-million prize for the FedEx Cup. His victory was built on an incredible shot out of the water on the 17th hole at East Lake. His ball was just visible in the water alongside the green, and Haas played a bunker-style shot that finished about four feet from the hole, which saw him make par in the playoff with Hunter Mahan. He won the next hole to take the title. It’s given him a bit more pocket money to indulge his passion for vintage muscle cars. “I have a ‘69 Camaro and would love a ‘67 Mustang. I’m not going to overspend, of course, but I’d splurge on a ‘65-’70 Mustang.” Haas was in the winner’s circle again this year with his victory in the Northern Trust Open. Playing on a Riviera Country Club course, one of the toughest on the PGA Tour, Haas dealt with the almost fanatical support of Phil Mickelson to claim a victory that has shown once again that he belongs amongst the top American players. According to his coach, Billy Harmon, “More than anything, he’s starting to believe. You don’t have to change anything with Bill. He just has to learn from experience, and he’s getting that now. He’s been in the hunt more often. He’s failed in the hunt, he’s succeeded in the hunt.” Haas has a few interesting quirks that the Sun City faithful should enjoy. On the greens, he marks his ball with a quarter for long putts and a penny for short ones. And he prefers to use a 1969 quarter to remind him of a good score.

biography BORN 24 May 1982 place Charlotte, North Carolina, US TURNED PRO 2004 FAMILY Wife, Julie SPECIAL INTERESTS Vintage muscle cars CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won the 2011 FedEx Cup, represented the US in the 2011 Presidents Cup 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Won the Northern Trust Open 2012 MAJORS Masters: T37, US Open: MC, The Open: T19, PGA Championship: T32 world ranking 35 NGC record Debut

Number crunch PGA Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 292.2 (68th) GREENS IN REGULATION 65.17% (89th) STROKES GAINED PUTTING .117(72nd) SCORING AVERAGE 70.48 (53rd) MONEYLIST $2 349 951 (33rd) As at 6 November 2012

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PETER HANSON

aking his debut in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, avid hunter Peter Hanson should feel quite at home in the bushveld atmosphere of Sun City. “Growing up in the Swedish countryside, we did a lot of hunting. We pursued everything from duck to moose... Recently, I’ve been practising bowhunting but with the way my shot is now, I’d never try to aim at an animal until I improved a little more,” he says. But there has been no doubt about his aim on the golf course. After turning professional in 1998, the Swede won his first tournament on the Challenge Tour in the Gunther Hamburg Classic. He had to wait until 2005 to claim his first victory on the European Tour, which came in the Open de Espana. But he’s gone on to win a further five times on the European Tour. He won twice in a very successful season in 2010, with a best finish of 13th on the Race to Dubai rankings in 2011. This year, Hanson won the KLM Open in a difficult time for him and his family. His son, Tim, was taken to hospital with a respiratory virus, and Hanson was close to withdrawing from the tournament. “I was thinking about him all the way around... And all of a sudden, golf doesn’t become that important any more. So that might be one of the reasons why I won that tournament,” he said. Over the past two years, Hanson’s best finishes in the Majors have included tied

what’s in the bag? DRIVER IRONS WEDGES PUTTER BALL

TaylorMade R11S TaylorMade MB Titleist Vokey TaylorMade Ghost Spider TaylorMade Penta TP5

seventh in the 2011 US Open, tied third in the Masters and tied seventh in the US PGA Championship. And at the end of October, Hanson held off Rory McIlroy to win the BMW Masters in China. “Before this year, I only dreamed about winning a Major. After playing well at Augusta, I can actually see myself winning one. That’s the first step. If I can put myself in position coming into the back nine, I think I can pull it off. You need a little bit of luck, for sure. That’s why, if you get only one chance, you have to make the most of it. It’s about putting yourself in contention as many times as possible.” This year, he also reached the quarterfinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship and finished tied fourth in the WGC Cadillac Championship. He has twice represented Europe in the Ryder Cup, in 2010 and 2012. His passion for the event was clearly displayed at Medinah this year. During the first two days of the competition, Hanson played in only one match, when he partnered Paul Lawrie in a 5&4 defeat by Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson in the Friday fourballs. When European captain José María Olazábal left him out of Saturday’s play, Hanson struggled to keep his emotions in check. “I didn’t take it very well but I took it for myself. I didn’t let it go out over anyone else. I just locked myself in a dark room and stayed there for a couple of hours. I didn’t damage the team, and that was the main thing.” Hanson is quite a sentimental character who holds a strong appreciation for the history of the game. He collects souvenirs from the great courses he’s been to, and will be hoping to add a few more from “Africa’s Major” this year.

biography BORN 4 October 1977 place Svedala, Sweden TURNED PRO 1998 FAMILY Wife, Sanna; two children SPECIAL INTERESTS Hunting CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won twice on the European Tour in 2010 to claim a place on the European Ryder Cup team that year, finished 17th on the 2010 Race to Dubai 2012 highlights Won the KLM Open on the European Tour, won BMW Masters, reached the quarterfinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship, and finished tied fourth in the WGC Cadillac Championship, member of the winning European Ryder Cup team, 2012 majors Masters: T3, US Open: MC, The Open: T23, PGA Championship: T7 World ranking 19 NGC record Debut

Number crunch European Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 292.2 (68th) GREENS IN REGULATION 69.4% (86th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.69 (2nd) SCORING AVERAGE 70.3 (9th) MONEYLIST €2 642 524 (2nd) As at 6 November 2012

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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MARTIN KAYMER

t took half a second. Martin Kaymer looked down at his crucial eightfoot putt in the Ryder Cup at Medinah, saw a footprint, and that’s when the thought came into his head. “I thought, Bernhard, okay, gone,” he says, referring to his countryman and mentor Bernhard Langer’s missed putt in the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island that cost Europe victory. But Kaymer was prepared. “I said to myself, ‘There’s no second doubt. Inside right, step up, make it’.” And he did, holing the putt that ensured Europe would retain the Ryder Cup. It has so far been one of the greatest highlights of a career that started when the Mettman Golf Club opened its doors in Düsseldorf, and a 10-year-old Kaymer wandered across the road from his home to the new golf club and hit his first few balls. By 15 he was already a scratch golfer. His amateur career included victories in the Austrian Amateur and German Amateur, and a tournament on the European Professional Development Tour (EPD Tour) in Germany. He then turned professional in 2005. Kaymer continued to play on the EPD Tour in 2006, winning five tournaments and the Order of Merit. Moving onto the Challenge Tour, Kaymer won the Vodafone Challenge on his way to earning a card on the European Tour for 2007. But even he struggled to adapt to life on Tour, and he missed the cut in six of his first seven tournaments.

what’s in the bag? DRIVER IRONS WEDGES PUTTER BALL

TaylorMade R11 TaylorMade rac TP TaylorMade xFT Ping Karsten Anser 2 TaylorMade Penta TP5

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

The turnaround came in October 2007, when Kaymer opened with a 61 in the Portugal Masters and went on to finish seventh. Two weeks later he finished sixth in the Volvo Masters, ending the season in 41st place on the Order of Merit. By 2008, Kaymer was the only player under 25 in the top 50 on the World Ranking. But it was his second-place finish behind Tiger Woods in the Dubai Desert Classic that year that really caught the attention of the golf world. He won twice on the European Tour in 2008 and 2009, and in 2010 made his biggest breakthrough. After missing the cut in the Masters, Kaymer finished eighth in the US Open and seventh in the Open Championship. Then in August he won his first Major – the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, becoming only the second German after Bernhard Langer to win a Major. That year he celebrated as a member of the European team that won the Ryder Cup in Wales, and won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. In 2011 Kaymer displaced Tiger Woods at number two on the World Ranking. And then, with his second-place finish in the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, he nudged Lee Westwood out of the world number-one spot. Kaymer had become only the second German after Bernhard Langer to be ranked number one in the world. This year has been a challenging one for Kaymer. He’s missed the cut in two Majors but has had four top 10s on the European Tour. But about his return to Sun City, Kaymer would probably answer in exactly the same fashion as he did when European Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal asked him before the singles matches this year if he was motivated and if he was ready. “Yes,” the German replied.

biography BORN 28 December 1984 place Düsseldorf, Germany TURNED PRO 2005 SPECIAL INTERESTS Football, basketball, go-karting CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won three tournaments on the European Tour and his first Major, the PGA Championship in 2010, finished the season as the European Tour’s number one, earned €4.5-million in prize money, became the first German to receive the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award on the European Tour, has been on two winning European Ryder Cup teams 2012 highlights Holed the putt that ensured Europe would retain the Ryder Cup at Medinah 2012 majors Masters: T44, US Open: T15, The Open: MC, PGA Championship: MC World ranking 34 NGC record Second appearance. Finished eighth in 2011

Number crunch European Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 293.1 (61st) GREENS IN REGULATION 72.9% (25th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.75 (35th) SCORING AVERAGE 70.77 (23rd) MONEYLIST €880 681 (24th) As at 6 November 2012

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PAUL LAWRIE

cot Paul Lawrie remembers his introduction to professional golf well. He had signed up as the assistant professional at Banchory Golf Club. The head pro, Doug Smart, welcomed him by handing him a vacuum cleaner. “That was my new best friend for the next three years,” says Lawrie. Lawrie thought he’d be content with being a club pro. But when he won the first professional tournament he entered, the Moray Seafoods Open, he focused on becoming a touring professional. His first big victory came in the Scottish Assistants Championship at Cruden Bay, and he rewarded himself by buying a new suit for the prizegiving. Lawrie has since gone on to win the Open Championship, be awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace, and feature in the Ryder Cup. But it was his Open victory at Carnoustie in 1999 that really defined his career. Lawrie was 10 strokes off the lead at the start of the final round but produced the greatest comeback in Open Championship history to eventually win in a playoff over Jean van de Velde and Justin Leonard. Unfortunately, though, history will forever remember this as the Open Van de Velde lost because of his triple bogey on the last when he tried to play a shot out of the Barry Burn. “People forget I had to qualify to get in, and I also had to birdie two of the last four holes to make it through at Downfield,” says Lawrie.

what’s in the bag? DRIVER IRONS WEDGES PUTTER BALL

TaylorMade R11 Wilson Staff FG Tour Titleist Vokey Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Titleist Pro V1x

“Jean and I both hit good shots on 17, with me slightly nearer, and when he rolled his in, he gave me a clenched fist, so when I holed mine, I returned the compliment and I was one ahead playing the last. “The crowd was going wild and I felt confident and calm. I hit a really good drive, Jean pulled his left, and Leonard was way back after using a 3-wood. I went through my normal routine, I picked out the Rolex clock as my line and told myself to make a smooth swing... and it was over. I then knew I was the Open Champion and, boy, did it feel good.” But Lawrie admits that he struggled to contend with the expectations after his Major victory. It took a massive toll on him emotionally, and he battled with depression and thoughts about quitting. At the root of it all was the feeling that he was not being given enough recognition for winning the Open: that it was Van de Velde who lost and not Lawrie who won it with a magnificent final round of 67 on a demanding day. But this year he’s enjoyed a stellar season in which he won twice – in the Qatar Masters, becoming only the second player after Adam Scott to win this event more than once – and the Johnnie Walker Championship. Lawrie is passionate about junior golf, which he supports through his Paul Lawrie Foundation. He also owns the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre in Aberdeen and has been named as the 37th most powerful person in British golf. “It was soon after winning the 1999 Open that I began to seriously consider what I could put back into the game and came up with the Paul Lawrie Foundation. It would be the biggest thrill of my life if someone from my Foundation won on tour, or won a Major,” says Lawrie.

biography BORN 1 January 1969 place Aberdeen, Scotland TURNED PRO 1986 FAMILY Wife, Marian; two children SPECIAL INTERESTS Aberdeen Football Club, cars CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won the Open Championship in 1999, twice represented Europe in the Ryder Cup, won Open de Andalucia in 2011 2012 highlights A two-time winner on the European Tour in the Qatar Masters and the Johnnie Walker Championship, member of the winning European Ryder Cup team 2012 majors Masters: T24, US Open: DNP, The Open: T34, PGA Championship: T48 World ranking 27 NGC record Second appearance. Finished 12th in 1999

Number crunch European Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 291.2 (83rd) GREENS IN REGULATION 72.6% (25th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.76 (40th) SCORING AVERAGE 70.76 (22nd) MONEYLIST €1 775 692 (10th) As at 6 November 2012

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

p l ay e r p r o f i l e

FRANCESCO MOLINARI

s the younger of golf’s famous Italian brothers, Francesco certainly doesn’t live in the shadows of his older brother, Edoardo. A three-time winner on the European Tour and twice a member of a winning European team in the Ryder Cup, Molinari is one of the quiet forces on Tour. Born in Turin, Molinari enjoyed a solid amateur career in which he won the Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship twice, and was also the winner of the Italian Match Play Championship in 2004. He turned professional in 2004, earning his playing privileges at the European Tour Qualifying School that year. In his first season, he retained his card with a finish of 86th on the Order of Merit. His rookie season was highlighted by finishes of tied 14th in the Barclays Scottish Open and tied sixth in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. But 2006 was the breakthrough season for Molinari. He finished eighth in the South African Open that year and then claimed his maiden European tour victory in the Italian Open in May. With that triumph, he became the first home winner of the event since Massimo Mannelli in 1980. He finished 38th on the Order of Merit at the end of a season that also saw him share second place in the Omega European Masters. Molinari continued his steady progress, and in 2008 he finished 24th on the Race to Dubai rankings. The following year, he joined world golf’s elite when he broke

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

into the top 50 on the World Ranking for the first time. A memorable year was capped by a team victory with his brother in the World Cup of Golf in China, in what was also a first title for Italy. The two brothers teamed up in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in Wales, which Europe won 14½-13½. But the crowning glory of Molinari’s individual career came in November 2010. At the Sheshan Club in Shanghai, the Italian closed with a 67 to finish at 19-under par and beat world number one Lee Westwood by a single stroke to win the WGC-HSBC Champions. He saw out the season with a finish of tied sixth in the Dubai World Championship, and ended a career-high fifth on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. But arguably the most impressive aspect of his 2010 season was the consistency he displayed in recording 11 top-10s. This year he won the Open de España on the European Tour, and lost in a playoff for the Scottish Open. Molinari has yet to make a real impact in the Majors. His best results at this level of the game were tied 13th in the 2009 Open Championship, and tied 10th in the PGA Championship that same year. This year he finished tied 19th in the Masters. But 2012 has really been all about another stunning European victory in the Ryder Cup. Here Molinari fought hard to halve the final singles match with Tiger Woods that earned Europe an outright victory of 14½-13½. Molinari could have conceded the match to Woods, as a tie already meant Europe had retained the Cup. But as he said, his captain José María Olazábal had asked for a win, not a tie. So he went out and halved with the 14-time Major champion, ensuring Europe won the Cup outright. And that is Molinari – quietly doing exactly what he needs to do, and getting better all the time.

biography BORN 8 November 1982 place Turin, Italy TURNED PRO 2004 FAMILY Wife, Valentina; one child SPECIAL INTERESTS Football, snowboarding, supporting Inter Milan CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Winner of the 2006 Italian Open and 2010 WGC-HSBC Champions, made his Ryder Cup debut for the European team in the 2010 event at Celtic Manor in Wales 2012 highlights Member of the European team to win the Ryder Cup, won his third title on the European Tour in the Open de Espana 2012 majors Masters: T19, US Open: T29, The Open: T39 PGA Championship: T54 World ranking 30 NGC record Second appearance. Finished 11th in 2011

Number crunch European Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 276.9 (200th) GREENS IN REGULATION 78.1 (4th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.78 (93rd) SCORING AVERAGE 70.4 (18th) MONEYLIST €1 852 201 (7th) As at 6 November 2012

p l ay e r p r o f i l e

GARTH MULROY

he 2011 Sunshine Tour champion golfer has certainly clocked up the air miles this year, splitting his time between continents to take full advantage of his PGA Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour privileges. Last year, Mulroy won the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, and a week later finished ninth in the South African Open to win the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit and secure his place in the 2012 Nedbank Golf Challenge field. He also had playing privileges on the 2012 PGA Tour courtesy of a top-25 finish on the 2011 Web.com Tour (previously known as the Nationwide Tour). The Alfred Dunhill Championship win carried exemption on the European Tour, and winning the Sunshine Tour’s moneylist meant exemptions into three World Golf Championships events and the 141st Open Championship. This year, the 33-year-old currently ranks in the top 80 on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai after 12 events, inside the top 180 on the PGA Tour’s moneylist after eight cuts made in 17 starts, and 76th on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit after two events. Among his best results this season are a tie for 22nd at the Greenbrier Classic and a share of 29th at the WGC Cadillac Championship, Travelers Championship and Frys.com Open on the PGA Tour. In Europe, he finished second in the Italian Open and tied for 27th in the PGA Championship.

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

As an amateur, Mulroy won the 1997 SA Royal Invitational, was considered one of South Africa’s top juniors and earned a golf scholarship to North Carolina State University. A 2001 NCAA All-American, Mulroy was a member of the first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference side and teammates with PGA Tour campaigner Carl Pettersson. He graduated with a degree in business. Based in Raleigh in North Carolina, Mulroy cut his teeth on the Tarheel and Triangle Tours and won 12 tournaments in two years. He turned professional at the end of 2002 and played the Gateway Tour, finishing eighth on the moneylist in just 10 starts. But then followed seven grinding years on the second-tier Web.com Tour, with time off at the end of the season to compete on the Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour, interspersed with a failed season on the PGA Tour in 2010. While his 2012 season has not been his best, the Umkomaas golfer says it has all been about continuous improvement and gaining more consistency and experience. “I’ve learned that at the bigger tournaments, where the top 20 or 30 in the World Ranking are playing, there is a notable difference, but that basically all the tournaments on both Tours are really competitive and the winner can come out of anywhere,” he says. “The biggest thing I’ve learned this year is to think better. It’s really about what goes on in your head. You get off to a bad start and you begin thinking about this and that and, the next thing, you miss the cut and it kind of steamrolls. You get caught up in what you should be doing instead of just getting on and playing.” His debut at the Nedbank Golf Challenge ranks right up there with playing in the World Golf Championships, the Open Championship and winning the 2005 Big Stakes Match

biography BORN 7 August 1978 place Durban, South Africa TURNED PRO 2002 FAMILY Wife, Christina; two children SPECIAL INTERESTS Sports CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Three-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, including the 2008 Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour at Arabella, 2008 Coca-Cola Championship and 2011 Alfred Dunhill Championship, winner of the 2011 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit 2012 majors The Open: T64 World ranking 181 NGC record Debut

Number crunch European Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 293.1 (61st) GREENS IN REGULATION 66.3% (161st) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.76 (44th) SCORING AVERAGE 71.13 (56th) MONEYLIST €354 264 (71st) As at 6 November 2012

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p l ay e r p r o f i l e

louis oosthuizen

t was bright and shiny, and for as long as he could remember, Louis Oosthuizen had wanted to get his hands on it. It wasn’t the Claret Jug. It was something he had to ask permission for from his brother first. The red 50cc Honda motorbike his brother bought from their grandfather was a fixture on their family farm at Gouritsmond near Mossel Bay in the Western Cape. “That bike was a legend on the farm,” says Oosthuizen. “I remember how badly I always wanted to ride it. It was old and slow. But I tell you, you could leave it standing for weeks and then get on it and it would start first time.” “The petrol cable broke and we couldn’t get a new one for it because the bike was so old. So my brother and I took a rope and we connected it to the accelerator and ran it over the handlebars. Sometimes it would stick and then things would get a bit scary on that bike. But it was great fun.” You want to know why Oosthuizen appears so calm on the golf course? Well, perhaps the prospect of being stuck on a rapidly accelerating motorbike barrelling down a dusty farm road puts the terrors of the Road Hole into perspective. Oosthuizen stunned the world with the composed manner in which he accounted for the biggest stars in the game on easily the biggest stage of his career, winning the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews by a staggering seven shots. It was the same calm he had about him in the 2012 Masters. While this Major may not have had the fairytale ending South African fans were hoping for, there is no doubt that Oosthuizen made his mark on the first Major of this year. In a dramatic final round at Augusta National Golf Club, Oosthuizen hit a 4-iron from 253 yards that pitched on

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

Oosthuizen’s calm demeanour stems from an unshakable belief in his ability

p l ay e r p r o f i l e

the front of the green and rolled into the hole. So the South African may not have claimed the green jacket, which he lost in a playoff with Bubba Watson, but he did claim a piece of Masters history – an albatross that makes him one of only four players to have achieved this in the history of the Masters after Gene Sarazen’s on the 15th in 1935, Bruce Devlin’s at the eighth in 1967 and Jeff Maggert’s at the 13th in 1994. On that magic Sunday at Augusta, Oosthuizen showed incredible calm in the face of pressure as he tied for the lead with Watson. That composure prevailed, even when the American hit a remarkable shot to set up victory at the second playoff hole. Those close to him will tell you that Oosthuizen’s calm demeanour stems from an unshakable belief in his ability. Odendaal Koen, Oosthuizen’s best friend, will certainly attest to this. Koen remembers the first time he slept over at Oosthuizen’s house. “I noticed a piece of paper above his bed. It said: ‘The greatest golfer the world has ever seen.’ It was the first thing he looked at in the morning and the last thing at night.” That belief shone through on that memorable day at Mossel Bay Golf Club in 2002, when he shot 57. “I played with two of my friends and won 27 skins that day. They weren’t very happy with me. It was a strange day. I made birdies at my first three holes and shot 29 on the front nine. I hit it close on 13 but missed the eagle putt. Then on 14 I hit it in the bush and thought, ‘Okay, that’s it. It’s over.’ But I found my ball, made par and then finished with three birdies and an eagle.”

