South African Open (golf)

The South African Open Championship is one of the oldest national open golf championships in the world, having first been played in 1903, and is one of the principal tournaments on the Southern-Africa-based Sunshine Tour. Since 1997 it has also been co-sanctioned by the European Tour.

South African Open

Tournament information
Location	Sun City, South Africa
Established	1903
Course(s)	Gary Player Country Club
Tour(s)	Sunshine Tour European Tour (1997–) Asian Tour (2018)
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	R 19,500,000
Month played	December
Tournament record score
Aggregate	264 Ernie Els (2006)
To par	−24 (as above)
Current champion
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Location Map
Gary Player CC Location in South Africa Gary Player CC Gary Player CC (North West (South African province))

From 1999 to 2016, the tournament was the Sunshine Tour's flagship event for the purposes of the Official World Golf Ranking, earning a minimum of 32 OWGR points for the winner. It was replaced as the flagship event for 2017 by the Alfred Dunhill Championship before regaining its status the following year.[1] In 2020, the Alfred Dunhill Championship once again replaced the South African Open as the tour's flagship event.[2]

In December 2018, the event became part of the Open Qualifying Series, giving up to three non-exempt players entry into The Open Championship.

History

The first formal event was organised in 1903, following a series of exhibition matches that had been held over the preceding ten years. The championship was initially contested over just 36 holes until 1908, when it was extended to become a 72-hole tournament.[3] Although non-whites had played in the South African Open before, most notably when Papwa Sewgolum finished second in 1963, it was not until 1972 that black golfers were allowed to compete.[4]

From 2011 until February 2020 it was held in the Johannesburg area; twice at Serengeti Golf Club, followed by five times at Glendower Golf Club, and then twice at Randpark Golf Club. In December 2020 it will move away from Johannesburg and be held at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.

Gary Player has been the most successful player in the tournament's history, with 13 victories over four decades between 1956 and 1981. Bobby Locke won nine titles, Sid Brews won eight titles, and George Fotheringham won the event five times.

