GOLF
www.sagolfandleisure.co.za
the SUNSHINE TOUR
The Sunshine Tour is one of six founding professional golf tours that makes up the International Federation of PGA Tours. BASED IN South Africa, with several tournaments in neighbouring African states, the Sunshine Tour stages professional tournaments throughout the year. It’s flagship events include the venerable SA Open Championship, the Telkom PGA Championship and SA Masters, while it now has six tournaments that are co-sanctioned with the PGA European Tour. The Sunshine Tour has been the starting point for many professionals who have gone on to dominate the world professional golf and, since World War II, only the USA has produced more Major victories than South Africa. Lead by such icons of the game as Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, the Sunshine Tour continues to produce world-beating professionals with the likes of Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace the latest to break through on the world stage. Divided into a summer and winter "swing", the Sunshine Tour stages tournaments yearround, with the bigger prize-money events taking place in the summer months from October through March. During the winter months, smaller three-round events with an emphasis on Pro-Am participation take place, with many smaller centres around South Africa being visited. From 2012, these three-round events have been awarded Official World Ranking points, giving South African “stay-at-home” professionals opportunities to improve their world standing and contributing towards being able to qualify for Majors and World Golf Championship events. From late 2013 for a period of at least five years, the Sunshine Tour will host the Tournament of Hope, which will involve the top 50 players on the Official World Golf Ranking as well as the top finishers on the Orders of Merit from member Tours of the International Federation of PGA Tours. This limited-field event will coincide with World Aids Day and will have as its focus the highlighting of HIV/Aids and poverty within Africa. The venue of the Tournament of Hope is still to be decided. For visitors to South Africa, professional golf tournaments are easily accessed and boast a standard of play every bit as good as any of the major Tours around the world. Visit www.sunshinetour.com for a full year-round schedule.