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

It was evident when he won the 2008 Telkom PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg by 14 shots with a score of 28-under par 260, including rounds of 66, 63, 66 and 65. It was the biggest 72-hole winning margin in the history of the Sunshine Tour. Oosthuizen also came close to matching the biggest victory in relation to par in the history of the Sunshine Tour, which was Mark McNulty’s 29-under 259 in the Royal Swazi Sun Pro-Am at the Royal Swazi Sun Country Club in 1987. “I just played so well that week. Those were probably the four best rounds of my career. It was just one of those weeks where you can do no wrong.” But it took his staggering seven-shot Open Championship victory at St Andrews to truly make the golf world sit up and take notice. And when they did, they found out that Oosthuizen was indeed as humble as the earth he ploughed on his farm at Gouritsmond, and using the new John Deere tractor he’d bought with his Open winnings. The smile that Oosthuizen displayed as he lifted the Claret Jug – and to his credit as he shook the hand of Watson following his defeat in the 2012 Masters – was the same smile he had as a child riding a red 50cc Honda motorbike on his father’s farm. “Golf is definitely not everything to me. I’ve got my goals and I know exactly what I want to achieve,” says Oosthuizen, who in his own quiet way cannot help but make an impact on some of the biggest names in the game. On that Sunday at St Andrews in 2010, as he drove from the practice range to the Old Course’s first tee, Oosthuizen’s courtesy car was suddenly stopped. The door opened, a man stuck his head in and said, “Good luck, kid. I’m rooting for you.” “For Tom Watson to do that was pretty special,” says Oosthuizen. In truth, “special” and the name of Louis Oosthuizen have always gone together pretty well.

biography BORN 19 October 1982 place Mossel Bay, South Africa TURNED PRO 2003 FAMILY Wife, Nel-Mare, two children SPECIAL INTERESTS Hunting, movies CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Broke through for his maiden European Tour win at the 2010 Open de Andalucía and four months later won the Open Championship at St Andrews in only his ninth Major appearance, subsequently broke into the world top 50 and reached the top 20 at the end of 2010, Five-time European Tour winner, including back-to-back Sunshine Tour cosanctioned African Open titles in 2011 and 2012, and seven-time Sunshine Tour winner. 2012 majors Masters: 2nd, US Open: MC, The Open: T19, PGA Championship: T21 World ranking 6 NGC record Second appearance. 12th in 2010

Number crunch PGA Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 299.5 (23rd) GREENS IN REGULATION 68.78% (15th) STROKES GAINED PUTTING 0.35 (95th) SCORING AVERAGE 67.70 (11th) MONEYLIST $3 460 995 (15th) As at 6 November 2012

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CARL PETTERSSON

here would be nothing stopping Swedish professional Carl Pettersson from winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge on his debut, because he has never been one to follow the norm. For a start, you won’t find Pettersson in the PGA Tour’s fitness trailer or anywhere near a gym. Quite simply, he tried that once and his golf suffered. “In 2008 I had a good year. I won Greensboro. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do to get to the next level. I really started working out and eating better, and I lost 14kg very quickly. That was during the off season, and it really threw my golf game. In 2009 I played terribly,” he says. According to the big Swede, the attempt to lose weight and become fitter led to the decline in his golf. So he returned to his normal lifestyle and his golf improved. Pettersson won the Canadian Open in 2010, shooting 60 in the third round and lipping out with a birdie putt for 59. This year, Pettersson won the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour and achieved his best performance in a Major. He led the first round of the US PGA Championship and held a share of the lead after 36 holes. He went on to finish tied third despite being handed a two-shot penalty in the final round for a rules violation that was picked up by somebody watching on TV. On the first hole at Kiawah Island, Pettersson’s club touched and moved

what’s in the bag? DRIVER IRONS WEDGES PUTTER BALL

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

a dry leaf in the hazard during his backswing. It may not have cost him a victory with the kind of form Rory McIlroy was in, but it certainly cost him sole second place. Pettersson definitely believes he has the game to win Majors, and being based in the US and solely on the PGA Tour certainly helps this cause. With a father who took the family around the world with his job as an executive for Volvo, Pettersson was used to travelling from early on. He finished his education at North Carolina State University and turned professional in 2000. Pettersson spent two years on the European Tour, winning his first tournament in the 2002 Algarve Open de Portugal. That same year he went to the PGA Tour Qualifying School and earned his playing privileges there. And it’s where he has based himself ever since, even becoming a US citizen in January this year. In 2005 he broke through on the PGA Tour with a win in the Chrysler Championship, making him the first Swede to win on the US circuit since Jesper Parnevik and Gabriel Hjertstedt. But being a man of the world means Pettersson will, despite his great golf over the past few years, not play in a Ryder Cup in the foreseeable future. He is not a member of the European Tour, and his American citizenship was taken up after the age of 18. One of the PGA of America’s specifications for American qualification is that a player must become a US citizen before his 18th birthday. He could change his playing schedule to fit in more European Tour events. But the largely pragmatic Pettersson has made his life in the US and is clearly happy with his decision.

biography BORN 29 August 1977 place Gothenburg, Sweden TURNED PRO 2000 FAMILY Wife, DeAnna; two children SPECIAL INTERESTS Sports CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won the 2002 Algarve Open de Portugal, claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour in the 2005 Chrysler Championship, becoming only the third Swede to win on the tour 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Won the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, finished tied third in the 2012 US PGA Championship 2012 majors Masters: DNP, US Open: MC, The Open: T23, PGA Championship: T3 World ranking 28 NGC record Debut

Number crunch PGA Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 297.1 (36th) GREENS IN REGULATION 63.89% (125th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) .450 (20th) SCORING AVERAGE 70.01 (19th) MONEYLIST $3 538 656 (13th) As at 6 November 2012

“It’s too hard to play two tours at once,” Pettersson said. “It’s hard to compete on one, let alone two. I’ve seen others try to do two. It’s very difficult.”

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p l ay e r p r o f i l e

justin rose

t would be a study in itself to ascertain how many of golf’s biggest victories have been achieved in the solitude of a hotel room, where a player is often left with only his thoughts and bad TV. For Gary Player, a hotel room in Melbourne, Australia, provided the inspiration for his victory in the 1956 Ampol Tournament. “I was leading the tournament by four shots with one round to play. You can imagine how badly I wanted to win the tournament. Then it rained and the final round was postponed to Monday. I spent a lot of that Sunday visualising and preparing how I would go about winning. That evening, I was in my hotel room. There was a connecting door to another room. I was practising my putting against this door, and hitting putt after putt against it. I won the tournament the next day because instead of sitting there worrying about my four-shot lead, I was doing something positive and practising.” It was the same principal Player used to win the 1961 Masters, when he also went to bed on a four-shot lead over Arnold Palmer. And it’s a principal Justin Rose employed on his way to a crucial singles victory over Phil Mickelson during this year’s Ryder Cup at Medinah. Rose holed a 35-footer on the 17th as part of that memorable comeback from the Europeans. “I took my clubs home the previous night. I went back to my hotel room and hit a few putts on the carpet. I thought, ‘If I’m going to win my game tomorrow, I need to do something different’. For five minutes on the carpet, I clicked onto something about my grip pressure that allowed the putter to swing a little bit more freely. Just those little things – you never know when they’re going to pay off.”

Rose has usedPatience 2012 tois a entrench familiar himself theme wh as of to theSouth it one comes best players African golfers in the world trying to go fr

With his maturing role in the Ryder Cup and his victories in the WGC Cadillac Championship and the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final, Rose has used 2012 to entrench himself as one of the best players in the world. And he certainly didn’t have to rely on a late withdrawal to gain a place in this

year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge field, as he did in 2007. That year, Rose wrote in his website diary that the only disappointment in a thus far successful year was that he had missed out on qualifying for the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He’d enjoyed a consistent performance

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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p l ay e r p r o f i l e

in the four Majors, finishing tied fifth in the Masters, tied 10th in the US Open, and tied 12th in the Open Championship and US PGA Championship. He’d also posted several top fives on the PGA Tour and won on the European Tour amidst an impressive season there. But an invitation to the Nedbank Golf Challenge had at that point eluded him. In his diary, he said he was hoping for a withdrawal to make it into the field at Sun City. That withdrawal finally came and he was included among the elite field of 12. Rose’s form of celebration was to go out and win the European Tour’s season-ending Volvo Masters. In doing so, he also claimed his first European Tour Order of Merit title, snatching it from Ernie Els. And in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, he ran Trevor Immelman close before finishing second one stroke behind the South African on his debut in the tournament. As a South African-born professional, it’s understandable why Rose has always held the Nedbank Golf Challenge in such high regard. This year he returns on the back of another good showing in the Majors, where he finished tied eighth in the Masters and tied third in the US PGA Championship. And, of course, there was that victory over Mickelson. But Rose has always been a consummate gentleman on and off the golf course, and he showed this in his reaction to beating Mickelson. “For me to be involved in the thick of

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things down the stretch will provide me with stories for the grandkids. I really did have a great match with Phil where we went at each other hammer and tongs. It was the kind of game that no one deserved to lose. Phil really was the perfect gent on the course and after replaying the golf, I noticed how genuine his reactions were out on the course to my strong finish.” He also showed his maturity with his words about Adam Scott’s collapse in the Open this year. “That was certainly hard to watch as Adam is one of my close friends on tour. He is a great player and a proven winner, and this game can be harsh at times. Results can come and go, that’s why it is the pursuit of improvement that has to be the priority. If we lived and died by results, situations liked Adam faced would be tough to overcome.” Rose certainly knows what he is talking about. After stunning the world as the 17-year-old amateur who holed a 50-metre pitch on the 18th at Royal Birkdale to finish fourth in the 1998 Open Championship, he turned professional and showed immense character and resilience as he struggled through 21 consecutive missed cuts. It was quite apt that his career finally took off in South Africa. In 2002 he won the Dunhill Championship at Houghton Golf Club, and three weeks later he won the Nashua Masters at the Wild Coast Sun. At the age of 32, Rose can boast a game that is versatile enough to have seen him win on the PGA Tour (4), European Tour (5), Japan Golf Tour (1), Sunshine Tour (1), and the PGA Tour of Australasia (1). He’s also already featured in two Ryder Cups. Rose has matured into a top tour pro with an equally well-rounded game. “I don’t have a loose shot that’s plaguing me all the time. I feel like my game is well rounded at the moment – all aspects can pull through for me at different times.”

biography BORN 30 July 1980 place Johannesburg, South Africa TURNED PRO 1998 FAMILY Wife, Kate; two children SPECIAL INTERESTS Tennis, football, cars, architecture CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Claimed the biggest win of his career in the 2012 WGC Cadillac Championship, in 2010 he won twice in the space of four weeks on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he finished first on the European Tour Order of Merit 2012 highlights Beating Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy to win the WGC Cadillac Championship, beating Lee Westwood in the final of the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final, winning the Ryder Cup with Europe 2012 majors Masters: T8, US Open: 21, The Open: MC, PGA Championship: T3 World ranking 5 NGC record Fourth appearance. Second in 2007, ninth in 2008, T9 in 2010

Number crunch PGA Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 290.9 (84th) GREENS IN REGULATION 70.34% (1st) STROKES GAINED PUTTING .151 (128th) SCORING AVERAGE 69.54 (7th) MONEYLIST $4 290 930 (7th) As at 6 November 2012

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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CHARL SCHWARTZEL

t is a measure of Charl Schwartzel’s character that, at the start of the 2012 Masters, when he was asked by the world’s media how his life had changed since his victory in that Major the year before, he replied, “To be honest, I hope that I didn’t change as a person.” It was followed by a statement from one journalist who said, “What is it about South Africans? I’m waiting to meet a guy I don’t like. You have a nice demeanour, you’re gentlemanly and nice to be around.” And those are not platitudes you often hear in an international golf media room. But it’s a reality that nothing has changed in Schwartzel during his remarkable rise in international golf over the last three years. When Schwartzel won the Africa Open and Joburg Open back to back on the Sunshine Tour in 2010, he said with the humility that has been the hallmark of his career, “I feel like I can beat anybody in the world.” Schwartzel did exactly that at Augusta National Golf Club in April 2011. With four birdies over the final four holes, he took his place among the game’s elite in one of the most consummate victories ever witnessed on those hallowed fairways. It was the pinnacle of what has been Schwartzel’s steady and determined progression through the ranks of international golf.

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He became the third-youngest player – at the age of 18 – to earn a European Tour card. By the time he was 20, Schwartzel had already won on the European Tour at the 2004 Alfred Dunhill Championship. And at 22 he had already competed in three of the four Majors. Schwartzel qualified for his first Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2006 through the new criteria that allowed a place in the field for the winner of the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit. He finished fifth, and revelled in the realisation of a childhood dream that week. “My dad and I came to watch the tournament when I was younger. I was watching Ernie Els putting on the practice green. Then he left to tee off, leaving behind his golf ball. So I nipped under the rope and stole it,” he recalls. Schwartzel has had a solid, if not spectacular, season in 2012. He’s had two top-10s on the European Tour, and on the PGA Tour, where he bases himself, he’s enjoyed two top-fives, including fourth in the WGC Cadillac Championship. His WGC performance lifted him to a career high of sixth on the World Ranking. The Majors have not been as rewarding this year. His best was tied 38th in the US Open, while he missed the cut in the Open Championship. He also had to watch as his good friend Louis Oosthuizen was beaten in a playoff by Bubba Watson for the Masters, with Schwartzel looking forward to putting the green jacket on his friend’s shoulders. But at the age of 28, Schwartzel is already an entrenched member of world golf’s elite. And he has the confidence to match it. “I now feel that every time I pitch up at a big, major event, that I can win. That’s a pretty good feeling.”

biography BORN 31 August 1984 place Johannesburg, South Africa TURNED PRO 2002 FAMILY Wife, Rosalind SPECIAL INTERESTS Hunting, cars, flying CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won his first Major at the Masters in 2011, won seven times on the European Tour and five times on the Sunshine Tour, won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit three years in succession from 2005 to 2007 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Reached a career high of sixth on the World Rankings with his finish of tied fourth in the WGC Cadillac Championship 2012 majors Masters: T50, US Open: T38, The Open: MC, PGA Championship: T59 World ranking 32 NGC record Fourth appearance. Finished fifth in 2006, 10th in 2007, sixth in 2011

Number crunch PGA Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 295.8 (46th) GREENS IN REGULATION 62.65% (150th) STROKES GAINED PUTTING .118 (71st) SCORING AVERAGE 70.28 (36th) MONEYLIST $1 138 844 (83rd) As at 6 November 2012

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

CHARL SCHWARTZEL

GARTH MULROY

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN

PETER HANSON

MARTIN KAYMER

lee westwood

JUSTIN ROSE

FRANCESCO MOLINARI

BILL HAAS

CARL PETTERsSON

PAUL LAWRIE

NICOLAS COLSAERTS

PLAYERS 2012

APULA (A15310)

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

a tribute to golf’s

great

Gary Player hits his ceremonial tee shot at Augusta National in April 2012

player South Africa’s best-loved golf legend, Gary Player

n a lovely April evening at Augusta this year, Gary Player sat at the dinner table and entertained a group of friends with his stories from the Masters. And then he stopped to reflect on one of the greatest honours bestowed upon Masters legends. Player, the first international winner of the Masters in 1961, was going to become the first true non-American to serve as an honorary starter to the 76th Masters tournament, joining Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. “If I can just catch it,” he said, “then it’ll be good.” They could just as easily have been the same words that went through his mind when he first decided to turn

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

Gary Player on route to winning the 1961 Masters

professional, and launched a remarkable career of nine Majors on the regular tour, nine on the senior tour and 165 victories worldwide. Player is one of only five players to ever win the Grand Slam, and the only player to win the Grand Slam on both the regular tour and senior tour. And of course, there is the incalculable impact he has made as golf’s greatest global ambassador and humanitarian. In May this year, one of the greatest records in golf was honoured when Player became the 10th recipient of the PGA Tour’s Lifetime Achievement Award. “As one of the most accomplished, not to mention most-travelled, players in all of sports, Gary Player’s love of golf and

tribute

Right: Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer before the 2012 Masters ceremonial tee shots Inset: Arnold Palmer congratulating Gary Player on his victory at the 1961 Masters Tournament

his desire to use his talents to help everyone he comes in contact with make him most deserving of the PGA Tour’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. “You would be hard-pressed to find an aspect of the game or corner of the world that hasn’t been influenced by Gary and his positive attitude over the past 50-plus years. He epitomises the phrase ‘lifetime achievement’.” When he reflects on this, Player responds with the attitude of a man who knows what true achievement is. “True success is judged by your relationship with your fellow human beings. I’ve always believed that this life is about making a difference. It’s not about personal enrichment or glory. “An award such as this is a tremendous accomplishment that I am truly very proud of. I have achieved everything there was for me to achieve in the game. When I was younger, if you had asked me how I would like to be remembered, I would have told you ‘as a great golfer’. But now, if I am to be remembered at all, I would like it to be as a person who made a difference in this world. If golf has helped me to do this, then that is true lifetime achievement.” A golfer can be judged on how he treats his greatest competition, and here Player excelled in his ability to call his greatest rivals – Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer – his greatest friends.