Winners

Year[lower-alpha 1]	Tour[lower-alpha 2]	Winner[lower-alpha 3]	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up[lower-alpha 3]	Venue	Ref
South African Open
2020 (Dec)	AFR, EUR	Christiaan Bezuidenhout	270	−18	5 strokes	Jamie Donaldson	Gary Player CC
South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg
2020 (Jan)	AFR, EUR	Branden Grace	263	−21	3 strokes	Louis Oosthuizen	Randpark GC
2019	No tournament due to rescheduling from December to January
2018 (Dec)	AFR, EUR	Louis Oosthuizen	266	−18	6 strokes	Romain Langasque	Randpark GC
BMW SA Open
2018 (Jan)	AFR, EUR	Chris Paisley	267	−21	3 strokes	Branden Grace	Glendower GC
2017	AFR, EUR	Graeme Storm	270	−18	Playoff[lower-alpha 4]	Rory McIlroy	Glendower GC	[5]
2016	AFR, EUR	Brandon Stone	274	−14	2 strokes	Christiaan Bezuidenhout	Glendower GC
South African Open Championship
2015	AFR, EUR	Andy Sullivan	277	−11	Playoff[lower-alpha 5]	Charl Schwartzel	Glendower GC	[6]
2014	No tournament due to rescheduling from November to January
2013	AFR, EUR	Morten Ørum Madsen	269	−19	2 strokes	Jbe' Kruger Hennie Otto	Glendower GC
SA Open Championship
2012	AFR, EUR	Henrik Stenson	271	−17	3 strokes	George Coetzee	Serengeti GC
2011	AFR, EUR	Hennie Otto	274	−14	1 stroke	Bernd Wiesberger	Serengeti GC
South African Open Championship
2010	AFR, EUR	Ernie Els (5)	263	−25[lower-alpha 6]	1 stroke	Retief Goosen	Durban CC
2009	AFR, EUR	Richie Ramsay	275	−13	Playoff[lower-alpha 7]	Shiv Kapur	Pearl Valley	[7]
2008	AFR, EUR	Richard Sterne	274	−14	Playoff[lower-alpha 8]	Gareth Maybin	Pearl Valley	[8]
South African Airways Open
2007	AFR, EUR	James Kingston	284	−4	1 stroke	Oliver Wilson	Pearl Valley
2006	AFR, EUR	Ernie Els (4)	264	−24	3 strokes	Trevor Immelman	Humewood GC
2005 (Dec)	AFR, EUR	Retief Goosen (2)	282	−10	1 stroke	Ernie Els	Fancourt
2005 (Jan)	AFR, EUR	Tim Clark (2)	273	−15	6 strokes	Grégory Havret Charl Schwartzel	Durban CC
2004	AFR, EUR	Trevor Immelman (2)	276	−12	3 strokes	Alastair Forsyth Steve Webster	Erinvale GC
2003	AFR, EUR	Trevor Immelman	274	−14	Playoff[lower-alpha 9]	Tim Clark	Erinvale GC	[9]
Bell's South African Open
2002	AFR, EUR	Tim Clark	269	−19	2 strokes	Steve Webster	The Country Club
Mercedes-Benz South African Open
2001	AFR, EUR	Mark McNulty (2)	280	−8	1 stroke	Justin Rose	East London GC
2000	AFR, EUR	Mathias Grönberg	274	−14	1 stroke	Darren Fichardt Ricardo González Nick Price	Randpark GC
Mercedes-Benz – Vodacom South African Open
1999	AFR, EUR	David Frost (2)	279	−5	1 stroke	Scott Dunlap Jeev Milkha Singh	Stellenbosch GC
South African Open
1998	AFR, EUR	Ernie Els (3)	273	−15	3 strokes	David Frost	Durban CC
1997	AFR, EUR	Vijay Singh	270	−18	1 stroke	Nick Price	Glendower GC
Phillips South African Open
1996	AFR	Ernie Els (2)	275	−13	1 stroke	Brenden Pappas	Royal Cape GC
1995	AFR	Retief Goosen	275	−13	5 strokes	Ernie Els	Randpark GC
1994	No tournament due to rescheduling from December to January
1993 (Dec)	AFR	Tony Johnstone (2)	267	−21	7 strokes	Ernie Els	Durban CC
1993 (Feb)	AFR	Clinton Whitelaw	279	−9	2 strokes	Retief Goosen	Glendower GC
Protea Assurance South African Open
1992	AFR	Ernie Els	273	−15	3 strokes	Derek James	Houghton GC
1991	AFR	Wayne Westner (2)	272	−16	4 strokes	Mark James Tony Johnstone	Durban CC
1990	AFR	Trevor Dodds	285	−3	1 stroke	Hugh Royer III	Royal Cape	[10]
1989	AFR	Fred Wadsworth	278	−10	1 stroke	Tom Lehman	Glendower
Southern Suns South African Open
1988	AFR	Wayne Westner	275	−13	2 strokes	Ian Mosey	Durban CC	[11]
1987	AFR	Mark McNulty	278	−10	Playoff[lower-alpha 10]	Fulton Allem	Mowbray	[12][13]
1986	AFR	David Frost	275	−13	3 strokes	Tony Johnstone	Royal Johannesburg	[14]
South African Open Championship Title sponsors unknown 1983–1985
1985	AFR	Gavan Levenson	280	−8	3 strokes	Phil Simmons	Royal Durban	[15]
1984	AFR	Tony Johnstone	274	−14	3 strokes	Fulton Allem	Houghton
1983	AFR	Charlie Bolling	278	−10	1 stroke	Tertius Claassens	Royal Cape
1982	No tournament due to rescheduling from December to January
Datson South African Open
1981	AFR	Gary Player (13)	272	−16	Playoff[lower-alpha 11]	John Bland Warren Humphreys	Royal Johannesburg	[16]
1980	AFR	Bobby Cole (2)	279	−9	4 strokes	Mark McNulty	Durban CC	[17]
British Airways/Yellow Pages South African Open
1979	AFR	Gary Player (12)	279	−9	1 stroke	Ian Mosey	Houghton	[18]
Yellow Pages South African Open
1978	AFR	Hugh Baiocchi	285	−3	1 stroke	Gavan Levenson	Mowbray	[19]
1977	AFR	Gary Player (11)	273	−15	3 strokes	Bobby Cole Dale Hayes	Royal Johannesburg
1976 (Nov)	AFR	Gary Player (10)	280	−8	6 strokes	David Suddards (a) Bobby Verwey	Durban CC	[20]
BP South African Open
