Nedbank Golf Challenge

Nedbank Golf Challenge
Tournament information
Location Sun City, South Africa
Established 1981
Course(s) Gary Player CC
Par 72
Length 7,831 yards (7,161 m)
Tour(s) European Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund US$7,500,000
Month played November
Tournament record score
Aggregate 263 Ernie Els (1999)
To par −25 Ernie Els (1999)
Current champion
South Africa Branden Grace
Gary Player
C.C.
Location in South Africa

The Nedbank Golf Challenge, previously known as the Million Dollar Challenge, is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It was first played in 1981 and takes place towards the end of the year, in November or December.

For many years the tournament was a small-field invitational stroke play event with typically 12 players competing. Since it became a European Tour event in 2013, the field size has increased, to 30 from 2013 to 2015 and to 72 in 2016. Originally it was not an official event for any of the major tours.

From 2010 to 2012, a separate tournament for senior golfers was held concurrently.

History

The first tournament was played from 31 December 1981 to 4 January 1982 with a field of 5: Seve Ballesteros, Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. Ballesteros and Miller tied on 277 with Nicklaus a stroke behind after he missed a putt at the final hole. Miller beat Ballesteros at the ninth hole of a sudden-death playoff. The pair played the 16th to 18th holes three times before Ballesteros three-putted. Miller won $500,000 out of total prize money of $1,000,000.[1]

The date was moved to early December 1982 for the second tournament, with 10 players competing. Total prize money remained at $1,000,000 with $300,000 for the winner and $50,000 for the 10th player. There was another playoff, with Raymond Floyd beating Craig Stadler at the fourth extra hole.[2] The format remained unchanged from 1983 to 1986 with the event played in early December each year.

The 1987 event introduced a winner-take-all $1,000,000 first prize, although there were additional prizes for the lowest round each day. The field was reduced to 8 player. Ian Woosnam won by 4 strokes and took the first million dollar prize in golf.[3] The winner-take-all idea was dropped for 1988, although the first prize remained as $1,000,000. The format remained largely unchanged through 1999, with the first prize always $1,000,000, although the field increased from 8 to 10 in 1989 and to 12 from 1993. There were two playoffs during this period. In 1996 Colin Montgomerie beat Ernie Els with a birdie at the third extra hole, while in 1998 Nick Price beat Tiger Woods with a birdie at the fifth extra hole.

In 2006, the tournament carried World Rankings points for the first time since 1999.[4] In 2013 it was expanded to 30 players: the defending tournament champion; the top 10 PGA Tour FedEx Cup players, the top 10 European Tour Race to Dubai players; the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners; the Alfred Dunhill Championship winner; and the top 5 South African players in the World Rankings.

From 2000 to 2002 the first prize was increased to US$2 million, but the following year the winner's share of the total prize fund was reduced from more than half to around 30%. The standard winner's share on the PGA Tour is 18% and on the European Tour it is 16.67%. In 2006 the winner received $1.2 million out of a total purse of US$4.385 million, so the prize distribution is now not far from the normal pattern for a professional tournament, once allowance is made for the small size of the field. That US$2 million first prize remained the largest in professional golf, but was matched in 2011 by the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.

The 2016 event was part of the European Tour Final Series, replacing the BMW Masters, while in 2017 the event was part of the new Rolex Series. Since 2016, the field of 72 consists of the top 64 available players from the current year Race to Dubai standings, the defending champion, the winner of the Sunshine Tour order of merit from previous year, and tournament invitations.