True success is judged by your relationship with your fellow human beings... it’s not about personal enrichment or glory

“Of course we wanted to beat the hell out of each other. We wanted to beat each other every time we played. Heck, we wanted to beat each other playing cards. But we respected each other too much to let our competitiveness affect our friendship. We travelled together, stayed in each other’s homes. We still do so today. Our wives are great friends. I don’t think you’ll ever see a time like that in the game again – when three dominant players can be such good friends as well.” Player has spent a lifetime giving back through the game of golf, and his reason is simple. “Because I had so much given to me. My father took out a bank loan to buy me my first set of golf clubs. The members at Killarney Golf Club raised money for me to travel overseas and play

for the first time. I’m thankful for every bit of help I received along the way. And I lead a privileged life. So I do see it as my duty to give back to people who don’t have those opportunities. I want to look back on my life and say I’ve contributed more than just golf to this world.” But golf is a large part of what Player has given to this world. It’s been the constant of his life. And it’s why he still had one burning desire when he joined Palmer and Nicklaus as Honorary Starters at the Masters this year. “Of course I want to outdrive them,” he said at the time. “They hit it past me all my life. Now it’s my turn.” As was the case throughout a legendary career, Player did catch it. And it was good.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

v i s i o n ac a d e my

You can see a putt

but can you

see it Vision means something quite different to Dr Sherylle Calder. We find out how sportspeople are benefitting from her specialised eye training

t takes a strong woman to stare down Ernie Els and declare of his putting stroke, “That’s the worst I’ve ever seen.” But that’s exactly what Dr Sherylle Calder did when Els first called her to help him with his putting. That was in January this year. About six months later, Els had gone from being ranked outside of the top 50 in the world, missing out on qualification for the Masters and the butt of jokes about his poor putting form, to a Major winner again.

And Els will tell you it was Calder who quite literally opened his eyes to his problems on the greens. “I’m seeing it differently. You get your body in good shape. I’m trying to get my eyes in good shape,” says Els. Calder saw something as well. “I saw Ernie had something special and I said to him, ‘We’ll win a Major this year.’ Ernie laughed.” Els probably should have known not to take Calder’s words too lightly. After all, as one of the global pioneers in vision

skills in sport and the founder of EyeGym at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, Calder has worked with the biggest teams and athletes in the game. Her skills have transformed the sporting vision of the Proteas cricket team and the Springboks, England and New Zealand rugby teams. She’s worked with everybody from the South African hockey, netball, taekwondo and shooting teams, the Stormers and Bulls rugby teams, the Davis Cup teams, football teams both locally and abroad, Scottish

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

Commonwealth athletes, ICC cricket umpires and even Formula One drivers. But it’s in golf where Calder gets really excited about the potential of EyeGym. “Every person has muscles in each eye that can be trained and improved. The process skills can also be improved, and response skills of eye-hand, foot and body coordination can be enhanced. When players see more, they can assess the situation much quicker, therefore exercising their options and ultimately making better decisions. About 80-90% of decisions made in sport are based on visual information,” she explains. “Developing visual skills includes learning to use both eyes together effectively. Having both eyes move, align and focus as a team enhances your ability to interpret and understand the potential visual information that is available to you. “No game calls for more visual and concentration skills than golf, because golf requires a high level of analytical, intuitive and logical skills along with excellent visual-performance skills. This requires a clear and alert visual system and the ability to observe, retain, recall and respond. To excel in golf, the player must be an expert in the nuances of this intensely visual game.” New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell gave some insight into the power of Calder’s methods following his victory in the 2005 US Open. With the help of another vision specialist, Campbell discovered that when he lined up putts, there was a “non-convergence” of his eyes that caused him to tilt his head to try correct this. Basically, one eye was looking at the right point on the green, while the other wasn’t. As such, he was misreading putts. Campbell’s eye exercises involved holding up a tee about 15 inches away from his face, bringing it towards him until he saw two tees, then pushing it back out until he saw one again. Then he’d move the tee in circles and figure eights, following it with his eyes. The

Sportspeople spend an inordinate amount of time training, but until now have virtually ignored the critical area of vision’

Right: Sherylle Calder with Ernie Els during the PGA Championship

idea was to develop his eye muscles and get them working in unison. Calder’s exercises for Els involved playing a computer game for 15 minutes each day. He also had to watch a laptop screen and then hit the space bar every time a certain coloured ball appeared on screen. “It tells you something about his character, the fact that he was prepared to take on a whole new science and apply it,” says Calder. “I just said you need to get a routine going, get your focus right, look in the right places and coordinate what you see with what you do with your hands. It was just structuring. He was here and there, mixed up.” According to Calder, having good eyesight and good vision are two entirely different things. “Most people are born with the potential for good eyesight but vision, the ability to identify, interpret and understand what is seen, can be trained and improved. Developing visual skills

includes learning to use your eyes and your motor response more effectively.” Els is not the only one impressed with Calder’s science. Professor Tim Noakes says, “There are many areas of sports performance in which vision plays a major role. In some sports higher demands are made on specific visual skills. A full sportsvision evaluation would seem to be essential for any sportsperson who is serious about their sport and achieving peak performance.” Bryan Habana sent Calder a simple note: “Thanks for making my hands as quick as my feet.” Kim Williams, South African women’s amateur golf number one, said, “I can see an improvement in my putting as my distance control has improved greatly.” And as Morné du Plessis observes, “Sportspeople spend an inordinate amount of time training but, until now, have virtually ignored the critical area of vision.”

NE D B AN K G O L F C H A L L EN G E 2 0 1 2

the

caddies

behind saâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest golfers A closer look at the bagmen who have travelled with the greats on the road to victory

Zack Rasego and Branden Grace at St Andrews in October

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

r i g h t- h a n d m E n

here are few who can claim to know intimately the quirks of the Old Course in St Andrews. But when Branden Grace was closing out his fourth European Tour victory this year and had trouble reading the putts over the closing holes of the Old Course during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he turned to the one man he knew could help. “I said to Zack, ‘You’ve got to help me read these putts’,” says Grace, referring to his caddie, Zack Rasego. Rasego, of course, was the man who was on the bag when Louis Oosthuizen won the Open Championship on the Old Course in 2010. And after guiding Grace around the same layout for his latest triumph, even a member of the Royal and Ancient asked Rasego, “Do they get you just for this golf course, Zack?” South African golf has been blessed with some of the game’s greatest champions. And each one of them has had an equally impressive caddie at his side. Gary Player had Alfred “Rabbit” Dyer. Ernie Els has had Ricci Roberts. Retief Goosen has had Colin Byrne, Greg Hearmon, Glenn Murray and now brother-in-law Mark Pittock. Tim Clark had Gary Matthews. Charl Schwartzel has Wynand Stander. And Louis Oosthuizen had Zack Rasego. Player’s relationship with Dyer was one of the great bonds in South African player-caddie folklore. “Gary’s friendship with Rabbit was a genuine appreciation for the man; his ability as a caddie and his tremendous sense of humour,” says Player’s brother, Dr Ian Player. Player also thinks back fondly on those days. “Rabbit caddied for me for 18 years, beginning in the late 60s, and we had a wonderful relationship that I will always cherish. We travelled the world together,

Above: Great friends Wynand Stander and Louis Oosthuizen

Player’s relationship with dyer was one of the great bonds in south african playercaddie folklore and when he came to South Africa he stayed with me in my home, despite this being frowned upon by the government of the day. “Like me, Rabbit had a great sense of humour. I’ll never forget the first time he met Vincent Tshabalala. Vincent walked up to him and greeted him as brother. Rabbit looked at him and said, ‘Man, with a name as difficult as Tshabalala, you ain’t no brother of mine.’ “And at the British Open one year, Rabbit said to me, ‘Gary, in this place, I stick out like a fly in buttermilk.’” The relationship between a white South African golfer and his black caddie has always stood out on tour for the obvious reasons of politics. It made an impact on the great African

American golfer Charlie Sifford, who said, “Gary was the first guy to bring his black caddie, Rabbit, to England for the British Open, and he used to bring Rabbit back to South Africa every year for a tournament.” Player seemed to attract the real characters in the caddie world, none more so than Eddie McCoy. “I remember arriving at the 1978 Masters in good form. Eddie was my caddie for that week. He came to greet me and his arms were out and he said, ‘Hey Gary, I need a house, man.’ I started laughing, and I said to him, ‘Eddie, we all need houses.’ And he said, ‘But Gary, I really need a house. My family and I live in a crummy place,’ and he started to laugh again before adding even louder, ‘I need a house.’ “I said to him, ‘Well, Eddie, I’m playing well, so you’ve got a good chance of getting that house’. During that tournament, I never saw a caddie who was so nervous in all my life. When I was seven shots behind with one round to play, he wasn’t feeling too confident about getting that house. Then I played N ED B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 2

r i g h t- h a n d m E n

the front nine in 34 on the final day, and Eddie was feeling a lot better about the situation. He was getting a little bit encouraged, and could start to see a few windows going up in his house. “Then I started making all those birdies in that memorable back nine of 30, and all the way Eddie was like a cat on a hot tin roof. With every birdie I made he could see the roof going on, new doors being put in. When I holed the final birdie putt on 18, Eddie jumped from the side of the green like a grasshopper. He hugged me and thanked me for his house. Eddie walked off that 18th green so happy, it was like he had just become the Masters champion. He had a wonderful energy about him, and it worked for both of us that week.” While Ernie Els has had Ricci Roberts on the bag for most of his major international victories, his regular caddie in South Africa has always been Simon Masilo. And Masilo has fond memories of his time with Els. “He’s the man, and he takes good care of me.” Masilo was one of the first to send Els a text message congratulating him on his Open triumph this year. “It reminded me of all the South African Opens we’ve won together. Those are some of my favourite memories with Ernie. He played fantastic golf during those SA Open wins.” Zack Rasego made his name as the calm head who helped guide Louis Oosthuizen to his victory in the 2010 Open Championship on the Old Course. But if ever there was a sign of golfing destiny between these two, it came in the early weeks of 2004. The first time Rasego caddied for Oosthuizen was in the International Final Qualifier for the Open Championship played at Atlantic Beach in Cape Town that year. And they successfully qualified for the most historic Major in the game. “When you start like that, it’s got to be good,” says Rasego, who was born in the Magaliesberg region outside Pretoria. He was raised by a mother who was a domestic worker.

N ED B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 2

Masilo was one of the first to send Els a text message congratulating him on his Open triumph this year

Right: All of Ernie Els’ Major victories have come with Ricci Roberts on his bag

“The secret to my relationship with Louis was that we respected each other.” His words were echoed by Oosthuizen when he paid tribute to the role Rasego played that week. “Zack knew that you play the Old Course by feel and not by the yardage book. He gave me room when I needed it. He knew when to get involved and when to stand back. What he did, he did brilliantly.” Gary Matthews was a Sunshine Tour professional before he switched to the role of caddie. In 1998, the unheralded Matthews won the Vodacom Series Free State at the Schoeman Park Golf Club. But he found his true calling as the regular caddie for Tim Clark on the PGA Tour, before working for the likes of Camillo Villegas and now Spain’s Alvaro Quiros. As for his success with various players, Matthews is realistic. “It’s working now but I’ve been around the block. It could end tomorrow.” Caddies and their pros split for a number of reasons. For Goosen, it’s often a case of the relationship having a definite time frame. “My caddies over the years have been

with me for five or six years at a time before we’ve split up. After a while you’ve had enough of a caddie because you spend more time with him than you do with your wife. You’re together every day on the golf course. So I think five or six years is a good period to change to a new caddie.” And the caddies will tell you that you’re always just one round away from being fired. Or of going on what’s known in the caddie trade as “the family and friends plan”. That’s when the player swaps his caddie for a family member or friend. Roberts and Els have had their fair share of fallouts over the years. And for all Rasego’s success with Oosthuizen, even this relationship came to an end, with Rasego moving on to the bag of another rising star in Branden Grace. “A caddie is always looking for his last boss. But I never forget that this sport is fickle. I always tell young caddies to roll with the punches and when you have to move on, do it with pride. In so many ways, the next guy can just be your last boss,” says Rasego.

TEE OFF IN TSHWANE

SA'S CAPITAL GOLFING TOURNAMENT ERNIE ELS COPPERLEAF, CENTURION

The City offers a lively culture in the city with a variety of museums, monuments, historical buildings and art centres. Tshwaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich and colourful heritage is reflected in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s myriad of museums, monuments and is punctuated by contemporary arts and craft markets, making the city alive with a unique blend of old and new. Tshwane caters for all tastes and preferences in shopping, cuisine and entertainment. This Magnificent destination is not only about business, but also offers an array of experiences ranging from diversity of cultures, heritage, entertainment, wildlife, outdoor experiences and good weather all year round. We invite you to experience the City of Tshwane at the inauguration of the Tshwane Open golf tournament, from 28 February to 03 March 2013 at the Ernie Els Copperleaf Golf Estate. The Tshwane Open I Official Page www.twitter.com/ Tshwane Open

www.thetshwaneopen.co.za

The Sunshine Tour is proud to be associated with our official suppliers and partners, all champions in their own right.

It is through these partnerships that the Sunshine Tour, a founder member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is able to present world-class professional tournaments in Africa, setting the stage for our sponsors to shine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just as our players do.

After all, the Sunshine Tour is a rare place where champions, current and future, perform at the highest levels. Rich in talent, we create opportunities for professionals who are determined to continue the winning ways of those who have gone before.

Witness the emergence of Major champions in the making. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in their blood. It begins here.

www.sunshinetour.com

Champions

Meet the winners.

the next

big things in sa golf

Meet the shining young stars of South African golf

yo u n g g u n s

Far left: Simon Masilo and Allan Versfeld Left: Sunshine Tour rookie Danie van Tonder Below: George Coetzee has had seven top-10 finishes on the European Tour in 2012

PHOTOGRAPHs: Courtesy of Sunshine Tour (Luke Walker)

Right: Branden Grace was a five-time winner in 2012

‘I

think this kid has got great potential.” And when it’s Simon Masilo saying this about a young golfer, it pays to listen a little more carefully. As the regular caddie for Ernie Els for the past 17 years whenever he’s played in South Africa, most famously during the Nedbank Golf Challenge where he partnered Els to three victories, Masilo knows a thing or two about a good golf swing. And he likes what he sees in Allan Versfeld. The 56-year-old Masilo was ready to retire as a full-time caddie when the call came through to work with young Sunshine Tour campaigner Versfeld. In 2011 Versfeld was the Sunshine Tour’s Rookie of the Year, and this year he claimed his maiden victory on the Tour. All of which points to Versfeld being a name to watch. There’s no better way to identify the future stars than to speak to the local caddies on the Sunshine Tour. And when you ask whose bags they’re all trying to secure, Versfeld’s name used to come up regularly until Masilo took it. “The great thing is, this kid makes me feel like I’m 40 again. I think Allan is a good youngster with a lot of potential to become one of the better players. I’m glad

to have the opportunity to work with him, and we’ll just take it step by step,” says Masilo. Versfeld certainly appreciates having Masilo at his side. “You just learn from all his experience, and I think we’ll make a good team.” Another player to keep an eye on is Bryce Easton. The young Durban professional claimed two wins in three events on the Sunshine Tour in the middle of this year. And his love of pressure situations is what sets him apart. “I love being in the thick of things. As a junior I always enjoyed it because it made me concentrate. That’s why I play – to execute great shots and produce under pressure. It’s an awesome feeling...” Danie van Tonder is one of the leading rookies on the Sunshine Tour this year and certainly has the game, even if he still needs to refine his mental approach. But he also brings an element of fun and excitement to the fairways with a highly unorthodox swing. Van Tonder

epitomises the work ethic of the young professional. He’ll easily play 36 holes in a day for practice and works hard in the gym, using boxing to strengthen his upper body and keep him fit. Doug McGuigan, a 42-year-old veteran of the Sunshine Tour circuit who’s seen wave after wave of young talent come through, agrees that Versfeld, Easton and Van Tonder have bright futures. “We need some new youngsters coming through, and all three of them are very good,” says McGuigan. “Danie oozes confidence. We’ve had a few practice rounds together. What I like about him is that, apart from being very strong off the tee but also good with the putter, he does things his own way. Too many young pros worry about what other people think. Danie is his own master, and that’s a breath of fresh air on Tour. “Bryce beat me in a tournament this year, and he played incredible golf that week. He is such a gentleman. Respect is big for him and he shows it. All three of them have an incredible work ethic.” NE D B A N K G O L F C H A L L ENGE 2 0 1 2

yo u n g g u n s

But between the level of play of a Charl Schwartzel or Louis Oosthuizen, and players such as Versfeld, Easton and Van Tonder, there are the very definite prospects of Branden Grace and George Coetzee. At the time of writing, Grace led the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit and had won five times this year, four of these on the European Tour. And on two occasions he won back to back. “There’s probably nobody in professional golf at the moment with whom I’d like to play more, just to find out what makes him tick,” Padraig Harrington said of Grace. “He’s good enough to win an Open Championship,” added Ernie Els. In January 2012, Grace’s incredible journey began with victory in the Joburg Open – his maiden victory on the European Tour. It was a massive turnaround for somebody who only a few weeks earlier had to return to the European Tour’s Qualifying School after losing his card and spending 2011 grinding it out on the Challenge Tour. “This has been coming for a long time,” Grace said of his victory in Johannesburg, which more than anything was the culmination of his patience and a new understanding of the process involved in becoming a champion. “I wasn’t ready to be on the European Tour the first time. I was a good player but not great. Taking a step back was good for me. I kept believing in myself and kept trying.” The following week Grace achieved the biggest victory of his career to date when he beat Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a playoff for the Volvo Golf Champions title at The Links at Fancourt. “Standing on the tee with Ernie and Retief in the playoff was unbelievable. I was very calm, though. It’s one of those awesome things to know I’ve beaten two of my idols in a playoff.” Grace added his third European Tour victory in the Volvo China Open in April this year, firmly entrenching himself on the Tour. He followed this up with

NE D B A N K G O L F C H A L L ENGE 2 0 1 2

Patience is a familiar theme when it comes to South African golfers trying to go from good to great another win on the Sunshine Tour in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final, and then the following week claimed a massive victory on the European Tour in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. His next step will be to make it onto the PGA Tour. But again, Grace understands that it’s a process. And he credits Tiger Woods with teaching him this lesson. Grace made only his second start on US fairways in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village this year. In the third round, Grace watched his tee shot on the par-three 16th kick into the right rough, from where he made bogey. “If you don’t know the course or the secrets to the greens, the lines off the tees and where to hit it to stay out of trouble, you are guaranteed to walk off with a bogey or worse.” A day later, Woods was faced with exactly the same lie. He chipped in for a birdie on his way to victory. And the lesson was not lost on Grace. “If you really know a course like Muirfield the way Tiger does, you make a birdie on that hole and win. I didn’t know the slopes and I didn’t hit the deck on the sweet spot like he did. You can practise that shot 100 times, but hitting and landing that shot the way Tiger did... that’s something that comes with knowledge and experience. You have to get to know the courses. Only then can you really start challenging with real confidence. It could take a year or six, but you’ll get there. The experience I gain now will lead to more victories later on. Patience is key. “A few years ago my goals were too unrealistic. I didn’t understand the process. What I’ve been able to

accomplish this year is phenomenal and yes, it has exceeded my expectations to a point. But this is just the start, the jump-off point. My long-term goals are to win Majors and rank inside the top 10. That’s going to take some time, patience and experience. I understand that now.” Patience is a familiar theme when it comes to South African golfers trying to go from good to great. George Coetzee is still searching for his first European Tour title following a breakthrough season on Tour in 2011. He had eight top-10s last year on his way to finishing 26th on the Race to Dubai. And he’s been very solid on Tour this year as well. “I think I’ve become more patient on the golf course. I’m letting things happen rather than trying to force it. I’m also enjoying my golf a lot more,” he says. Much is also expected of Thomas Aiken, who has one European Tour victory but has the potential for far more, while Jaco van Zyl has shown himself capable of winning big events on the Sunshine Tour and is now seeking to translate this to success in Europe. But if there was ever an indication that South African golf has a very deep pool of talent, it occurred a few months ago. Amateur Brandon Stone opened his career as a member of the University of Texas’ Longhorns golf team with an individual and team victory in the Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament. Stone shot a first round 69, then a nine-under-par 63 and finally a 72. His 63 featured seven birdies over his final 10 holes, and tied the lowest singleround score in relation to par in the university’s history. His performance saw him honoured as the Golf World College Player of the Week – in his first college tournament. And it came shortly after another young South African, Dylan Frittelli, had left the same university at the end of a sterling college career. It makes you think that when somebody like Simon Masilo says, “I think this kid has got great potential,” the question needs to be, “Which one?”