1976 (Feb)	AFR	Dale Hayes	287	−1	Playoff[lower-alpha 12]	John Fourie	Houghton	[21]
1975	AFR	Gary Player (9)	278	−10	6 strokes	Allan Henning	Mowbray	[22]
South African Open Championship
1974	AFR	Bobby Cole	272	−16	4 strokes	Allan Henning	Royal Johannesburg	[23]
1973	AFR	Bob Charles	282	−6	3 strokes	Vin Baker Bobby Cole Graham Marsh	Durban CC	[24]
1972	AFR	Gary Player (8)	274	−18	1 stroke	Bobby Cole	Royal Johannesburg	[25]
1971		Simon Hobday	276	−12	1 stroke	Gary Player	Mowbray	[26]
1970		Tommy Horton	285		3 strokes	Terry Westbrook	Royal Durban
1969		Gary Player (7)	273		6 strokes	Trevor Wilkes	Durban CC
1968		Gary Player (6)	274		7 strokes	Cobie Legrange	Houghton
1967		Gary Player (5)	279		3 strokes	Allan Henning Mike Hoyle	East London
1966		Gary Player (4)	278		1 stroke	Harold Henning Cobie Legrange	Houghton
1965		Gary Player (3)	273		3 strokes	John Hayes	Royal Cape
1964	No tournament due to two events in 1963
1963 (Dec)		Allan Henning	278		2 strokes	Bruce Keyter	Bloemfontein
1963 (Mar)		Retief Waltman (2)	281		1 stroke	Sewsunker Sewgolum	Durban CC
1962		Harold Henning (2)	285		1 stroke	Denis Hutchinson	Houghton
1961		Retief Waltman	289		8 strokes	Barry Franklin (a)	East London
1960		Gary Player (2)	280		7 strokes	Harold Henning Tommy Trevena	Mowbray
1959		Denis Hutchinson (a)	282		1 stroke	Gary Player	Royal Johannesburg
1958		Arthur Stewart	281		1 stroke	Bobby Locke	Bloemfontein
1957		Harold Henning	289		Playoff[lower-alpha 13]	Sandy Guthrie	Humewood
1956		Gary Player	286		3 strokes	Bruce Keyter	Durban CC
1955		Bobby Locke (9)	283		1 stroke	Reg Taylor	Zwartkop
1954		Reg Taylor (a)	289		2 strokes	Jannie le Roux	East London
1953		Jimmy Boyd	302		Playoff[lower-alpha 14]	Otway Hayes	Royal Cape
1952		Sid Brews (8)	305		1 stroke	Sandy Guthrie	Humewood
1951		Bobby Locke (8)	277		9 strokes	Jimmy Boyd (a) Harry Bradshaw	Houghton
1950		Bobby Locke (7)	280		11 strokes	Sandy Guthrie	Durban CC
1949		Sid Brews (7)	291		3 strokes	Eric Moore	Maccauvlei
1948		Mickey Janks (a)	298		Playoff[lower-alpha 15]	Sandy Guthrie	East London
1947		Ronnie Glennie (a)	293		1 stroke	Eric Moore	Mowbray
1946		Bobby Locke (6)	285		14 strokes	Steve Boshoff (a)	Royal Johannesburg
1941–1945	No tournament due to World War II
1940		Bobby Locke (5)	293		10 strokes	Steve Boshoff (a)	Port Elizabeth
1939		Bobby Locke (4)	279		8 strokes	Maurice Bodmer (a) Clarence Olander (a)	Durban CC
1938		Bobby Locke (3)	279		5 strokes	Sid Brews	Maccauvlei
1937		Bobby Locke (a) (2)	288		11 strokes	Clarence Olander (a)	East London
1936		Clarence Olander (a)	297		Playoff[lower-alpha 16]	J Robertson	Royal Cape
1935		Bobby Locke (a)	296		3 strokes	Jock Verwey (a)	Parkview
1934		Sid Brews (6)	319		7 strokes	Jock Verwey (a)	Humewood
1933		Sid Brews (5)	297		3 strokes	Charles McIlvenny	Maccauvlei
1932		Charles McIlvenny	304		4 strokes	Bob Grimsdell	Mowbray
1931		Sid Brews (4)	302		3 strokes	Bob Grimsdell Charles McIlvenny	Port Elizabeth
1930		Sid Brews (3)	297		11 strokes	Jock Brews	East London
1929		Archie Tosh	315		1 stroke	Jock Brews	Royal Cape
1928		Jock Brews (4)	297		1 stroke	Sid Brews	Durban CC
1927		Sid Brews (2)	301		5 strokes	Bert Elkin Charles McIlvenny	Maccauvlei
1926		Jock Brews (3)	301		9 strokes	Bert Elkin	Port Elizabeth
1925		Sid Brews	295		3 strokes	Jock Brews	Johannesburg
1924		Bert Elkin	316		9 strokes	Jock Brews Sid Brews	Durban CC
1923		Jock Brews (2)	315		1 stroke	Archie Tosh	Royal Cape
1922		Fred Jangle	310		7 strokes	Jock Brews	Port Alfred
1921		Jock Brews	316		3 strokes	Archie Tosh	Port Elizabeth
1920		Laurie Waters (4)	302		2 strokes	Bert Elkin	Johannesburg
1919		William Horne	320		9 strokes	Hugh Gordon Stewart (a)	Durban
1915–1918	No tournament due to World War I
1914		George Fotheringham (5)	299		20 strokes	Jock Brews	Royal Cape
1913		Jimmy Prentice (a)	304		2 strokes	Willie Binnie Jack Fotheringham	Kimberley
1912		George Fotheringham (4)	305		10 strokes	Laurie Waters	Potchefstroom
1911		George Fotheringham (3)	301		11 strokes	David Guthrie	Durban
1910		George Fotheringham (2)	315		5 strokes	Arthur Gray	Royal Cape
1909		Jack Fotheringham	306		2 strokes	George Fotheringham	Potchefstroom
1908		George Fotheringham	294		9 strokes	Laurie Waters	Port Elizabeth
1907		Laurie Waters (3)	147[lower-alpha 17][lower-alpha 18]		5 strokes	Walter Day Jr	Kimberley
1906		Arthur Gray (2)	151[lower-alpha 17]		3 strokes	H. F. Watson (a)	East London
1905		Arthur Gray	[lower-alpha 17]		Playoff[lower-alpha 19]	George Fotheringham	Garrison Club
1904		Laurie Waters (2)	143[lower-alpha 17]		4 strokes	Arthur Gray	Johannesburg
1903		Laurie Waters	163[lower-alpha 17]		3 strokes	J. W. Stewart	Port Elizabeth

