South African Open (golf)

South African Open
Tournament information
Location Ekurhuleni, South Africa
Established 1903
Course(s) Glendower Golf Club
Par 72
Length 7,592 yards (6,942 m)
Tour(s) Sunshine Tour
European Tour (1997–)
Format Stroke play
Prize fund R 15,000,000
Month played January
Tournament record score
Aggregate 264 Ernie Els (2006)
To par −24 (as above)
Current champion
England Chris Paisley
Glendower GC
Location in South Africa

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

Except for the 2017 edition, the tournament is 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.

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. 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.[1]

Since 2011 it has been held in the Johannesburg area. In 2011 and 2012 it was hosted by Serengeti Golf Club, while since 2013 it has been held at Glendower Golf Club.

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

YearSeasonWinnerCountryCourseScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-up
SunEuro
BMW SA Open
20182017–182018Chris Paisley EnglandGlendower GC267−213 strokesSouth Africa Branden Grace
20172016–172017Graeme Storm EnglandGlendower GC270−18PlayoffNorthern Ireland Rory McIlroy
201620162016Brandon Stone South AfricaGlendower GC274−142 strokeSouth Africa Christiaan Bezuidenhout
South African Open Championship
2015320142015Andy Sullivan EnglandGlendower GC277−11PlayoffSouth Africa Charl Schwartzel
201320132014Morten Ørum Madsen DenmarkGlendower GC269−192 strokesSouth Africa Jbe' Kruger
South Africa Hennie Otto
SA Open Championship
201220122012Henrik Stenson SwedenSerengeti GC271−173 strokesSouth Africa George Coetzee
201120112011Hennie Otto South AfricaSerengeti GC274−141 strokeAustria Bernd Wiesberger
South African Open Championship
201020102011Ernie Els (5) South AfricaDurban CC263−2511 strokeSouth Africa Retief Goosen
200920092010Richie Ramsay ScotlandPearl Valley275−13PlayoffIndia Shiv Kapur
200820082009Richard Sterne South AfricaPearl Valley274−14PlayoffNorthern Ireland Gareth Maybin
South African Airways Open
200720072008James Kingston South AfricaPearl Valley284−41 strokeEngland Oliver Wilson
20062006–072007Ernie Els (4) South AfricaHumewood GC264−243 strokesSouth Africa Trevor Immelman
200522005–062006Retief Goosen (2) South AfricaFancourt282−101 strokeSouth Africa Ernie Els
200522004–052005Tim Clark (2) South AfricaDurban CC273−156 strokesFrance Grégory Havret
South Africa Charl Schwartzel
20042003–042004Trevor Immelman (2) South AfricaErinvale GC276−123 strokesScotland Alastair Forsyth
England Steve Webster
20032002–032003Trevor Immelman South AfricaErinvale GC274−14PlayoffSouth Africa Tim Clark
Bell's South African Open
20022001–022002Tim Clark South AfricaThe Country Club269−192 strokesEngland Steve Webster
Mercedes-Benz South African Open Championship
20012000–012001Mark McNulty (2) ZimbabweEast London GC280−81 strokeEngland Justin Rose
20001999–002000Mathias Grönberg SwedenRandpark GC274−141 strokeSouth Africa Darren Fichardt
Argentina Ricardo González
Zimbabwe Nick Price
Mercedes-Benz – Vodacom South African Open
19991998–991999David Frost (2) South AfricaStellenbosch GC279−51 strokeUnited States Scott Dunlap
India Jeev Milkha Singh
South African Open
19981997–981998Ernie Els (3) South AfricaDurban CC273−153 strokesSouth Africa David Frost
19971996–971997Vijay Singh FijiGlendower GC270−181 strokeZimbabwe Nick Price
1.^ 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.
2.^ Two events in 2005 due to rescheduling from January to December.
3.^ No event in 2014 due to rescheduling from November to January.

Prior to European Tour co-sanctioning

YearSeasonWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-up
Phillips South African Open
19961995–96Ernie Els (2) South Africa275−131 strokeSouth Africa Brenden Pappas
19951994–95Retief Goosen South Africa275−135 strokesSouth Africa Ernie Els
199311993–94Tony Johnstone (2) Zimbabwe267−217 strokesSouth Africa Ernie Els
199321992–93Clinton Whitelaw South Africa279−92 strokesSouth Africa Retief Goosen
Protea Assurance South African Open
19921991–92Ernie Els South Africa273−153 strokesSouth Africa Derek James

1 Tournament held in December 1993
2 Tournament held in February 1993

Multiple winners

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

WinsPlayerCountryYears won
13Gary Player South Africa1956, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981
9Bobby Locke South Africa1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1955
8Sid Brews South Africa1925, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1949, 1952
5George Fotheringham Scotland1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914
5Ernie Els South Africa1992, 1996, 1998, 2006, 2010
4Laurie Waters South Africa1903, 1904, 1907, 1920
4Jock Brews South Africa1921, 1923, 1926, 1928
2Arthur Gray England1905, 1906
2Harold Henning South Africa1957, 1962
2Retief Waltman South Africa1961, 1963
2Bobby Cole South Africa1974, 1980
2Wayne Westner South Africa1988, 1991
2Tony Johnstone Zimbabwe1984, 1993 (Dec)
2David Frost South Africa1986, 1999
2Mark McNulty Zimbabwe1987, 2001
2Trevor Immelman South Africa2003, 2004
2Tim Clark South Africa2002, 2005 (Jan)
2Retief Goosen South Africa1995, 2005 (Dec)

References

  1. ↑ "South African Open Championship History and Highlights". South African Open Championship. Retrieved 2008-11-18.

Coordinates: 26°09′29″S 28°08′31″E / 26.158°S 28.142°E / -26.158; 28.142

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