The City of Tshwane to host the Tshwane Open TSHWANE IS A COSMOPOLITAN city with a rich heritage and cultural diversity. It is also the diplomatic capital of South Africa. Owing to its location, heritage and economic activity, it attracts travellers of all kinds- business, leisure, health and sport. The Tshwane of today is one of the most sophisticated and promising emerging markets globally. The unique combination of a highly developed economic infrastructure and huge emergent market economy has given rise to a strong entrepreneurial and dynamic investment environment. This magnificent destination is not only about business, but also offers an array of experiences ranging from diversity of cultures, heritage, entertainment, wildlife, outdoor experiences and good weather all year round. Sport, arts and culture, research and development, industry, learning and the business of running the nation are all captured in the daily lives of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2.5 million residents who make this city what it is. Tshwane is also the home to more than seventeen magnificent golf courses. The City of Tshwane is proud to associate itself with the Sunshine Tour known as the Tshwane Open being held at one of Tshwaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most magnificent golf courses, the Ernie Els Copperleaf Golf Estate. The Sunshine Tour represents the highest level of competition for male professional golfers in Southern Africa. The Tshwane Open is a 72-hole full-field event co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour and is one of six founding professional golf Tours that make up the International Federation of PGA Tours. It will be the sixth and last co-sanctioned event on the Sunshine Tour during summer 2012/13. I am inviting you to come and experience the splendour of the City of Tshwane and experience the inauguration of the Tshwane Open, a Sunshine Tour-Sanctioned tournament from 28 February to 03 March 2013 at the Ernie Els Copperleaf in Centurion- Tshwane. Councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR CITY OF TSHWANE

SA'S CAPITAL GOLFING TOURNAMENT ERNIE ELS COPPERLEAF, CENTURION The Tshwane Open I Official Page www.twitter.com/ Tshwane Open www.thetshwaneopen.co.za

introduction

challenge of champions Now in its third year, the Nedbank Champions Challenge will prove a major drawcard once again

arly in 2010, as the Nedbank Golf Challenge prepared to celebrate its 30th anniversary later that year, three-time champion Nick Price, who had quietly made his way into the Champions Tour ranks, approached tournament director Alastair Roper with what he thought was a “fun idea” to commemorate the occasion. Wouldn’t it be a good idea, he suggested, to get some past participants from the previous three decades back to Sun City and have an eight-man tournament within the tournament, with the participants sure to be in a relaxed and entertaining frame of mind. Well, the “fun idea” of a 36-hole commemorative event in 2010 quickly became a fully fledged 54-hole tournament last year and one of the form players of the Champions Tour in 2011, Mark Calcavecchia, proved too good for the field. Such has been the positive response from the Sun City galleries to the Champions Tour players and the quality of their play – they play some of the holes from tees slightly further up, but otherwise as the course is set up for the main field – the Nedbank Champions Challenge has already established itself as a “fixture” after two years. And clearly the word is spreading among the players on the US-based Champions Tour, as the field for this year is at its strongest yet and features five American players, who have often shied away from travel at this time of year. With no disrespect to the other players, the main drawcard this year is going to be the evergreen Tom Watson,

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

Mark Calcavecchia

Fred Funk

Jay Haas

Bernhard Langer

Nick Price

Jeff Sluman

Tom Watson

Ian Woosnam

eight-time Major champion and one of golf’s true legends, who only prolonged his universal popularity with his playoff loss to Stewart Cink in the Open Championship at the age of 59 at Turnberry in 2009. This will be Watson’s second visit to tournament golf at Sun City and he certainly concedes significant experience to the likes of two-time NGC winner Bernhard Langer, Nick Price himself, Ian Woosnam – who won here in 1987 when it was a winnertakes-all $1million purse – 2010 and 2011 Nedbank Champions Challenge winners Jeff Sluman and Mark Calcavecchia respectively, and fellow Americans Fred Funk and Jay Haas, who both played here after the 2003 Presidents Cup in an expanded field. For Haas, there is the special element of competing in parallel tournaments with his son Bill, who will be making his first appearance in the main field after winning the 2011 FedEx Cup. What has been clearly evident over the first two editions of the Nedbank Champions Challenge – and will doubtless endure – is that as relaxed as the players appear to be away from the course and even between shots with their interactions with the galleries and each other, the fiercely competitive streak that made them successful in their early careers and that has allowed them to endure into the senior ranks, continues to burn brightly. So what began as something of an add-on has quickly grown into a highly anticipated event in its own right, taking full advantage of the infrastructure and television already in place for the regular event. In more ways than one, this is a genuine challenge of champions.

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NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

MARK CALCAVECCHIA

olf doesn’t get more Old School than Mark Calcavecchia. Even his surname, translated from his native Italian, means “Old Crowd”. “The Calc”, who returns to Sun City as the defending champion in the Nedbank Champions Challenge, is one of the game’s most ordinary individuals. But ordinary only in approach, for in the more than 30 years that he has been playing tournament golf, Calcavecchia has assembled 29 victories, including a Major. At the peak of his powers in the late ‘80s, Calcavecchia arrived at Royal Troon for the 1989 Open Championship in two minds about competing as his then wife, Sheryl, was expecting their first child. It was an Open that seemed destined for Greg Norman, who started the final round seven shots off the lead and shot through the field with a brilliant course record 64. He was later joined on 13-under by Wayne Grady and Calcavecchia, who birdied two of the last three holes in regulation to make it into the playoff. In the first playoff under the new Open Championship format of a four-hole aggregate, Calcavecchia won with two pars and two birdies. With that triumph, he became the first American to win the Open since Tom Watson in 1983. He recalls how he stood over that final birdie putt, thinking, “Man, I can three-putt to win the British Open. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t hit the ball twice with the putter.” Ironically, it’s his putting that has been the most frustrating aspect of his game. But it’s not for lack of trying. By his own admission he owns about 200 putters. He once even used to play with two putters in his bag – a regular one to use for long putts and then a belly putter for the shorter ones. But it’s his long, flowing swing and that trademark high-cut shot that have kept him playing tournament golf for more than

three decades... and winning. He claimed his second Champions Tour victory in the Montreal Championship this year. Calcavecchia started taking golf seriously when his family moved from the Nebraska town of Laurel to Florida. He was playing up to 72 holes a day in what many consider America’s kingdom of golf. By 18 Calcavecchia had made his first hole-in-one, and went on to distinguish himself as a member of the University of Florida golf team. In 1981 he turned professional. Despite a solid career, Calcavecchia never thought he was destined to win a Major. So much so that he famously said, “I’d rather win the Ryder Cup than a Major.” Unfortunately, the Ryder Cup was the scene of one of his biggest heartbreaks. During the 1991 event at Kiawah Island, one of the most intense in history, Calcavecchia faced a singles match against Colin Montgomerie. It seemed the American was headed for a comfortable victory at four-up with four to play. But Calcavecchia lost all four holes and halved the match. Distraught, he walked off the 18th green, went down onto the beach, sat in the sand and broke down. Fortunately for him, he was spared any lasting ignominy as Bernhard Langer went on to miss the critical putt that handed the US victory. When it comes to his golf, Calcavecchia keeps things simple. So simple that he prefers not to even pack in rain gear. “I can’t swing in it,” he says. He’s also proud of his Italian roots. He and current wife Brenda were married at Lake Como in Italy, and he shares the Italian love for good food. And while he’s not a heavy drinker, Calcavecchia does agree with Benjamin Franklin’s opinion that “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”.

biography BORN 12 June 1960 PLACE Laurel, Nebraska, US TURNED PRO 1981 FAMILY Wife, Brenda; two children SPECIAL INTERESTS Bowling CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won 1989 Open Championship, won 13 PGA Tour events and one Champions Tour event, set PGA Tour scoring record in the 2001 Phoenix Open, set another PGA Tour record of nine consecutive birdies during 2009 Canadian Open, played on four American Ryder Cup teams 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Won Montreal Championship, eight other top-10 finishes

Number crunch Champions Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 286.4 (6th) GREENS IN REGULATION 71% (18) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.750 (4th) SCORING AVERAGE 69.75 (6th) MONEYLIST $1 361 067 (6th) As at 6 November 2012

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

fred funk

n 2005, Fred Funk had two career-defining moments. The one involved becoming the oldest golfer to win The Players Championship. The other involved a pink skirt. During a Skins Game with Annika Sorenstam, Funk made a bet with Sorenstam that if she could outdrive him, he would put on a pink skirt. She did so on the third hole, and Funk duly donned the pink skirt. “Well, I set myself up for that one. I asked her whether I could put on a skirt. It was kind of my idea if I lost the bet. She didn’t have anything to lose. It was neat. It ended up being one of the greatest moments of my career because it was on national television. It was a real lighthearted, fun thing. I probably hear more about me putting on that skirt than anything I’ve ever done. So that turned out to be one of the best moments of my golf career, believe it or not,” says Funk. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Funk turned professional in 1981. But he worked as a golf coach at his alma mater until 1988, only becoming a member of the PGA Tour in 1989. He’s represented the US in the 2003 and 2005 Presidents Cups and the 2004 Ryder Cup. On the Champions Tour, Funk has claimed seven titles, including three Majors. His third Major, the 2010 Tradition, came shortly after knee surgery. But Funk doesn’t hesitate when asked what he believes has been the highlight of his career – winning The Players Championship at the age of 51 in 2005. Another memorable moment in his career involved a practice round at Augusta National Golf Club with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. “I kept pinching myself, wondering if I was dreaming or not. From where I came from, to think that I could be playing with Jack and Arnie at Augusta

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

National, I thought you must be kidding. They got a standing ovation on every hole. I had goosebumps the size of my fist. I loved every moment of it.” Funk’s dedicated fans are known as Funk’s Punks, and they’ve grown to become a group that does an incredible amount of charity work. “It’s a group of neighbours of mine at home that started it. They’ve become a really big group... a big charitable organisation. They raised a lot of money for different charities, mainly Wounded Warriors. There’s a kid we helped build a house for who got paralysed in a football injury and we’ve been helping him out ever since... They’re a great group.” Funk has never been one to shy away from pure hard work, which explains his success over such a long period in the game. In fact, he bought his first car with money he earned delivering newspapers. Funk has battled injury during the past few seasons, including undergoing knee and thumb surgery. But he should arrive at Sun City in top form, following a victory on the Champions Tour this year. “I’m the best I’ve been in about three years between my knee and my thumb. Everything feels pretty good,” he says. And the injuries have done little to dampen the fun-loving spirit of a man who says he still can’t believe the kind of career he’s had. It’s a career that has also enabled him to rub shoulders with some golfing celebrities. “I’ve played with Alice Cooper, and he’s totally different on the golf course to on stage. Bill Murray is another favourite. You never know what’s going to come out of his mouth. And Adam Sandler was totally opposite to what I expected. He’s totally down to earth and a really nice guy.” His two favourite clubs are his driver and his putter, because, as he puts it, “I like to set up the hole, and finish the hole.”

biography BORN 14 June 1956 PLACE Takoma Park, Maryland, US TURNED PRO 1981 FAMILY Wife, Sharon; three children SPECIAL INTERESTS Water- and snow-skiing CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Eight PGA Tour victories (including 2005 Players Championship), Five Champions Tour wins (including three Majors), won Tradition (Major), seven other top-10 finishes on Champions Tour 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Won Insperity Championship, six other top-10 finishes

Number crunch Champions Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 267.8 (51st) GREENS IN REGULATION 72.13% (10th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.749 (3rd) SCORING AVERAGE 70.22 (13th) MONEYLIST $1 427 937 (4th) As at 6 November 2012

Expect Funk to do just that in his own inimitable way, and flashing that brilliant smile in this year’s Nedbank Champions Challenge.

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NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

JAY haas J

ay Haas has a strong golfing pedigree, beginning with his uncle and 1968 Masters champion Bob Goalby, and including a network of relatives who played and still play the game, even his son. Haas’s uncle Bob first introduced him to golf and taught him the fundamentals of the game. “My first tip from him was swing and finish with your belt buckle to the target,” says Haas. He won his first title at the age of seven – the National Pee Wee Championships in Orlando. In 1975 Haas went on to join the Wake Forest University golf team that included Curtis Strange and Bob Byman, and which Golf World has called the “greatest college team of all time”. They won the NCAA Championship, and Haas rose to become America’s top collegiate golfer. Following a distinguished college career, Haas turned professional in 1976. He would go on to win nine times on the PGA Tour during a career that is one of the most solid in the game. His best seasons were in 1982 and 1995. In 1982 he claimed 10 top-10 finishes, winning twice, and qualifying for the 1983 American Ryder Cup team. And in 1995 he claimed 11 top-10s and again earned a place on the Ryder Cup team. Haas has played on three Ryder Cup and two Presidents Cup teams, but has really distinguished himself on the Champions Tour with 16 victories. Even though he’s not a youngster, Haas is always one for having a good time. He even made a cameo appearance in Hootie and the Blowfish’s music video for their song “I only want to be with you”. But he does have the wisdom of age, and has been known to lend a bit of key advice at times. As was the case when his son and fellow professional golfer Bill Haas went into the final round of the 2004 Deutsche Bank Championship in third place. Bill looked at his playing partner for the final round of that event, saw that

it was Tiger Woods and then immediately phoned his dad. “So you’re playing with ‘the Man’,” Jay told his son. “That’s good. Just remember that you’re ‘the Man’, too.” As Bill says of his father, “He always seems to say the right thing.” Father and son share a very close relationship. When Bill made the American team for the 2011 Presidents Cup in Australia, father Jay served as one of the assistants to captain Fred Couples. It marked the first time a father and son featured in the Presidents Cup. Haas met his wife, Janice, as a result of her placing a bet on him during a tournament. “I remember noticing this girl in the crowd, and it turns out she had placed a bet on me in the neighbourhood pool after asking her dad, ‘Who is a young, up-and-coming no-name?’” A Major eluded Haas during his days on the regular tour. He came close in 1995, when he finished tied third in the Masters and tied fourth in the US Open. In 1999 he finished tied third in the PGA Championship. As solid as his golf is, Haas is equally well known for being one of the bestliked pros on tour, and a regular contributor to charity. In 2005 Haas received the Payne Stewart Award, and two months later the Murray Award for his cooperation with the media. He was also the recipient of the 2006 Bob Jones Award, the highest honour given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. Haas is no stranger to Sun City. He played in his first Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2003 and finished in the middle of the field. A year later, he tied fourth behind winner Retief Goosen. And his ever-competitive nature means he’ll return keen to claim a victory in the Nedbank Champions Challenge. “I’ve

biography BORN 2 December 1953 PLACE St Louis, Missouri, US TURNED PRO 1976 FAMILY Wife, Janice; four children SPECIAL INTERESTS All sports CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Nine PGA Tour victories, 14 Champions Tour wins (including three majors), played on three Ryder Cup teams 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Won Principal Charity Classic, seven other top-10 finishes

Number crunch Champions Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 278 (26th) GREENS IN REGULATION 71.95% (11th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.752 (6th) SCORING AVERAGE 69.94 (9th) MONEYLIST $1 234 571 (7th) As at 6 November 2012

always been competitive in anything that has ever involved a stick or a ball.” Keep an eye out for the English penny Haas always uses to mark his ball on the green – it could well pave the way for his collecting a few dollars at Sun City this year. NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

bernHard langer

any foreigners have walked the fairways of the Gary Player Country Club during the illustrious history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge. But few have become as well loved by South African golf fans as Bernhard Langer. In 1985 he became one of only four players to win the title at his first attempt, and in the same year he won the Masters for the first time. He claimed his second Nedbank Golf Challenge title in 1991. Born in a village in southern Germany, Langer grew up under the watchful eye of his mother, a waitress, and father, who had escaped from a Russian prisoner-ofwar train on its way to Siberia. His brother worked as a caddie, and this sparked Langer’s own interest in golf. After winning a few amateur tournaments, Langer turned professional at the age of 15. In 1974 he won his first pro tournament – the German National Open, a tournament he would go on to win 13 times. He joined the European Tour in 1976 and won his first title at the 1980 Dunlop Masters. And from there, he rose through the ranks of world golf to become the first player to reach number one when the official World Golf Ranking was introduced in 1986. He has amassed 85 career titles, most notably his two Masters triumphs in 1985 and 1993. Langer has always been a complex man, relying heavily on his Christian faith, which he adopted the week after winning the 1985 Masters. “I had just won the Masters, I was driving to Hilton Head with my beautiful wife, and I felt empty,” Langer recalls. When he arrived in Hilton Head, US professional Bobby Clampett asked Langer if he wanted to attend the Tour Bible study group. And that’s where Langer filled the emptiness. “My priorities were golf, golf and more golf, then myself, and finally a little time

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

with my wife. Every now and then, I prayed. I went to church. But if my golf game was not good, my whole life was miserable, and I made everyone around me miserable.” As a result of his rebirth, Langer describes his 1993 Masters triumph as more meaningful than the first, “because I won as a Christian”. Langer is not shy to declare that he cured himself of the yips through hard work and prayer. And perhaps something of the fondness South Africans have for him can be traced to their witnessing how the yips crippled one of the great golfers in the game in the 1988 tournament. He finished last at Sun City that year. Three years later, still in the grips of his putting woes, Langer missed the one single putt that would haunt him to this day. It was during the closing moments of the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island. Langer faced a five-footer that would have seen Europe tie with America and thus retain the Ryder Cup. He missed. Perhaps this is why Langer is so outspoken about the desire of golf’s ruling bodies to outlaw the long putter. “I don’t understand that they’ve been used for 20, 30 years and only now they say, ‘We think they’re illegal.’ So for three decades nobody won a Major with one. And now because three have, they’re illegal? I’m sorry, I don’t accept that argument. It doesn’t make sense.” In 2004, he went a long way to exorcise his 1991 Ryder Cup demons when he led the European team to victory. Since he joined the Champions Tour in 2007, Langer has been a revelation. His victory in the SAS Championship this year was his 16th on the Champions Tour. And he led the moneylist on the Tour for three consecutive seasons in 2008, 2009 and 2010, tying with Don January and Hale Irwin for the most moneylist titles on the Champions Tour.

biography BORN 27 August 1957 PLACE Anhausen, Germany TURNED PRO 1972 FAMILY Wife, Vikki; four children SPECIAL INTERESTS All sports CAREER HIGHLIGHTS First official world number 1 in 1986, won 1985 and 1993 Masters, captained Europe in 18½-9½ victory over US at 2004 Ryder Cup, inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002, made history in 2010 winning Senior Open Championship and US Senior Open, named Player of the Year on the Champions Tour in 2008, 2009 and 2010 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Won 3M Championship, won SAS Championship, eight other top-five finishes

Number crunch Champions Tour DRIVING DIS TANCE 279.2 (23rd) GREENS IN REGULATION 75.77% (3rd) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.741 (2nd) SCORING AVERAGE (68.76 (2nd) MONEYLIST $2 140 296 (1st) As at 6 November 2012

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NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

nick price

here are few faces as familiar at the Nedbank Golf Challenge as that of Nick Price. In 1993 he produced one of the finest displays ever seen in the history of the tournament, with rounds of 67, 66, 66 and 65 to win the first of his three titles with a then record total of 24-under par. Then in 1997 he beat Ernie Els for his second Challenge title, and in 1998, stared down Tiger Woods in a playoff and beat him for his third victory in the event. There’s no doubt Price was the dominant force in world golf in the ‘90s. Between 1992 and 1994, in particular, Price won the PGA Championship twice and the Open Championship on his way to the world number-one ranking. He was one of only three players (Nick Faldo and Mark O’Meara being the others) to win two Majors in one year in the ‘90s, when he won the Open and the PGA Championship in 1994. He topped the PGA Tour’s moneylist in 1993 and 1994, and was voted Player of the Year on both occasions. He has claimed a total of 50 victories worldwide, four of them on the Champions Tour. But arguably his most memorable triumph came in the Open Championship at Turnberry in 1994. Price played his final three holes in eagle, birdie, par to make up a two-stroke deficit on Jesper Parnevik and claim the title. As a youngster growing up in Zimbabwe, he quickly established himself as a competent amateur, winning the Junior World Championships in San Diego at the age of 17. He turned professional in 1977 and honed his game on the Southern African Tour and European Tour before graduating to the PGA Tour in 1983. There’s a wonderful sense of destiny in the fact that his first PGA Tour victory came when he beat Jack Nicklaus by two strokes in the World Series of Golf.