Winners

European Tour event (2016– )
YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner-upWinner's
share (US$)
2017Branden Grace South Africa277−111 strokeScotland Scott Jamieson1,166,660
2016Alexander Norén Sweden274−146 strokesSouth Korea Wang Jeung-hun1,166,660
Sunshine and European Tour event (2013–2015)
YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (US$)
2015Marc Leishman Australia269−196 strokesSweden Henrik Stenson1,250,000
2014Danny Willett England270−184 strokesEngland Ross Fisher1,250,000
2013Thomas Bjørn Denmark268−202 strokesWales Jamie Donaldson
Spain Sergio García		1,250,000
Sunshine Tour event (2006–2012)
YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner-upWinner's
share (US$)
2012Martin Kaymer Germany280−82 strokesSouth Africa Charl Schwartzel1,250,000
2011Lee Westwood (2) England273−152 strokesSweden Robert Karlsson1,250,000
2010Lee Westwood England271−178 strokesSouth Africa Tim Clark1,250,000
2009Robert Allenby Australia277−11PlayoffSweden Henrik Stenson1,200,000
2008Henrik Stenson Sweden267−219 strokesUnited States Kenny Perry1,200,000
2007Trevor Immelman South Africa272−161 strokeEngland Justin Rose1,200,000
2006Jim Furyk (2) United States276−122 strokesSweden Henrik Stenson1,200,000
Unofficial money event (1981–2005)
YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (US$)
Nedbank Golf Challenge
2005Jim Furyk United States282−6PlayoffNorthern Ireland Darren Clarke
South Africa Retief Goosen
Australia Adam Scott		1,200,000
2004Retief Goosen South Africa281−76 strokesAustralia Stuart Appleby
South Africa Ernie Els		1,200,000
2003Sergio García (2) Spain274−14PlayoffSouth Africa Retief Goosen1,200,000
2002Ernie Els (3) South Africa267−218 strokesScotland Colin Montgomerie2,000,000
2001Sergio García Spain268−20PlayoffSouth Africa Ernie Els2,000,000
2000Ernie Els (2) South Africa268−20PlayoffEngland Lee Westwood2,000,000
Million Dollar Challenge
1999Ernie Els South Africa263−255 strokesScotland Colin Montgomerie1,000,000
1998Nick Price (3) Zimbabwe273−15PlayoffUnited States Tiger Woods1,000,000
1997Nick Price (2) Zimbabwe275−133 strokesSouth Africa Ernie Els
United States Davis Love III		1,000,000
1996Colin Montgomerie Scotland274−14PlayoffSouth Africa Ernie Els1,000,000
1995Corey Pavin United States276−125 strokesZimbabwe Nick Price1,000,000
1994Nick Faldo England272−163 strokesZimbabwe Nick Price1,000,000
1993Nick Price Zimbabwe264−2412 strokesZimbabwe Mark McNulty1,000,000
1992David Frost (3) South Africa276−124 strokesUnited States John Cook1,000,000
1991Bernhard Langer (2) Germany272−165 strokesUnited States Mark Calcavecchia1,000,000
1990David Frost (2) South Africa284−41 strokeSpain José María Olazábal1,000,000
1989David Frost South Africa276−123 strokesUnited States Scott Hoch1,000,000
1988Fulton Allem South Africa278−101 strokeUnited States Don Pooley1,000,000
1987Ian Woosnam Wales274−144 strokesEngland Nick Faldo1,000,000
1986Mark McNulty Zimbabwe282−63 strokesUnited States Lanny Wadkins300,000
1985Bernhard Langer West Germany278−102 strokesUnited States Lanny Wadkins300,000
1984Seve Ballesteros (2) Spain279−96 strokesEngland Nick Faldo300,000
1983Seve Ballesteros Spain274−145 strokesEngland Nick Faldo
Australia David Graham
United States Fuzzy Zoeller		300,000
1982Raymond Floyd United States280−8PlayoffUnited States Craig Stadler300,000
1981Johnny Miller United States277−11PlayoffSpain Seve Ballesteros500,000

The 1981 event was played from 31 December 1981 to 3 January 1982.

As of 2009, the leading money winner in the event is Ernie Els with winnings of $7,971,000.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Floyd wins Sun City play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 4 January 1982. p. 14.
  2. ↑ "Miller's rich reward". The Glasgow Herald. 6 December 1982. p. 16.
  3. ↑ "Wizard Woosie scoops million dollar jackpot". The Glasgow Herald. 7 December 1987. p. 9.
  4. ↑ World Rankings are refined, but still confusing
  5. ↑ All-time Money Earners

Coordinates: 25°20′20″S 27°06′22″E / 25.339°S 27.106°E / -25.339; 27.106

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