1. Due to seasonal scheduling, the South African Open has been held twice in some years and not at all in others.
2. AFR – Sunshine Tour, previously known as the South(ern) Africa Tour/Vodacom Tour/FNB Tour/Sunshine Circuit; EUR – European Tour
3. (a) – Amateur
4. Storm won with a par on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff.
5. Sullivan won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
6. Not an official record score because the 4th hole was unplayable during the 3rd and 4th rounds due to heavy rain. For scoring purposes, all players were deemed to have recorded a par for the hole.
7. Ramsay won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
8. Sterne won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
9. Immelman won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
10. McNulty won on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
11. Player defeated Bland with a birdie on the third hole of sudden-death after both had tied with 2 under-par 70s after an 18-hole playoff; Humphreys returned a level-par 72 in the playoff.
12. Hayes won following an 18-hole playoff; Hayes 69, Fourie 72.
13. Henning won the 36-hole playoff with a score of 144 to Guthrie's 146.
14. Boyd won the 36-hole playoff with a score of 162 to Hayes 163.
15. Janks won the 36-hole playoff with a score of 147 to Guthrie's 153.
16. Olander won the 36-hole playoff with a score of 146 to Robertson's 151.
17. Tournament held over 36 holes prior to 1908.
18. Some sources have Waters score as 146.
19. Gray won the playoff by a stroke with a score of 151.