But the pinnacle of Price’s achievement was the stretch between his first of three Major victories in the 1992 PGA Championship through to his win in the 1994 Open Championship. In 1994 he produced one of the most memorable seasons in golf when he won six times, including the Open Championship and PGA Championship. He won a total of 15 PGA Tour tournaments in the 90s. He also claimed 12 international victories during this time. Aside from an impressive golfing career, Price is also known for his gentlemanly and professional manner. “People always ask who’s the nicest guy on Tour and Nick’s name always comes up,” said 2012 American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III. “Nick is the same every day. He says hello to everyone. He’s just a genuinely nice, friendly guy.” It’s a character that has been built on a lifetime of success, but also hardship. Having struggled early in his career to make a living, Price doesn’t find it hard to empathise with professionals going through the same thing. An understanding of people also comes naturally to a man who has experienced loss, most significantly, the death of his longtime caddie and friend, Jeff “Squeeky” Medlen to leukaemia. Off the course, Price is also highly successful, with golf-course design and golf-clothing businesses. True to his nature, Price has avoided putting his name to a treadmill of new golf courses and has instead chosen to focus on quality rather than quantity. “Golf is more than a game. It’s an endeavour steeped in history and deserving of every respect. I want to create courses worthy of that,” he says. Price has already established himself as an all-time legend at Sun City, but his

biography BORN 28 January 1957 PLACE Durban, South Africa TURNED PRO 1977 FAMILY Wife, Sue; three children SPECIAL INTERESTS Water skiing, tennis, fishing CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won three Majors, won 18 times on PGA Tour, five times on European Tour and four times on Champions Tour, inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003, World Number 1 in August 1994 2012 HIGHLIGHTS T7 at the Allianz Championship, played only eight events

Number crunch Champions Tour* DRIVING DISTANCE 279.2 GREENS IN REGULATION 74.44% PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.758 SCORING AVERAGE 70.42 MONEYLIST $145 328 (73rd) As at 6 November 2012 * Stats not ranked, only played eight events

fiercely competitive nature will ensure that he arrives at the Gary Player Country Club wanting to add another title to his bulging trophy cabinet. NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

jeff sluman J

eff Sluman returns to the Gary Player Country Club as the winner of the inaugural Nedbank Champions Challenge in 2010. Like the fine wines he collects, Sluman’s career has been the perfect expression of a golfer maturing in his later years. He started playing golf at the age of four, and it was only after a successful college career with Florida State University that he even began considering a future as a professional golfer. He was never a prodigious winner in his 20s and 30s. He won only once during this time, at the 1988 PGA Championship, which earned him his only Major. But as he approached his 40th birthday, something clicked. Sluman won the 1997 Tucson Classic and the floodgates opened. He went on to claim a total of six victories on the PGA Tour. In 2002 he enjoyed his finest season, finishing 15th on the PGA Tour’s moneylist. In 2007 he joined the Champions Tour, where he has won four times. But despite his success in the game, Sluman has distinguished himself as a player who is approachable in the locker room when the younger stars need a bit of advice. And he’ll probably tell them to have more fun out there. “Guys our age, for the most part, have done it. The kids are still learning how to do it. We probably have more characters, a lot of fun, because it’s more of a business now on the regular tour than an adventure like it was for us,” he says. But Sluman himself has had to work at learning to enjoy his golf more, and not getting too upset with the bad results. “I’m a much more relaxed player today. It’s become my personality. I was a fiery guy when I was young. I’d get frustrated, lose my cool and my stroke. Now I

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

concentrate on being calm. It does not take any effort now to remain tranquil even when things don’t go right on the course. It just didn’t help my game, nor did I like being that person who lost control and got so upset.” He’s also somebody who believes in the adage “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” when it comes to the golf swing. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to make major changes to a golf swing. Every player has the swing that fits his make-up – both physically and mentally. A tweak here or there is one thing, but it’s more likely to create bigger problems if large changes are undertaken. I’ve known more players to get injured and mess their brains around when they change their swing so much. “If things are not going well for me, it usually means that I’m not following my pre-shot routine – even if I think I am. So, I become more diligent about it,” he says. Sluman’s ability to bring a fresh perspective is what Davis Love III relied on as one of his assistant captains in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah. Off the field, Sluman is an avid collector of fine wines, and is reputed to have about 2 000 bottles in his cellar, including a number of 1957 vintages. He is also a self-confessed sports fanatic and, unusually for an American, a devout follower of Formula One racing. He also shares the South African love for a braai, and is known as something of a barbecue expert. “The grill has to be hot, that’s the key,” is all he’s willing to let on about his cooking secrets. It’s clear that, while he’s a deep thinker, he’s never one to lose touch with the fun side of the game and life. And you can bet he’ll be ready to turn up some heat during the Nedbank Champions Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club this year.

biography BORN 11 September 1957 PLACE Rochester, New York, US TURNED PRO 1980 FAMILY Wife, Linda; one daughter SPECIAL INTERESTS Collecting wine, F1 racing, Chicago Bulls (basketball) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won 1988 PGA Championship, won six times on PGA Tour, finished 15th on 2002 moneylist, won four times since joining Champions Tour in 2007 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Three third-place finishes on Champions Tour, six other top-10 finishes

Number crunch Champions Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 279.9 (19th) GREENS IN REGULATION 71.67% (13th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.782 (20th) SCORING AVERAGE 70.44 (17th) MONEYLIST $869 474 (18th) As at 6 November 2012

NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

tom watson

ne of the greatest golfers in the history of the game will make his debut in the 2012 Nedbank Champions Challenge at Sun City. Tom Watson brings with him an illustrious career in which he won 70 titles worldwide, including eight Major championships. His record in the Open Championship is one of the most admired, featuring five victories. Born in Kansas City, Watson was introduced to the game by his father, Ray. After a solid amateur career, during which he even found time to play for Stanford University’s table-tennis team, Watson joined the PGA Tour in 1971. Surprisingly, early in his career Watson was considered a poor finisher of tournaments, most notably in the 1974 US Open at Winged Foot. Watson took a one-stroke lead into the final round but shot 79 to finish fifth. He took those painful lessons to heart, saying, “I learned how to win by losing and not liking it.” But he persevered, helped in no small part by his relationship with friend and mentor Byron Nelson. In 1974, Watson claimed his first PGA Tour victory in the Western Open. He followed this with a victory in the 1975 Byron Nelson Classic. Two months after that victory, Watson stepped onto the greatest stage of all – the Open Championship at Carnoustie. In his first Open, Watson beat Jack Newton in an 18-hole playoff. And so began one of the greatest careers in golf. He then won the Open a further four times in 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983; the Masters in 1977 and 1981; and the US Open in 1982. Watson went on to rewrite the record books on all fronts. For six years he led the PGA Tour in most wins a season. For five years he led the Tour with the most money made in a season. And for three years he had the best scoring average on the Tour.

His final PGA Tour victory came in the Colonial in May 1998, where he beat Jim Furyk. Thereafter Watson focused his attention on the Champions Tour, where he has won 14 times. But Watson remained as competitive as ever, and came close to making golf history in the 2009 Open. At the age of 59, Watson approached the final hole at Turnberry with a one-shot lead and the chance to become the oldest Major winner in history. Memories of Watson’s epic 1977 Duel in the Sun at Turnberry, in which he beat Jack Nicklaus, came flooding back. But unfortunately there was to be no fairytale ending for Watson. He failed to make par on the 72nd hole, dropping into a playoff with Stewart Cink, who eventually won. “It would’ve been a hell of a story,” he said at the time. Watson has always relished a challenge and will no doubt love the one presented by the Gary Player Country Club. According to former USGA president Frank Tatum, “Tom takes a deep-rooted pleasure at the prospect of a challenge. What evolves is the focusing of an unusual intelligence on what he is setting out to do.” But even Watson knows he can’t keep winning at this game forever. “It’s going to end,” he said. “I don’t know when. As long as I can compete, I’ll still be out here. But there’s also a time when you’ve got to take stock of your mortality. But that’s fun, too. Again, there are things that you haven’t had a chance to do because you’re so focused on hitting that ball exactly where you want it to go, and beating everybody. I’ve done that all my life.” But at this year’s Nedbank Champions Challenge, South African fans will still be lucky enough to witness one of the greatest players in the history of the game. And who knows, perhaps he writes a new chapter in the game’s history that goes down as the “Duel at Sun City”.

biography BORN 4 September 1949 PLACE Kansas City, US TURNED PRO 1971 FAMILY Wife, Hilary; three children SPECIAL INTERESTS Current affairs, photography, fishing CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Eight-time Major champion (including five Open Championships), won 39 times on PGA Tour, 14 times on Champions Tour, sixtime PGA Tour Player of the Year, played on four Ryder Cup teams, captained victorious 1993 team 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Played just six Champions Tour events, T7 at Mitsubishi Electric Championship in January

Number crunch Champions Tour* DRIVING DISTANCE 278.1 GREENS IN REGULATION 68.15% PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.777 SCORING AVERAGE 70.21 MONEYLIST $159 337 (69th) As at 6 November 2012 * Stats not ranked, only played six events

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ian woosnam

ver since he won his first European Senior Tour title in June 2008 in the Polish Seniors Championship, Ian Woosnam has been a major force in senior golf. He dominated in his rookie season on the European Senior Tour, winning the Order of Merit title, and has since won four times on the circuit. But it’s his 48 professional titles that have seen the 1.64m Welshman stand like a colossus in the global game. And it all began in the English town of Oswestry where Woosnam was born, and developed on the fairways of the Llanymynech Golf Club. Woosnam played in his first European Tour event in 1979, but he had to wait until 1982 to claim his first victory in the Swiss Open. Two of his finest seasons came in 1987 and 1990, when he topped the European Tour Order of Merit and was voted the Player of the Year on both occasions. His 1990 season was a historic one, as he set a world record with season’s earnings of more than £1 million. But it was in 1991 when he joined the greats of the game with his victory in the Masters. Woosnam took a pair of red plaid pants and mixed it with a green jacket amidst a golden period for British golf at Augusta National. Sandy Lyle began this process in 1988, Nick Faldo triumphed in 1989 and 1990, and Woosnam completed it with an eight-foot putt on the 18th in 1991. Woosnam, José María Olazábal and Tom Watson were tied for the lead playing the 72nd hole. Olazábal bogeyed the last to limp out of contention, Watson made double bogey to take himself out of it, and Woosnam scrambled for par and the title. It was a victory based on a crucial decision by Woosnam to putt from off the final green rather than chip, leaving him an eight-footer for his only Major

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triumph. “I’d come up just short with my second, and the pin was in an awkward spot on the second tier. I thought, ‘Shall I chip or putt? I don’t want to duff it straight in front of my face, so I’ll putt.’” And it was made that much sweeter as he climbed to number one in the world in 1991. “Woosie” has always been a favourite of the fans at Sun City. His finest display at the Gary Player Country Club came in 1987. That year he beat Nick Faldo by four shots after holing a seven-iron from the fairway on 17 for an eagle. He also became the first player in the history of the game to win $1 million in a single event at Sun City that year. In the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes, Woosnam turned back the clock somewhat and was in contention on the final day. But that was before caddie Miles Byrne failed to spot a second driver in the bag, which meant they had 15 clubs instead of the 14 allowed, resulting in a two-stroke penalty. But Woosnam still finished tied third. Woosnam is a veteran of eight Ryder Cups, and in 2006 he captained Europe to an 18 ½-9 ½ victory over the US at the K Club in Ireland. The diminutive Welshman is no stranger to African fairways, having played in the 1985 Zambia Open and the 1986 Kenya Open, as well as a number of tournaments in South Africa. Woosnam’s size has never been an obstacle to his success, even though it proved to be one for Augusta National when he won the Masters there – they didn’t have a green jacket in his size. “For the ceremony I had to wear someone else’s, the guy who ran the press office, I think it was.” In September 2010, Woosnam was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. But there’s no doubt that he also has a place in the Hall of Fame of Africa’s Major.

biography BORN 2 March 1958 PLACE Oswestry, England TURNED PRO 1976 FAMILY Wife, Glendryth; three children SPECIAL INTERESTS Fishing, snooker CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won 1991 Masters, played in eight Ryder Cups for Europe, captained Europe to a record-equalling 18½-9½ victory in 2006 Ryder Cup, won 29 tournaments on European Tour, won World Match Play Championship in three different decades, won four times on European Senior Tour 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Third at Bad Ragaz Senior Open, two other top-five finishes

Number crunch European Senior Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 269.3 (18th) GREENS IN REGULATION 68% (44th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.763 (11th) SCORING AVERAGE 71.5 (22nd) MONEYLIST €83 357 (19th) As at 6 November 2012

Nick price

Jeff sluman

tom watson

ian woosnam

mark calcavecchia

Fred funk

Jay haas

Bernhard langer

nedbank champions challenge players 2012

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO WITHOUT PAYING

e all know that the game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland, but its ancient origins are far mistier. Some historians trace them back to the Roman game of paganica, in which participants used a bent stick to hit the stuffing out of a leather ball. The first written record of golf has King James II misguidedly banning the game in 1457, as ‘an unwelcome distraction to archery’. It is not certain whether this career-limiting move alone cost him his throne but having fled to France he died, never experiencing the joys of taking long walks and hitting things with a stick. Fast-forward to November 2012 and you will find twelve of the world’s topranked professionals contending fo r a $ 5 m i l l i o n p u r se , t he coveted Nedbank Golf Challenge trophy and the honour of beating the other guy, on a course that favours a natural touch. Natural touch is something you develop by hitting millions of golf balls. It is the investment into yourself that eventually pays off.

“Golf is a game of mental resilience, selfefficacy, and strong will, played mainly on a fourteen centimetre course, the space between your ears.” The great Bobby Jones believed that golf is the closest game to the game we call life. As is life, golf is a game of mental resilience, self-efficacy, and strong will, played mainly on a fourteen centimetre course, the space between your ears. He understood that to truly excel, you must seek clarity of thought and purpose. In life, you only get to play one round and belief in your ability to attain your goals holds the key to manifest success and great wealth. But how do you get there? We tend to look at the languid swing and effortless power of Ernie Els, and conclude that it’s been easy for the Big Easy. But watch him line up the final putt. Eyes fixed resolutely on the flag stick; putter in firm hands. The tension is palpable; yet it does not upset his steely composure. It takes years of practice, loads of work and great discipline to attain such self-control and so make the most of your life and talent.

ost of us take a lifetime to discover that we can’t play golf, and that profanity has no influence on the flight of the ball. We have to make our money – when we can – mostly in monthly installments. And there is the bond, the rent, the school fees, the groceries, the bills to pay. The Old Mutual Savings and Investment Monitor shows that 37% of metro working South Africans have never consulted a financial advisor. Perhaps you too find the idea of creating wealth, retiring comfortably and leaving a legacy a far distant dream. Not so! Your most important shot is always the next one. Being prepared to evaluate, decide and act decisively will create future success, build wealth and safeguard your and your family’s future beyond your earning years. It all starts today! And along with the satisfaction you’ll enjoy, the rewards are fantastic! At Old Mutual we believe that you should treat yourself as your first financial priority, because with a ‘you first’ approach, you subconsciously prioritise saving and investing, and develop good financial habits. People tend to save or invest with what’s left over at the end of every month, and that’s part of the problem. The principle of “Pay Yourself First” should underpin every saving and investment strategy. Before you pay the bills, before you pay anything, pay yourself first! Just as it took today’s great golfers years of selfdiscipline and planning to become great, so by putting the I into investments – by paying yourself first – you may increase your savings and with sound capital growth, you can secure your income needs for life. Protecting and growing your investment portfolio by

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t h e r o a d t o t h e o ly m p i c s

In the run-up to golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reintroduction to the Olympics Games, we ask: how important is it to win gold in golf?

the

olympic lords of swing

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

t h e r o a d t o t h e o ly m p i c s

he closest the ancient Greeks came to golf and the Olympics was Nike. But on the front nine of history, Nike in those days was a goddess of victory before becoming a modern-era god of golf and the cult of “Just Do It”. But in 2016, golf will re-enter the Olympic fold as one of the new sports included in the Rio Games. It will only be the third time golf has been played at the Olympics.

Right: Andy Murray won gold at the London Olympics Inset: Luke Donald

Golf’s Olympic History

Golf made its debut at the Olympics in Paris in 1900. Only 22 golfers from four countries (France, Great Britain, Greece and the US) took part. The US dominated with gold in the men’s competition, and gold, silver and bronze in the women’s competition. At the 1904 Olympics in St Louis, the golf competition was contested between only Canada and the US. The US sent a contingent of 74 golfers, while Canada sent three. Yet it was Canada that took gold in the individual competition, with George Lyon beating the favourites. He was 46 years old and had only started playing golf eight years before. The strict moral code that has always existed in golf was evident at the 1908 Olympics in London. A dispute between the Royal & Ancient and the British Olympic Society about the format of the competition resulted in all but one of the contestants withdrawing. Our good man Mr Lyon was the only one who was ready and willing to tee it up in defence of his title. He was offered the gold medal by default but refused to accept it.

Golf’s Olympic Future

So it’s safe to assume that 2016 will be the true first-tee test of golf at the Olympics. Yet the question that has plagued golf ever since the idea was first mooted, and then accepted by the International

Is it the greatest thing that you could win in your sport? I’d probably put a Major above that right now” Olympic Committee (IOC), is “How important is this really?” In 2016 we will see the Olympics sandwiched between the Open Championship and the PGA Championship, and close to the lucrative FedEx Cup Playoffs on the PGA Tour, (not to mention the emotion of a Ryder Cup year), so, you have to ask how unique that gold medal is in a sport that has far more important measures of greatness?

And this has been the biggest criticism surrounding golf’s inclusion in the Olympics – the idea that an Olympic gold will never surpass the importance of winning a Major. As Peter Nichols, a columnist for The Guardian newspaper, wrote, “You always know a sport is a dubious recruit if it fails the pre-eminence test; that is, the Olympic competition is not the most-valued for that sport. As an example, no athlete would ever trade an Olympic gold medal for a world title. It’s their most valued possession. But it doesn’t work for tennis, say, where Andy Murray would swap his Olympic gold for Federer’s eighth Wimbledon title in an instant. He would, trust me.” Or as Luke Donald put it, “Is it the greatest thing that you could win in your sport? I’d probably put a Major above that right now.” Donald has yet to win a Major, but a 14-time Major winner such as Tiger Woods may see it differently.

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Popularity of the Game

Does golf belong at the Olympics? Of course it does. It embodies the spirit of fair play and honest competition. It is the model sport. Does it have the necessary popularity? Well, it will be making its return to an Olympics that in the same year is welcoming kitesurfing into the fold. On this front, golf definitely ticks the popularity box. Consider also that a total of 19.4 million people watched on television as Usain Bolt won the 100 metres at the London Olympics. Almost 20 million viewers, locked in and on the edge of their seats – all for 9.63 seconds. In 2010 Tiger Woods’s return to the Masters was billed as the most-watched golf event ever, with five million people tuning in to watch the first round. It peaked at 13.7 million viewers over the entire event. Not bad figures in comparison. The message is simple. Golf has a place in the Olympics. The question is, what exactly is its place? The answer could be economic pulling power.

Fairway Finances

By including golf in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, the IOC could be seeking to capitalise on a game that has mastered the art of making money in sport. First for its players, then for the game as a whole through the large companies it attracts. That golf will hope to grow its popularity and global development from the Olympic platform is a handy spin-off for the game. That there is also the potential for its star players to earn something unique in their sport – an Olympic gold medal – is another spin-off. But there is a definite sense that golf has to decide what it wants to get out of the Olympics. Another question surrounds the format of the golf competition. There is an irony in the fact that golf

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Stewart Cink

A 72-hole stroke play tournament doesn’t lend itself that well to the medal race” made its exit from the Olympics in 1908 on the back of that year’s competition being cancelled at the last minute because England and Scotland could not agree on the format.

The Format

In the build-up to 2016, the format is again under question. A 72-hole stroke-play format without a cut for a field of 60 players is the most likely option, albeit not the most popular, with the individual winners earning medals. Many, such as Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal & Ancient, argue that a standard 72-hole stroke play tournament isn’t offering anything new or exciting to the traditional week on tour. “Wouldn’t it be nice to make the Olympic competition a little bit different, at least from the week in, week out competition?” Dawson said. Some have put forward a match-play format. But there is little chance of a change now. Golf’s initial proposal to the IOC was based on an individual competition, not a team competition. American Stewart Cink is one of those not in favour of this format. “A 72-hole

stroke-play tournament doesn’t lend itself that well to the medal race. As all of us involved with golf know, fourth place, sixth place, eighth place are really good showings. I almost think a long-drive contest lends itself better to a medal, where you can have preliminaries and heats and guys are going for the gold like a sprint. In golf when you have 72 holes, it’s hard to be excited about it.” The reality is that for 2016, the format will stay as it is. But it could change thereafter. So for now, it will be, to quote the IOC, “A 72-hole individual stroke play for both men and women, mirroring the format used in golf’s Major championships. In case of a tie for either first, second or third place, a three-hole playoff is recommended to determine the medal winner(s).”

The Qualification Process

It’s shaping up as follows: a field of 60 players for both the men’s and women’s competitions. These fields will be drawn from the Official World Golf Ranking. The top 15 in the world are automatically eligible, and there is no limit on how many golfers from a country can qualify through this process. The other 45 spots in the field will be made up of the highest ranked players from countries that don’t already have two golfers who have qualified. The aim is to ensure as many countries as possible compete. But there is the danger that some of the game’s biggest stars won’t be eligible. There are still many questions surrounding golf’s participation in the Olympics, and when it comes to finding answers, a similar case study at Olympic level would probably be tennis. So here’s the thing. In the Athens 2004 Olympics, Chile’s Nicolas Massu won the Olympic gold. How important is that when measured against the three Grand Slams Roger Federer won that same year? In 2016 golf is going to have its answer.

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equipment

What’s hot for

2013 New equipment from the game’s leading manufacturers

TaylorMade Ghost Weighing in at 57g, this pistoldesign putter grip is the perfect fit for your Spider S Slant putter.

TaylorMade R11s TMX stand bag The perfect companion for 18 tees and 18 greens includes five pockets, a pivot shoulder-strap system, hardware and towel clips and weighs a mere 6.8lbs.

3 TaylorMade Rocketballz golf balls This new three-piece multi-layered golf ball features the soft and fast React™ core formulation, the new Speedmantle™ for velocity and added spin for all swings, and a thin and soft lothane™ cover for added spin around the greens.

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equipment

4 TaylorMade Ghost Spider S Easy alignment, a smooth, soft feel as you stroke the ball, and a 6 000 MOI that makes it easy to square the face at impact and for distance control. These are just a few of the features that will ensure you enjoy many more one putts and fewer three putts.

5 TaylorMade Penta TP 5 The first five-layer tour ball has been improved to enhance your game by easing driver spin for achieving maximum distance, boosting speed and managing spin.

6 TaylorMade RocketBladez Iron The RBZ Speed Pocket in RocketBladez irons flexes and rebounds at impact, increasing the speed of the face to promote faster ball speed and a higher, stronger ball flight that lands on a steep, quick-stopping descent angle.

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7 Adidas Tour360 ATV golf shoes Forefoot flexibility and zonal traction elements provide the Adidas All Terrain Versatility golf shoe with the comfort and grip that adapts to any surface, lie or angle. So, step up to the tee...

8 TaylorMade Rocketballz bonded driver The lightweight shaft, speed-enhancing head aerodynamics and inverted cone club-face technology promote speed and distance, while the white crown and black face make alignment easy and eliminate glare.

9 TaylorMade Rocketballz fairway wood With Speed Pocket, this wood is engineered to increase ball speed and distance dramatically, and the larger head makes it something of a launching pad. The lightweight shaft and grip promote faster swing speed for more distance.

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equipment

1 Ping i20 driver The crown is engineered to be highly aerodynamic to reduce drag for maximising club-head speed and ball velocity for greater distance. The tungsten weighting adds to forgiveness and positions the CG for low spin, penetrating trajectories and longer, more accurate drives.

2 Ping Nome Putters The black alignment bar and white contrasting sightline make aiming much easier. The adjustable shaft technology in the belly and long putters allows golfers to optimise the length of their putter to fit their body characteristics, stroke style and posture.

3 Ping Anser iron At impact the Anser delivers a solid, compressed feel, in part due to the multiple machined back cavities, which also increase forgiveness.

4 Ping i20 iron The headâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design gives golfers full command of the club face for controlling trajectory and shot shape. Stabilising bars and a thicker face ensure a solid feel and precise distance control. The longer irons allow for a higher launch and greater MOI, while the smaller, short irons provide exceptional control.

5 Ping Anser driver External sole weighting positions the CG low and raises the MOI, which provides a mid-high launch with low spin for added distance and forgiveness. The available lofts of 8.5 , 9.5 , 10.5 and 12 can easily be adjusted Â˝ up or down from standard. This allows you to fine-tune your trajectory with the added benefit of the four shaft options in this driver.

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1 Genetyk Enjoy hi-tech sporting eyewear that boasts a super-light full-wrap shield with Rudy Project’s Quick Change™ and Unbreakable ImpactX™ Photochromic lens options, 360-degree fully adjustable temples and ErgoIV™ nosepiece, as well as our high-resolution RP Optics™ lenses.

2 Magster The Rudy Project Magster will outperform your expectations – and keep you looking good – with its fully adjustable temple tips and nose-pads for a custom fit, air vents to prevent fogging, interchangeable lenses and optional Rx adapters.

3 Rydon Rydon™ has been uniquely engineered with a carbonium frame and revolutionary aerospatial aluminium alloy (Kynetium™) temples that combine magnesium, silcium and titanium to create an unbelievably lightweight, durable and flexible pair of sunglasses.

4 Swift Swifty is a range of eyewear designed to correct high prescriptions. Thanks to the research that led to the development of ImpactX™ technology and subsequent improvements in optical correction. FreeForm TEK RX lenses allow you to see both from close-up (eg to read instrumentation) and from a distance, without any interruption of sports activities outdoors.

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1 Cleveland Classic Collection HB Putters Exceptional performance and value. The Classic Collection HB Putters range combines traditional designs with a softer, more responsive feel. A slightly deeper CNC milling pattern on the face promotes a softer feel at impact for more control. The Collection has five traditional designs. (Belly, Almost Bellyâ&#x201E;˘ and ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; options are also available.)

2 Cleveland 588 RTX Wedges The 588 RTX CB Wedges combine the legendary performance of 588 with the breakthrough Rotex Face. Developed closely with tour players, the milled U-grooves are more precise and 16% larger to maximize spin on critical scoring shots. Advanced surfaceroughness technology is now more durable and dimensionally optimised for even more friction at impact.

3 Cleveland 588 Altitude irons Hitting the ball longer and higher has never been easier. 588 Altitude irons feature Full Hollow Construction for maximum forgiveness and Face Forged Technology for enhanced ball speed and feel. These irons are also the first hybrid irons in golf designed for in-shop/lie adjustment, as fitting is the key to better golf. Available both in graphite and steel shaft options.

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4 All-new Srixon Soft Feel balls The Soft Feel is designed to launch high with low spin to create amazing distance and control. The low compression design of this golf ball delivers a high MOI, which leads to greater accuracy on off-centre shots. Available in Pure Whiteâ&#x201E;˘ and Tour Yellowâ&#x201E;˘.

With two Major wins this year attributed to the use of the long putter, more eyes are focused on whether these clubs are offering players an unfair advantage

should the long putter be

banned

Will Adam Scott eventually be forced to stop using a long putter?

lo n g - p u t t e r d e b at e

South Africans were delighted with Ernie Els’s win at the Open this year, a feat he might not have achieved without the now controversial long putter

ary Player thought he had seen it all. Until he played in a recent pro-am, that is. Player and his amateur playing partner reached the first green, his partner pulled out his putter, and Player did a double take. “He had this long putter that quite literally went all the way up to his nose. He had the grip of this thing stuck in his nose to anchor it,” Player says incredulously. In most cases, any technology that makes golf easier is usually widely welcomed in the game. Golf balls that fly further may be said to be hurting the professional game and threatening the future of golf-course design. But the pros are still happy to take advantage. The same with driver technology. Yet for all its difficulty, anything that appears to simplify putting from a technological view is frowned upon. The debate around the long putter is a perfect example. While not new to the game as a whole, this year the long putter hit the headlines, thanks to the number of professionals who’ve won using them, especially at Major Championship level. Two out of the four Major winners in 2012 won using long putters – Webb Simpson at the US Open and Ernie Els at the Open. That kind of limelight was the beginning of the end for the long putter. While golf’s governing bodies on both sides of the Atlantic are remaining vague on the issue, there is every indication that both the R&A and USGA will be taking steps sooner, rather than later, to either ban long putters or more clearly define their use, especially with regard to the issue of anchoring. “The subject is firmly on our radar,” said R&A chief executive Peter Dawson. In other words, say goodbye to the long putter. And with even more junior golfers

PHOTOGRAPH: Courtesy of Sunshine Tour (Luke Walker)

this year the long putter hit the headlines, thanks to the number of professionals who have won using them

using long putters now, it’s become an almost moral debate. Should you allow your child to use a long putter or should they persevere with a “normal” putter? As USGA executive director Mike Davis said recently, “There are a lot more recreational players going for this; there are instructors that are telling golfers this is a better way to putt, and there are a lot more juniors using it. This wasn’t happening before. In 50 years from now, if 50% of the golfing population is using them, will we be happy with that? That’s the issue at hand.” It’s an issue even the professionals can’t seem to agree on.

Padraig Harrington declared that the only reason the long putter has made it this far in the game is that it was previously used by players nearing the end of their careers, and they got the sympathetic vote. But now that a younger generation of players is winning titles with long putters, it’s moved closer to the realms of “unfair advantage”, “eliminating the very aspect that makes putting such a great leveller – nerves”, and even towards the dreaded “cheating” claim. “Managing anxiety and nerves down the stretch is an important part of golf. And I think that takes it out of your hands a little bit,” is Luke Donald’s take on the issue. “Let’s get everyone with a short putter back in the bag as the game is meant to be played,” was how Graeme McDowell summed it up. Tiger Woods has offered his own solution. “My idea was to have it so that the putter would be equal to or less than the shortest club in your bag. And I think with that, we’d be able to get away from any type of belly anchoring. I believe it’s

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the art of controlling the body and club and swinging the pendulum motion. I believe that’s how it should be played. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to that.” With the word “traditionalist”, Woods hits the nail on the head in terms of the issue around long putters. Somehow they are seen as not being in the spirit of the game. South Africa’s Tim Clark, a longtime user of the long putter, has suggested there may be a lot more bellyaching about banning long putters than the governing bodies have accounted for, and it could spark legal action from players such as himself. Of course, there are those who can’t see what all the fuss is about. Hendrik Buhrmann, a longtime touring professional who thinks deeply about the mechanics of golf and is considered something of a guru for his different take on the game, is a campaigner for the long putter. According to Buhrmann, who has done a study of the brain and its effect on the dominant hand of the golfer, the hands get confused in the act of putting with a short putter. The need to first push with the left hand and then pull, and vice versa with the right hand, confuses the dominant hand more than in the case of the full swing because of the subtlety of movement in putting. “The long putter gives each hand one thing to worry about – one hand holds the club steady and the other pulls and pushes. They don’t switch jobs,” he says. Buhrmann doesn’t understand the stigma around the use of the long putter as being some kind of weakness. “I think you’re going to see a lot more younger players using it because they don’t worry about that,” he says. Those who use the long putter also argue against the perception that it’s a kind of magical wand that will, all of a sudden, turn you into a great putter. “It has its pros and cons,” says Zimbabwean professional Mark Williams.

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The long putter gives each hand one thing to worry about – one hand holds the club steady and the other pulls and pushes”

Right: Ardent longputter fan and US Open champion Webb Simpson

“It definitely helps on putts from inside 10 feet. Those are the ones for birdie or to save par. But I feel you do give a little away on the longer putts. It’s tougher to judge the pace. I spent three weeks working with it before I used it in a tournament. It takes more time working on my set-up over putts – you have to get things right there.” Fellow Sunshine Tour professional Adilson da Silva also touched on why the reaction among the pros who don’t use a long putter is often negative. “I think it’s a mental thing. You see the guys holing putts from everywhere with these long putters, and maybe those who don’t agree with it are a bit jealous and wish they could be holing putts like that. But at the end of the day, you still have to sink the putt, no matter what putter you use.” Earlier this year, Keith Horne won the Telkom PGA Championship with a belly putter – the closest South African professional golf has come to one of its “Majors” being won using a long putter.

Horne also saw the value of the belly putter over putts from inside 15 feet. “When you hit good shots to 10 or 15 feet and capitalise by making them, that’s when you make the good scores. Often you hit it that distance and only make one or two of them.” But as much as the belly putter has helped him, Horne believes too much is being made about its impact in the game. “You know, players start winning with the long putter, and suddenly everybody is using them. But then Tiger Woods starts winning again, and everybody will go back to the short putter. It goes in ebbs and flows in this game.” It’s a view echoed by the likes of Webb Simpson. Simpson may be one of the most ardent supporters of the long putter. But even he knows where this tale is going to end. Amid the first big storm over the possibility of long putters being banned, Simpson ordered two short Scotty Cameron putters and began practising with them. “Just in case,” he said.

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h o l e by h o l e

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

Take a walk with us as we examine the Gary Player Country Club hole by hole

the

whole

perspective NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

Most will hit a club from the tee that takes the fairway bunkers out of play. Players will be left with a mid- to short iron to a green that slopes sharply from back to front and with some potentially wicked pin placements. Distance control with the approach is vital to ensure a reasonably flat putt. first Distance

403m

Par

Stroke

The first of four par-fives, all of which are genuine scoring opportunities. A fairway bunker right in driver territory and a sharp left-to-right camber on the fairway make the tee shot tough, but everyone will take a chance with the driver here to create the chance of reaching the green in two shots. second Distance

520m

Par

Stroke

The tee shot on this par-four is vital. A driver can leave a nine-iron or wedge into the green but the risks are high, with bunkers on the right of the fairway and bush on the left. The prudent play is a three-wood or less, which leaves a medium iron to a raised, well-bunkered and viciously sloping green.

third

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Distance

411m

Par

Stroke

Diversity defines our DNA

105 000 employees defining the Bidvest DNA

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

The number of tee positions and depth of the green allow for a distinctly different shot requirement on all four days. Few are tempted by the traditional front-right pin position over the water on Sunday, while anywhere above the hole on this green leaves a lightning-fast putt. fourth Distance

195m

Par

Stroke

Most will hit a three-wood off this tee to take a deep fairway bunker out of reach, which then leaves a medium to long iron into a green that was designed to accept short iron shots. If the pin is in a corner of the green, then the prudent play is to aim for the middle of the green and be happy with a two-putt par. fifth Distance

449m

Par

Stroke

A short but potentially dangerous par-four where the biggest threat lies in the tee shot, with a fairway bunker up the right and thick rough down the left. The green is well bunkered and is also protected by thick rough immediately in front of the green.

sixth Distance

388m

Par

Stroke

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CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

The green has two distinct portions separated by a ridge, and to get the tee shot all the way to a back-left pin position requires a long iron for even the long hitters. Although a front-right placement looks more inviting from the tee, it brings more bunkering on the right into play. seventh Distance

206m

Par

Stroke

A ditch running through the fairway rules the driver out off the tee, so almost everyone will be hitting a three-wood here. Once the fairway has been found, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still plenty to do, with an approach that is uphill all the way to a green on which the pin can be tucked away. Frequently ranked the most difficult hole. eighth Distance

450m

Par

Stroke

The most popular spot for spectators, the ninth green and surrounds provide one of the great amphitheatres in South African sport. On at least two of the four days, the island green will be in range in two shots, setting up the possibility of two-putt birdies and the odd eagleâ&#x20AC;Ś but some potentially big numbers as well.

ninth

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

Distance

545m

Par

Stroke

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CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

A second consecutive par-five that the players like to use to kickstart their back-nine charge. The green is comfortably the smallest target on the course, demanding absolute precision from over 200 metres out if it is to be found in two, but you can expect to see a large number of up-anddown birdies here. tenth Distance

500m

Par

Stroke

A visually intimidating tee shot, as the hole takes a 90-degree dogleg from right to left and there is nothing but thick bush all the way up the left. The prudent play is to aim straight and be content with finding the fairway, even if it does mean a slightly longer approach.

eleventh Distance

419m

Par

Stroke

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uphill all the way to the green on this short hole with a long, relatively narrow putting surface and some wicked slopes, especially near the back. The most important thing is to leave a putt from under the hole, as anything above will be difficult to stop.

twelfth Distance

200m

Par

Stroke

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CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

There’s a surreal feeling at this hole – being the furthest from the clubhouse, there are seldom many spectators. Four is always a good score as there is danger left and right off the tee, and a green full of slopes and subtleties. A back-right pin position is toughest, with a gaping bunker protecting the front. thirteenth Distance

406m

Par

Stroke

The infamous ‘love grass’ strategically scattered throughout the massive bunker that surrounds the green creates doubt in going for the green in two. Even for those laying up, the approach has to be absolutely precise with the green no more than 10 paces deep in places. Considered a real birdie opportunity. fourteenth Distance

550m

Par

Stroke

The real challenge lies in the tee shot; you need a miracle not to make bogey if you find the left-hand fairway bunker that is in the range of a three-wood off the tee. The bunker front right of the green is one of the deepest on the course, so to be shooting for a right-pin position, hitting the fairway off the tee is imperative.

fifteenth

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Distance

411m

Par

Stroke

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CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

The pressure of the home stretch can cause the odd wayward tee shot on the otherwise least intimidating of the four par-threes. The hole has the advantage of being versatile due to its variety of tee positions and the ridge running across the middle of the green to create two distinct tiers. sixteenth Distance

193m

Par

Stroke

From the back tee it is a carry of more than 200 metres just to reach the fairway. The real risk, however, is with the approach shot; even with a good drive from the back tee, the players are left with a medium-iron shot to a green positioned in the famous Sun City lake, with a deep bunker to the right protecting against a bale-out.