Source: [3][27]

Multiple winners

Eighteen men have won this tournament more than once through 2018.

Wins	Player	Country	Years won
13	Gary Player	South Africa	1956, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981
9	Bobby Locke	South Africa	1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1955
8	Sid Brews	South Africa	1925, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1949, 1952
5	George Fotheringham	Scotland	1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914
5	Ernie Els	South Africa	1992, 1996, 1998, 2006, 2010
4	Laurie Waters	South Africa	1903, 1904, 1907, 1920
4	Jock Brews	South Africa	1921, 1923, 1926, 1928
2	Arthur Gray	England	1905, 1906
2	Harold Henning	South Africa	1957, 1962
2	Retief Waltman	South Africa	1961, 1963
2	Bobby Cole	South Africa	1974, 1980
2	Wayne Westner	South Africa	1988, 1991
2	Tony Johnstone	Zimbabwe	1984, 1993 (Dec)
2	David Frost	South Africa	1986, 1999
2	Mark McNulty	Zimbabwe	1987, 2001
2	Trevor Immelman	South Africa	2003, 2004
2	Tim Clark	South Africa	2002, 2005 (Jan)
2	Retief Goosen	South Africa	1995, 2005 (Dec)

References

1. "SA Open receives world ranking flagship status". News 24. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
2. "How the ranking evolved". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
3. "SA Amateur & Open". South African Golf Association. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
4. "South African Open Championship History and Highlights". South African Open Championship. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
5. "South African Open: Graeme Storm beats Rory McIlroy in play-off to win title". BBC Sport. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
6. "Andy Sullivan wins South African Open for first European Tour title". BBC Sport. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
7. Bisset, Fergus (20 December 2009). "Richie Ramsay wins South African Open Championship". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
8. Bisset, Fergus (21 December 2008). "Richard Sterne Wins South African Open Championship". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
9. "For Immelman, 'greatest way to start the year'". ESPN. Associated Press. 12 January 2003. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
10. McCormack, Mark H. (1991). The World of Professional Golf 1991. Chapmans. p. 495. ISBN 1855925583.
11. "Switch in time a knock-out for Darcy". The Glasgow Herald. 1 February 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
12. "Mark McNulty". The Glasgow Herald. 9 February 1987. p. 10. Retrieved 21 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
13. McCormack, Mark H. (1988). Ebel World of Professional Golf 1988. Collins Willow. pp. 220, 439–440. ISBN 0002182831.
14. "David Frost". The Glasgow Herald. 10 February 1987. p. 11. Retrieved 21 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
15. "Golf". The Guardian. 28 January 1985. p. 23. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Player makes it a lucky thirteenth". The Glasgow Herald. 7 December 1981. p. 16. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
17. "Palmer senior champ". The Montreal Gazette. 8 December 1980. p. 19. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
18. "Weekend sport in brief | Golf". The Glasgow Herald. 10 December 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
19. "South African Open". The Montreal Gazette. 11 December 1978. p. 38. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
20. "Gary wins record 10th open". The Age. 29 November 1975. p. 24. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
21. "Hayes triumphs in play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 3 February 1976. p. 23. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
22. "Its the Player habit". The Age. 3 February 1975. p. 25. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
23. "Cole wins SA Open". The Glasgow Herald. 4 February 1974. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
24. Jacobs, Raymond (5 February 1973). "Revised Charles swing again pays dividends". The Glasgow Herald. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
25. "Player wins by one stroke". The Glasgow Herald. 14 February 1972. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
26. "Hobday holds off Player". The Glasgow Herald. 15 February 1971. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
27. The Allied Book of South African Sport & Sports Records. SASBOR. 1988. pp. 1941–1949. ISBN 0620128828 – via Google Books.

External links

• Coverage on the European Tour's official site