Graphics: Courtesy Plus 4. (Contact Alan Hoffman at 082 254 0017 or email alan@plus4.co.za)

seventeenth Distance

437m

Par

Stroke

Most players will opt for a fairway wood or hybrid off the tee to ensure the best possible position in the fairway; the further left in the fairway, the better on this 90-degree dogleg left. A pin position anywhere on the left is relatively accessible, but the traditional Sunday back right brings a gaping bunker into play and there is absolutely no margin for error with the approach. eighteenth Distance

459m

Par

Stroke

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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COURSE LAYOUT

BROAD CA ST CENTRE

s s

ENTER TAINMENT CENTRE

s 2 34 1

TV 1

15 6

THE CHALLENGE CLUB 2ND FLOOR

MERCHANDISING

MEDIA INTERVIEW AREA

STAGE ENTER TAINMENT AREA

MEDIA CENTRE & TOURNAMENT OFFICE

9 10

VIP PARKING THE SUN CITY HOTEL & CASINO

SPUR

THE CABANAS

K We

N a

ENTRANCE THROUGH EXPO CENTRE

BETTING WORLD

THE GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB

THE CASCADES

su N cI t y

c o u r s e l ay o u t

THE CHALLENGE CLUB FOR PUBLIC HOSPITALITY

skyboxes 1 FedEx 2 Nashua 3 Boschendal 4 Continental Outdoor Media 5 BP 6 Vodacom 7 Deloitte

hospitality

the course HOLE

METRES PAR

403

520 5

411

195

449

388

206

450

545

500

419

200

406

550

431

193

437

459

7 162

TOTAL

1 Nedbank Pavilion 2 Transnet 3 Volvo 4 Broadlink 5 Oasys 6 Nestlé 7 SuperSport 8 PriceWaterhouseCoopers 9 Sun International 10 Telkom 11 Nedbank Green 12 Platinum MVG 13 Old Mutual 14 MVG 19th Hole 15 Bidvest

LEGEND EXPO CENTRE

ENTER THROUGH EXPO CENTRE INFORMATION PARCEL DROP-OFF Nashua mobile Tech Check

SUN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING MERCHANDISING REFRESHMENTS

ON-COURSE FACILITIES practice green MEDICAL EMERGENCIES PRACTICE RANGE

P TV

VIP PARKING ON-COURSE LEADER BOARDS ON-COURSE BIG SCREENS BETTING WORLD MERCHANDISING

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY FOR SPECTATORS

SKYBOX SHUTTLE PICK-UP POINTS SPUR stage – hospitality Village

If the siren sounds, put down your umbrella and seek shelter immediately. ALSO AVOID THE FOLLOWING: • Grandstands • Telephone poles • Hilltops/high places • Metal or wire fences • Wearing metal-spiked golf shoes • Bodies of water • Open fields • Tall or isolated trees • Golf carts

Grandstands wheelchair-friendly grandstand PUBLIC/DISABLED WC FACILITIES  REFRESHMENT STATIONS WATER POINTS CROSSOVERS TENNIS COURT

ATMs: AT EXPO CENTRE, ADJACENT to THE MERCHANDISING MARQUEE, THE SUN CITY HOTEL and THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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the sports trust

The Kwadeda Golf Project is making a positive impact in Soweto

paying it forward Sun International has a number of golf development initiatives, ensuring the game is accessible to all South Africans

he ongoing success of the Nedbank Golf Challenge is underpinned by the commitment of Sun City to hosting an event that ensures financial, social and ecological sustainability. The impact of the Nedbank Golf Challenge stretches far beyond just the actual tournament. Sun International, along with Nedbank, is one of the founding trustees of The Sports Trust, which since its inception has sponsored more than 200 sports development projects and invested more than R40-million in sports development throughout South Africa. Funding for The Sports Trust is derived largely from the annual Sports Trust Golf Challenge, a golf day hosted at Sun City on the Monday after the Nedbank Golf Challenge which raises over R1-million each year for the Trust. In addition to this, Nedbank has

From left: Rob Fleming and Selwyn Nathan with some of the recipients of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2012 donation

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s u n i n t e r n at i o n a l’s c s i i n i t i at i v e s

The Sports Trust, in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International has made significant contributions to golf development

donated more than R11-million to The Sports Trust, and the Nedbank Sport Affinity suite of products makes it possible for Nedbank clients to support sport development for disadvantaged communities through The Sports Trust at no direct cost. The Sports Trust, in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International, has made significant contributions to golf development, none more so than through the launch of the Kwadeda Golf Project in Soweto. The facility is the first of its kind in Soweto and includes a putting green and practice nets that will be available for use by the entire Zola community. The facility and its ability to make a positive impact on the community received a glowing endorsement from the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, who declared that the success of projects such as this are to form the blueprint of the Ministry’s own sportsdevelopment programmes. “The Sports Trust has since its inception been a catalyst for meaningful change in sport and recreation. It is our intention and resolve to draw from The Sports Trust’s expertise and models as we shape and chart a developmental trajectory and transformation landscape for sport and recreation for South Africa and its people,” said Minister Mbalula.

From left: Matthew Pearce, Rob Fleming, Andy Scott, Selwyn Nathan and Alastair Roper with children from Junior Golf Development in Gauteng

From left: Andy Ostle, André Rossouw, Grant Hepburn, Darryl Egdes and Selwyn Nathan with some of the junior golfers who will benefit from the funds raised from the Sports Trust Golf Challenge

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c s i i n i t i at i v es

SUn international and nedbank share the goal of addressing the major challenges facing the youth in sa The winner of the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open earns the right to compete in the Nedbank Golf Challenge pro-am, providing valuable exposure and helping to generate further support for the golfers and officials who work tirelessly to promote this segment of the game. Sun International has also sponsored a motorised golf cart for the South African Disabled Golf Association, for use by a golfer who has lost the mobility of their legs. The Nedbank Golf Challenge pro-am also features an additional three spots that are made available by Nedbank for the development golfers identified by the South African Golf Development Board. Sun Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to youth development is further evidenced by its

Right: Daniel Slabbert, winner of the Nedbank SA Disabled Open, held at the Langebaan Country Estate in May this year Below: Scouts South Africa aims to address various challenges facing this countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth

partnership with Scouts South Africa (SSA). At the 2012 Nedbank Golf Challenge, SSA will be given the opportunity to showcase the scouting movement in this country, which was established in 1908. Sun International and Nedbank share the goal of SSA to address the major challenges facing the youth of South Africa, namely poverty, inadequate education, job skills and a lack of employment opportunities, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and a collapse of the traditional family unit and social values. On 2 December SSA will be given the opportunity to promote their activities, and a stand within the exhibition area. Forty Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18, will also be placed at strategic venues throughout Sun City and will be handing out promotional material.

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

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So we’ll start by getting to know you. You do the talking, we’ll do the listening. What you tell us will shape how we use our network of 180,000 people around the world – and their connections, contacts and expertise – to help you create the value you’re looking for. ©2012. PricewaterhouseCoopers (“PwC”), the South African firm. All rights reserved. In this document, “PwC” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers in South Africa, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwCIL), each member firm of which is a separate legal entity and does not act as an agent of PwCIL. (12-12086)

s u n i n t e r n at i o n a l

NEW DEVELOPMENTS at SUN INTERNATIONAL Sun International is continuously introducing new concepts and developments at its resorts, so there is always something new for guests to enjoy

Above: The luxurious main bedroom of the Heron Suite at The Cascades Hotel

The Cascades hotel suites get a face-lift Suites at the luxurious Cascades Hotel at Sun City have recently been renovated and refurbished to keep up to date with guest requirements and provide a truly 21st century experience. All the suites enjoy spectacular views of the lush landscaped gardens towards the golf course and the verdant hills beyond. Strikingly beautiful birds are at home in The Cascades gardens, which are laced

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with footpaths that wind between tens of thousands of exotic and indigenous trees and flowering plants. Flourishing gardens, tropical birds and numerous water features give The Cascades its unique and relaxing atmosphere. The new suites have more flow and cohesion, making them appear larger and more contemporary. They also have a lot more privacy and space. The new design has also meant an increase in bathroom and wardrobe space.

Above: The second bedroom of the Heron Suite. Above right: The lounge of the Flamingo Suite at The Cascades. Below: The Maze of The Lost City

Bathrooms have been redesigned to accommodate deep showers, and the new clean-line modern bathroom hardware has given the bathrooms five-star extravagance. The predominant colour used is a warm stone, finished with splashes of coloured glass echoing the glowing jewel-like colours of the tropical birds found in The Cascade gardens. Texture has been used to great effect on the newly reupholstered chairs and cushions, and the sanded wooden shutters and the gorgeous wooden flooring in the lounge are particularly impressive. Experience the newly refurbished Cascades Hotel suites where a cool breeze, a sultry summer’s day and a hint of azure set the scene for a unique and relaxing atmosphere.

The Maze of the Lost City The Maze of The Lost City is a new mystery adventure at Sun City Resort. It covers an area of 2 420m2 (about half an acre) and is one of the largest permanent mazes in the southern hemisphere. It has been constructed from artificial rock, stone and wood, giving it the appearance of an archaeological discovery, ideally emulating the legendary Lost City architecture.

The upper deck of the Maze boasts panoramic vistas of Sun City, with beautiful views of The Palace of the Lost City and the fairways of the Gary Player Country Club. Access to the Maze is via a 100mlong suspension bridge that connects the Maze to the Entertainment Centre. The experience should take no longer than two hours (unless you get lost). But don’t despair; despite the difficulty of navigating the maze, you’ll enjoy figuring

out the puzzle. And it’s worth it because when you get to the end, you can taste six different SA microbrewery beers at the Pilanesberg Brewery Pub. At night burning torches light the cavernous chambers, enhancing the experience for revellers who enjoy a late-night rendezvous. Symbolically the Maze reveals two sides of the human spirit: complexity and simplicity; mystery and design; intuition and sensory experience.

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s u n i n t e r n at i o n a l

Above: The Water Park at the Wild Coast Sun

Make a splash at the Wild Coast Sun The Wild Coast Sun is the perfect destination for family holidays in South Africa. The resort offers an 18-hole golf course, sports club, unique restaurants and fast-food outlets, and now, a R80-million Water Park. Make a splash at the Wild Coast Sun’s expansive, wild and fun Wild Waters Water Park! Kids of all ages can spend their days playing on the rides. The Water Park features some of the world’s best rides imported from White Water West in Canada and is guaranteed to thrill those seeking adventure and fun. Rides include the Boomeranga, Aqua Loop and SuperBowl, the longest lazy river and a special children’s interactive water-play area. The Aqualoop is the ultimate bodyslide adventure in a capsule with a 17m plummet, nearly straight down. You then arch upward into a near-vertical loop, the G-force pinning you to the side as you slide up, over and then down before crashing into the splashdown lane. You’ll never ride another waterslide like it. The innovative Boomeranga delivers a thrilling combination of sensations unlike any other tube ride.

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Riders launch into the SuperBowl, pinned to the wall by powerful centrifugal forces as they orbit toward the centre. Then into a splashdown pool or continue down another flume. The possibilities are virtually endless! The Speed Slides are the tallest, steepest and fastest, offering the most adrenalinepumping, heart-pounding, head-rushing, water-spraying experiences. In the AquaPlay area, the children’s slides offer a wide range of playful, fun and safe options for the littlest members of the family.

When you need to take a break from all the fun, relax with a drink or snack at Wimpy. There’s a Wimpy kiosk inside the park, and just outside, visitors can enjoy family meals at the full-scale new Wimpy restaurant.

Business at the Wild Coast Sun The Wild Coast Sun Resort is also a preferred venue for conferences and meetings in the region. The reopening of this multi-million-rand conference centre

Above: Mzamba conference-centre room at the Wild Coast Sun

Above: What to expect at the Royal Livingstone Hotel

after its extensive upgrade promises to bring a new dimension to business tourism in the Eastern Cape. Reflecting the superior standards for which Sun International is internationally recognised, the Wild Coast Sun Conference Centre is the ideal venue for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. The Conference Centre is able to seat up to 600 guests banquet-style in the Amadiba Ballroom and is also flexible enough, through innovative design and division, to accommodate a diverse number of events simultaneously. In addition to the ballroom, the conference centre has nine meeting rooms and is equipped with quality technology. The interior design is unusual with a dramatic use of colour. Specially commissioned beaded artwork made by the community, with a strong Wild Coast influence, enlivens the spaces. The palette is bright and bold; a mixture of orange, blue, black, red, white and yellow. The original wall timber of demountable partitioning has been retained but now has wallpapered recesses in the panelling. The grassy texture of the wallpaper is rich in colour and adds a warm vibrant feel. The Conference Centre offers a range of alternatives, whether you are organising a discreet business breakaway

or a large international conference. And if it’s an incentive-related event you’re after, creative themes are Sun International’s trademark, as are team-building experiences. The Wild Coast Sun is proud to contribute to a greener and healthier environment and offers “green” conferencing and events. Once a green conference or meeting is booked, a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the event are put in place. The Wild Coast Sun is ideally positioned to offer visitors a wide variety of thrilling experiences, be it a conference, an event, golfing or leisure; you can experience it all at this Sun International resort.

refurbishment for the Royal Livingstone

One of Southern Africa’s most internationally acclaimed resorts – The Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia – is undergoing a multi-million-dollar upgrade, which will be completed by the middle of December, in time for the festive season. The refurbishment is being done by the original interior designer, the world-

the most exciting addition was another sunset deck overlooking the mighty zambezi renowned Paul Duesing. Paul is based in Dallas, Texas, and has been working on the upgrade project since June this year. “We were very excited when Paul agreed to come out to do this major refurbishment. He has, by his own admission, learnt so much from the grace and beauty of the African people that his inspiration came from the warmth exuded by them,” says General Manager Joanne Selby. Paul is being assisted by Johannesburg-based Carolyn Davies Interior Design. Paul has used Africa’s tone and mood, and hence a very relaxing, but luxurious palette of neutral colours. The refurbishment will include down duvets and pillows on the beds and state-of-the-art flat-screen televisions with satellite channels, a DVD player and Wi-Fi access in all the bedrooms. Beautiful decorative mosquito nets

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s u n i n t e r n at i o n a l

Above: The beautifully appointed suite at the Royal Livingstone Hotel

hang from above the beds that enhance the magnificently recovered wooden headboards bearing directional bed lights. The occasional furniture in the rooms is luxurious and includes antiqued painted chests of drawers, high-backed chairs and ottomans. The bathrooms are spacious and boast deep tubs, separate showers, luxurious fluffy towels and enveloping robes, and will be accentuated by environmentally friendly Molton Brown bath products. Paul’s design also extended to the guest-room balconies and patios on the end rooms of each of the residences. These peaceful spaces are furnished with sumptuous day beds, ceiling fans and sliding doors. These new room types add yet another unique dimension to this magnificent resort. The restaurant has a whole new vibe too. Paul incorporated a magnificent fireplace, beautiful French doors and new hand-carved colonial dining-room chairs. The most exciting addition was another sunset deck that has been built under the giant jackalberry tree in the garden, which overlooks the mighty Zambezi River.

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Here one will find the true magic and drama that is Africa! “Throughout the Royal Livingstone Hotel, the guest experience is defined by the desires of the individual. The new design features ensure that guests feel pampered. No detail was overlooked,” promises Joanne.

new business hotel for Sandton’s commercial district Sun International’s new business hotel opens in January 2013 following a R250-million refurbishment for the 281-room hotel. The scope of work included a complete internal and external refurbishment; refurbishment of guest rooms, modernisation and refurbishment of the interior public areas and food and beverage outlets, landscaping of the gardens including the pool and terrace seating, reconstruction of the conference centre and the construction of 13 separate meeting rooms. “Our goal is to have the amenities,

technology and intelligence in place to facilitate business, and create an unforgettable guest experience,” said Johan Scheepers, General Manager. “We have designed a modern four-star deluxe hotel that offers excellent service and value for money in an area that is customarily expensive.” Situated in the heart of Johannesburg’s busiest business district, home to top investment banks, financial institutions, the Gautrain station and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Sun International hotel (corner of Rivonia Road and Grayston Drive) offers business travellers some of the best corporate facilities in Sandton, including 13 rooms that can be used for seminars or meetings, a conference centre able to host 600 delegates as well as a business centre, a transit lounge and complimentary high-speed internet access throughout the hotel. The opening of the hotel secures Sun International’s position in South Africa’s premier business node. The hotel will also act as a valuable stop-over point for inbound visitors who arrive from

s u n i n t e r n at i o n a l

Above and below: Interiors of the Business Hotel in Sandton’s commercial district

a variety of comfortable guest rooms and suites meet the needs of business travellers

abroad en route to Sun International’s other properties. The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City, The Table Bay in Cape Town and The Royal Livingstone in Zambia are all part of Sun International’s Route of the African Sun and key attractions for international visitors to Southern Africa. The contemporary design and urban vibe of the public areas, guest rooms and services are inspired by Sandton’s vibrant business culture. The hotel has a variety

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GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

of comfortable guest rooms and suites that meet the needs of business travellers. The average room size is 32m², and each comes with a power shower, an espresso maker as well as complimentary tea and infusions, a media hub so you can listen to your music or watch movies on the 40-inch LCD TV and stay connected with free Wi-Fi. The hotel also features a contemporary eatery serving bistro food in natural surroundings. Guests will be able to start

their day with an à la carte breakfast and barista-made coffee; and lunch time will be quick and easy, or you could be in for the long haul, as the menu also offers a range of hearty dishes. At the end of the day, the bar is where you can sit back, inside or outdoors, and savour tapas, or comfort-food suppers and indulge in the lengthy whiskey menu and beer on tap. Not only will the hotel offer the latest developments in business travel but it will also be home to Africology, an established spa and skincare brand in Africa, Europe and the US. Africology symbolises excellence in spa treatments and product development – the perfect partner for Sun International, a brand that values high standards, authenticity and excellence. Room rates begin at R2 560. To make a reservation or for more information visit www.suninternational.com or call 27 (0) 11 780 7800.

behind the scenes

Fans gather around the ninth green – one of the most popular vantage points at the Gary Player Country Club

behind the

scenes

Last year, it seems, the star-studded field had as much fun off the course as on it, with plenty of activities for all

Valli Moosa, Gary Player, Sky News’ Jeremy Thompson and Pablo Benevioes

The Vodacom hospitality marquee provided a “cool welcome” for spectators Thulani Sebeko and three-time NGC champion David Frost

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

Martin Kaymer, Luke and Christian Donald enjoying the annual – and ever popular – boma braai National – and provincial – pride on show An expectant crowd behind the first tee

Fans get their turn in the exhibition area Nick Price, Mike Shea, Gary Player and David Frost

The inaugural Champions Challenge winner Jeff Sluman with Nedbank Champions Challenge favourite Nick Price NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

155

The practice range is always a popular spot for fans Lee Westwood and Helena Vogelzang

Graeme McDowell and Simon Dyson at the Pro-Am welcome dinner

Kim Kyang-Tae (far right) with his caddie and rules official Theo Manyama

2010 Miss South Africa Bokang Montjane flanked by Garth Collins and Reuel Khoza

156

The complete 2011 field NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

behind the scenes

Our favourite cousin, Barry Hilton, at the SportsTrust Golf Challenge prize-giving ceremony, with Dave Usendorff

Sam Torrance, Dale Hayes, Gary Player and Matthew Pearce share a moment

Nedbank chief executive Mike Brown and Nick Price

Spectators enjoy a bit of colour and fun at the Beach Party

The 2011 Nedbank Champions Challenge field The merchandise tent is a popular drawcard for Christmas presents

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of entertainment at the hospitality village after each dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play

roll of honour

There have been 20 different winners of the Nedbank Golf Challenge from ten countries. Who will lift the crystal ball on Sunday?

2011 L Westwood R Karlsson J Dufner G McDowell K Kyung-Tae C Schwartzel L Donald M Kaymer S Dyson A Hansen F Molinari D Clarke

68 70 62 73 273 $1 250 000 69 69 69 68 275 $660 000 70 68 70 69 277 $400 000 70 67 70 70 277 $400 000 70 70 70 70 280 $330 000 68 74 68 72 282 $310 000 70 71 70 72 283 $300 000 70 68 70 76 284 $290 000 70 70 75 72 287 $280 000 72 69 77 70 288 $270 000 72 77 73 73 295 $260 000 74 69 76 78 297 $250 000

Defending champion Lee Westwood

2010 L Westwood T Clark R Goosen M-A Jiménez E Els R Fisher R Allenby P Harrington A Hansen J Rose E Molinari L Oosthuizen

68 73 72 69 71 67 70 66 72 70 71 71

64 67 70 69 68 68 70 72 70 72 67 73

71 68 70 71 71 73 73 72 68 72 73 72

68 71 68 71 73 75 72 75 76 72 76 74

271 279 280 280 283 283 285 285 286 286 287 290

$1 250 000 $660 000 $400 000 $400 000 $320 000 $320 000 $295 000 $295 000 $275 000 $275 000 $260 000 $250 000

2009 R Allenby 68 70 68 71 277 $1.2 million H Stenson 70 68 70 69 277 $600 000 Allenby won after a playoff T Clark 69 72 68 69 278 $350 000 R Fisher 73 69 66 70 278 $350 000 R Goosen 69 68 67 75 279 $275 000 A Cabrera 71 67 68 75 281 $260 000 N Watney 73 73 63 73 282 $250 000 L Donald 72 71 68 72 283 $240 000 R Karlsson 70 72 71 71 284 $230 000 H Mahan 70 71 72 73 286 $220 000 R Sterne 72 75 70 75 292 $210 000 R McIlroy Withdrawn

2008 H Stenson K Perry R Karlsson R Sabbatini S Garcia L Westwood KJ Choi J Kingston J Rose T Immelman L Donald M-A Jiménez

2007 63 73 72 68 72 70 72 72 73 72 72 75

71 70 68 70 70 72 67 77 73 73 74 76

65 68 67 72 72 70 73 70 72 69 71 73

68 65 72 70 70 72 74 67 72 77 75 69

267 $1.2 million 276 $600 000 279 $400 000 280 $300 000 284 $267 500 284 $267 500 286 $245 000 286 $245 000 290 $230 000 291 $220 000 292 $210 000 293 $200 000

T Immelman 67 66 67 72 272 $1.2 million J Rose 68 65 67 73 273 $600 000 E Els 69 67 69 72 277 $400 000 H Stenson 72 65 72 72 281 $300 000 R Sabbatini 76 68 67 71 282 $275 000 G Ogilvy 69 73 70 71 283 $255 000 L Donald 68 71 71 73 283 $255 000 A Scott 67 71 72 76 286 $240 000 N Fasth 74 72 70 72 288 $230 000 C Schwartzel 74 74 68 74 290 $220 000 S Cink 72 73 75 71 291 $210 000 R Goosen 74 71 75 78 298 $200 000

2006 J Furyk 68 66 68 74 276 $1.2 million H Stenson 67 71 71 69 278 $600 000 P Harrington 69 71 65 75 280 $400 000 E Els 72 67 70 72 281 $300 000 C Schwartzel 70 69 71 72 282 $275 000 R Goosen 70 70 71 75 286 $260 000 S Garcia 72 76 68 71 287 $245 000 T Immelman 71 69 73 74 287 $245 000 C DiMarco 74 75 66 73 288 $230 000 D Howell 69 73 73 76 291 $220 000 J-M Olazábal 71 73 69 79 292 $210 000 C Montgomerie 75 77 70 76 298 $200 000

N E D B A N K G OLF C H A LL E N G E 2 0 1 2

159

roll of honour

2005

Mark Calcavecchia, winner of the 2011 Champions Challenge

J Furyk 68 70 72 72 282 $1.2 million D Clarke 67 70 76 69 282 $433 000 R Goosen 70 69 71 72 282 $433 000 A Scott 72 69 68 73 282 $433 000 Furyk won after a playoff L Donald 70 68 75 70 283 $250 000 T Clark 70 72 67 75 284 $225 000 C DiMarco 72 71 72 73 288 $210 000 A Cabrera 71 64 74 80 289 $195 000 E Els 72 70 73 75 290 $185 000 K Perry 76 72 75 68 291 $175 000 S Garcia 74 70 74 74 292 $165 000 S Cink 73 76 78 71 298 $155 000

1998 N Price 67 68 72 66 273 $1 million T Woods 72 68 67 66 273 $250 000 Price won after a playoff J Leonard 69 68 68 69 274 $200 000 M O’Meara 69 67 72 68 276 $150 000 L Westwood 72 65 66 73 276 $150 000 E Els 70 69 70 71 280 $105 000 B Langer 69 70 74 67 280 $105 000 J Parnevik 74 70 71 66 281 $100 000 J Furyk 75 71 72 64 282 $100 000 D Duval 72 73 71 68 284 $100 000 C Montgomerie 71 74 70 69 284 $100 000 T Watson 72 70 73 70 285 $100 000

2004 R Goosen E Els S Appleby J Furyk C DiMarco J Haas L Westwood T Hamilton N Price F Jacobson C Campbell S Garcia

70 71 71 69 281 $1.2 million 70 74 72 71 287 $500 000 70 69 74 74 287 $500 000 74 76 66 72 288 $275 000 71 74 69 74 288 $275 000 75 74 70 72 291 $217 500 70 70 71 80 291 $217 500 74 72 71 75 292 $195 000 71 70 74 78 293 $185 000 75 78 72 72 297 $175 000 80 75 72 72 299 $165 000 75 76 74 78 303 $155 000

2003 S Garcia 68 66 70 70 274 $1.2 million R Goosen 70 67 68 69 274 $500 000 Garcia won after a playoff V Singh 65 72 71 69 277 $400 000 D Clarke 66 71 74 67 278 $300 000 J Kelly 67 67 76 71 281 $200 000 K Perry 65 68 73 75 281 $165 000 C DiMarco 66 71 74 71 282 $145 000 A Scott 66 74 74 68 282 $135 000 S Appleby 67 75 70 72 284 $130 000 F Funk 71 71 71 72 285 $125 000 J Haas 70 72 71 72 285 $120 000 T Clark 68 71 73 73 285 $115 000 P Harrington 72 70 74 70 286 $100 000 R Allenby 66 78 69 74 287 $95 000 S Leaney 68 72 70 77 287 $90 000 C Howell III 73 67 75 72 287 $85 000 E Els 72 75 74 69 290 $80 000 N Price 69 75 75 73 292 $75 000

2002 E Els C Montgomerie C DiMarco R Goosen J Furyk S Garcia N Price B Estes R Allenby D Clarke P Harrington M Campbell

2001 S Garcia 68 71 66 63 268 $2 million E Els 67 66 66 69 268 $300 000 Garcia won after a playoff B Langer 68 67 67 69 271 $250 000 M Weir 68 67 69 68 272 $225 000 L Westwood 69 65 70 71 275 $200 000 P Harrington 70 72 61 73 276 $175 000 N Price 68 71 70 70 279 $160 000 T Bjorn 71 72 68 70 281 $150 000 R Goosen 68 68 74 71 281 $150 000 C Montgomerie 68 69 72 73 282 $150 000 D Clarke 75 68 74 76 293 $150 000 J Furyk 71 67 DQ

2000 E Els 66 67 67 68 268 $2 million L Westwood 65 69 68 66 268 $350 000 Els won after a playoff N Price 69 66 67 67 269 $237 500 T Bjorn 70 65 65 69 269 $237 500 J Huston 72 67 64 71 274 $200 000 C Montgomerie 69 74 64 69 276 $175 000 J-M Olazábal 65 75 67 70 277 $160 000 S Appleby 70 70 71 69 280 $150 000 M Campbell 72 68 70 70 280 $150 000 C Franco 77 67 69 68 281 $150 000 D Clarke 68 75 73 68 284 $150 000 M-A Jiménez 75 69 70 74 288 $150 000

1999 70 65 69 63 267 $2 million 74 69 65 67 275 $300 000 68 68 72 70 278 $250 000 68 72 70 71 281 $212 500 69 71 72 69 281 $212 500 70 73 70 70 283 $175 000 71 70 73 70 284 $150 000 73 69 72 71 285 $150 000 70 71 74 70 285 $150 000 72 67 71 75 285 $150 000 72 70 69 77 288 $150 000 71 71 69 78 289 $150 000

160 N E D B A N K

G OLF C H A LL E N G E 2 0 1 2

E Els 67 66 64 66 263 $1 million C Montgomerie 66 69 68 65 268 $250 000 D Clarke 72 69 64 65 270 $200 000 L Westwood 68 70 70 66 274 $175 000 J Furyk 70 71 65 69 275 $150 000 C Franco 70 72 68 67 277 $125 000 N Price 68 72 68 72 280 $110 000 J Huston 67 76 68 70 281 $100 000 S Garcia 71 67 70 75 283 $100 000 J-M Olazábal 69 74 73 68 284 $100 000 M-A Jiménez 76 72 69 69 286 $100 000 P Lawrie 65 76 71 74 286 $100 000

1997 N Price 71 68 68 68 275 $1 million E Els 69 70 70 67 276 $225 000 D Love III 68 67 74 67 276 $225 000 P Mickelson 67 68 69 73 277 $175 000 B Langer 69 70 67 72 278 $150 000 J Leonard 74 72 67 68 281 $125 000 C Montgomerie 78 68 69 71 286 $105 000 T Lehman 74 74 69 69 286 $105 000 J Parnevik 70 70 79 70 289 $100 000 M O’Meara 76 71 69 75 291 $100 000 N Faldo 73 73 71 74 291 $100 000 I Woosnam 74 73 72 73 292 $100 000

1996 C Montgomerie 65 71 70 68 274 $1 million E Els 67 70 71 66 274 $250 000 Montgomerie won after a playoff S Jones 67 71 67 70 275 $187 500 N Price 71 76 66 71 275 $187 500 S Stricker 68 70 69 70 277 $137 500 I Woosnam 68 69 67 73 277 $137 500 B Langer 69 70 69 71 279 $100 000 M O’Meara 69 71 70 72 282 $100 000 T Lehman 71 71 68 73 283 $100 000 N Faldo 73 68 69 73 283 $100 000 M Brooks 68 70 72 73 283 $100 000 C Pavin 68 71 76 69 284 $100 000

1995 C Pavin 69 72 69 66 276 $1 million N Price 71 67 72 71 281 $250 000 B Langer 72 69 71 71 283 $200 000 S Torrance 69 73 70 72 284 $175 000 T Lehman 71 70 73 73 287 $150 000 D Frost 74 76 71 68 289 $125 000 E Els 72 72 69 78 291 $103 330 N Faldo 72 78 69 72 291 $103 330 C Rocca 76 75 67 73 291 $103 330 V Singh 75 72 74 72 293 $100 000 C Montgomerie 79 76 71 71 297 $100 000 P Mickelson 73 77 72 76 298 $100 000

BP is proudly donating R1 million to social upliftment on behalf of the golfer who gets a hole in one at the 16th Hole in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just our way of going the extra mile. So letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rally behind the top contenders as they strive to be great for a very good cause.

LE 16 HO N E GE TH

JHB 39143

CHAL

roll of honour

1994

In 2009 Robert Allenby became the first Australian to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge

N Faldo 66 64 73 69 272 $1 million N Price 71 66 70 68 275 $250 000 E Els 68 70 67 72 277 $187 500 D Frost 73 67 71 66 277 $187 500 B Langer 68 69 74 68 279 $137 500 T Lehman 71 69 70 69 279 $137 500 S Ballesteros 76 71 68 66 281 $110 000 M McNulty 72 69 68 73 282 $100 000 C Pavin 71 70 72 70 283 $100 000 H Irwin 72 70 74 72 288 $100 000 C Montgomerie 72 71 72 73 288 $100 000 V Singh 80 73 76 78 307 $100 000

1985 B Langer L Wadkins M O’Meara S Ballesteros L Trevino TC Chen D Graham D Watson H Green S Lyle

1993 N Price M McNulty B Langer F Allem N Faldo C Pavin E Els D Frost M O’Meara L Janzen P Stewart I Woosnam

67 66 66 65 264 $1 million 71 70 68 67 276 $250 000 72 69 70 68 279 $200 000 72 70 72 66 280 $175 000 67 73 72 69 281 $150 000 71 70 71 73 285 $125 000 76 69 69 73 287 $110 000 71 70 73 74 288 $100 000 74 71 70 75 290 $100 000 76 73 75 71 295 $100 000 75 75 72 73 295 $100 000 76 78 80 75 309 $100 000

1992 D Frost 70 69 68 69 276 $1 million J Cook 73 68 70 69 280 $300 000 F Couples 74 70 73 67 284 $225 000 E Els 70 69 77 68 284 $225 000 B Langer 73 69 74 70 286 $150 000 J-M Olazábal 72 73 73 74 292 $140 000 I Woosnam 75 73 75 73 296 $130 000 C Parry 74 75 76 72 297 $120 000 N Price 72 67 DQ N Faldo 69 72 DQ

1991 B Langer 68 65 67 72 272 $1 million M Calcavecchia 72 67 71 67 277 $300 000 M McNulty 66 71 71 74 282 $250 000 N Faldo 72 69 68 76 285 $200 000 F Couples 71 71 74 71 287 $145 000 J Bland 74 70 68 75 287 $145 000 I Woosnam 73 68 78 74 293 $130 000 J Daly 72 73 72 77 294 $120 000 S Elkington 67 74 79 78 298 $110 000 D Frost 72 75 77 76 300 $100 000

1990 D Frost 71 71 71 71 284 $1 million J-M Olazábal 73 70 73 69 285 $300 000 B Langer 69 74 70 75 288 $225 000 S Elkington 77 68 68 75 288 $225 000 F Allem 73 72 74 71 290 $150 000 R Gamez 79 76 69 69 293 $135 000 K Green 75 72 70 76 297 $135 000 S Lyle 80 67 74 76 297 $120 000 T Armour III 81 71 71 77 300 $110 000 T Simpson 75 74 73 81 303 $100 000

162 N E D B A N K

GOLF CHALLENGE 2012

69 70 68 71 278 $300 000 70 69 68 73 280 $150 000 70 71 71 69 281 $100 000 73 72 70 67 282 $87 000 69 69 71 74 283 $75 000 75 67 69 73 284 $65 000 72 74 70 69 285 $60 000 75 70 68 75 288 $56 000 76 74 70 69 289 $52 000 71 70 77 73 291 $50 000

1984 1989 D Frost S Hoch T Simpson D Pooley C Beck A Bean S Lyle F Allem S Simpson K Green

67 66 75 68 276 $1 million 67 72 71 69 279 $300 000 67 69 72 72 280 $250 000 73 71 76 71 291 $200 000 72 70 76 76 294 $150 000 81 74 71 69 295 $140 000 75 73 76 74 298 $130 000 76 75 70 78 299 $120 000 72 75 80 74 301 $105 000 72 77 75 77 301 $105 000

1988 F Allem D Pooley K Green I Woosnam C Beck D Frost M McNulty B Langer

72 71 66 69 278 $1 million 67 72 74 66 279 $200 000 67 72 70 71 280 $100 000 72 70 69 72 283 $90 000 74 70 68 72 284 $80 000 71 69 72 73 285 $70 000 71 73 71 72 287 $60 000 76 74 78 78 306 $50 000

1983 S Ballesteros 69 67 70 68 274 $300 000 F Zoeller 75 72 67 65 279 $127 500 N Faldo 70 67 73 69 279 $127 500 D Graham 67 71 71 70 279 $85 500 J Miller 74 70 69 68 281 $71 500 R Floyd 71 70 69 71 281 $71 000 L Trevino 72 68 72 70 282 $60 000 C Stadler 74 69 71 70 284 $56 000 N Price 77 68 71 69 285 $52 000 L Nelson 69 71 73 72 285 $50 000

1982

1987 I Woosnam 67 71 68 68 274 $1 million N Faldo 68 71 68 71 278 D Frost 70 70 68 72 280 C Strange 72 69 72 70 283 J-M Olazábal 68 73 70 72 283 F Allem 66 69 74 74 283 B Langer 70 68 73 74 285 L Wadkins 71 72 72 75 290

1986 M McNulty L Wadkins B Langer TC Chen I Woosnam H Clark D Frost D Graham G Player

S Ballesteros 69 71 65 74 279 $300 000 N Faldo 70 72 71 72 285 $150 000 L Trevino 74 72 71 69 286 $105 000 R Floyd 74 74 75 68 291 $85 000 I Aoki 76 69 69 78 292 $75 000 T Kite 70 75 76 72 293 $67 000 B Crenshaw 73 74 72 75 294 $60 000 G Player 76 76 71 74 297 $52 700 G Norman 74 70 78 75 297 $52 700 D Watson 73 75 73 76 297 $52 700

74 70 70 68 282 $300 000 69 72 71 70 285 $150 000 70 68 74 74 286 $105 000 75 68 75 69 287 $81 000 75 70 71 71 287 $81 000 69 69 74 76 288 $65 000 71 75 71 72 289 $60 000 73 74 72 71 290 $56 000 75 74 71 73 293 $52 000

R Floyd 72 69 68 71 280 $300 000 C Stadler 72 67 70 71 280 $150 000 Floyd won after a playoff L Trevino 71 73 70 67 281 $105 000 L Wadkins 70 70 68 74 282 $85 000 J Miller 72 68 71 72 283 $75 000 S Ballesteros 67 71 73 75 286 $63 500 J Pate 67 73 66 80 286 $63 500 J Nicklaus 70 71 72 74 287 $56 000 G Norman 71 72 78 70 291 $52 000 G Player 71 75 72 76 294 $50 000

1981 J Miller 72 68 66 71 277 $500 000 S Ballesteros 69 68 69 71 277 $160 000 Miller won after a playoff J Nicklaus 70 70 69 69 278 $130 000 L Trevino 70 74 74 71 289 $110 000 G Player 70 77 72 73 292 $100 000

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