South African Open (Golf)

South African Open
information
Country:	South Africa
Major (yes / no) :	No
Tour (s) :	Sunshine Tour European Tour
open to professionals (yes / no) :	Yes
organized since:	1903
Venue (s):	Ekurhuleni
Course (s):	Glendower Golf Club
Length in yards :	7,594
Length in meters :	6,942
Par :	72
Game form :	Stroke play
Total prize money:	2018: ZAR 15,000,000
Prize money for d. Winner:	2018: 174,417 euros
normal appointment (month) :	January
Top performances
Total number of strokes : (name) (year)	264 Ernie Els (2006)
under par: (name) (year)	−24
most frequent winner:	Gary Player 13 × (1956, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981)
Title holder
Surname:	Branden Grace
Nationality:	South Africa
Title holder since:	2020

The South African Open Championship is one of the oldest golf championships in the world and one of the main tournaments on the Sunshine Tour . It has been part of the European Tour since 1997 and, as the flagship event of the Sunshine Tour, has a special status in the golf world rankings . The winner always gets a minimum of 32 points, regardless of the strength of the field.

The first formal event took place in 1903 after some show competitions had been held in the previous ten years. The championship was initially only played over 36 holes until it was expanded to a 72-hole tournament in 1908. Although non-whites had played the South African Open before, most noticeably when Papwa Sewgolum finished second in 1963, black golfers were not allowed to participate in the competition until 1972.

The South African Open is currently being held at Randpark Golf Club in Ekurhuleni in January.

The most successful player in tournament history is Gary Player , who between 1956 and 1981 brought in thirteen wins in four decades. Bobby Locke won nine titles.

Winners list

year	season		winner	Result	head Start
	Sunshine	European
South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg
2020	2019-20	2020	Branden Grace	263 (−21)	3 strokes
2018	2018–19	2019	Louis Oosthuizen	266 (−18)	6 strokes
The BMW SA Open
2018	2017-18	2018	Chris Paisley	267 (−21)	3 strokes
2017	2016–17	2017	Graeme Storm	270 (−18)	Victory in the playoff
2016	2016–17	2016	Brandon Stone	274 (−14)	2 strokes
South African Open Championship
2015	2014	2015	Andy Sullivan	277 (−11)	Victory in the playoff
2013	2013	2014	Morten Ørum Madsen	269 ​​(−19)	2 strokes
SA Open Championship
2012	2012	2012	Henrik Stenson	271 (−17)	3 strokes
2011	2011	2011	Hennie Otto	274 (−14)	1 hit
South African Open Championship
2010	2010	2011	Ernie Els	263 (−25)	1 hit
2009	2009	2010	Richie Ramsay	275 (−13)	Victory in the playoff
2008	2008	2009	Richard Stars	274 (−14)	Victory in the playoff
South African Airways Open
2007	2007	2008	James Kingston	284 (−4)	1 hit
2006	2006-2007	2007	Ernie Els	264 (−24)	3 strokes
2005	2005-2006	2006	Retief Goosen	282 (−10)	1 hit
2005	2004-2005	2005	Tim Clark	273 (−15)	6 strokes
2004	2003-2004	2004	Trevor Immelman	276 (−12)	3 strokes
2003	2002-2003	2003	Trevor Immelman	274 (−14)	Victory in the playoff
Bell's South African Open
2002	2001-2002	2002	Tim Clark	269 ​​(−19)	2 strokes
Mercedes-Benz South African Open Championship
2001	2000-2001	2001	Mark McNulty	280 (−8)	1 hit
2000	1999-00	2000	Mathias Groenberg	274 (−14)	1 hit
Mercedes-Benz - Vodacom South African Open
1999	1998-1999	1999	David Frost	279 (−5)	1 hit
South African Open
1998	1997-1998	1998	Ernie Els	273 (−15)	3 strokes
1997	1996-1997	1997	Vijay Singh	270 (−18)	1 hit

1. ↑ No official record as the fourth hole in the third and fourth round was unplayable due to heavy rainfall. To complete the scorecard, the hole was rated as par for the players.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Two events in 2005, because the date was moved from January to December.

Before joining the European Tour

year winner Blows Philips South African Open 1996 Ernie Els 275 1995 Retief Goosen 275 1994 No tournament as there were two events in 1993 Dec 1993 Tony Johnstone 267 Feb 1993 Clinton Whitelaw 279 Protea Assurance South African Open 1992 Ernie Els 275 1991 Wayne Westner 272 1990 Trevor Dodds 285 1989 Fred Wadsworth 278 Southern Suns South African Open Championship 1988 Wayne Westner 275 1987 Mark McNulty 278 PO 1986 David Frost 275 South African Open Championship title sponsor unknown until 1986 1985 Gavan Levenson 280 1984 Tony Johnstone 274 1983 Charlie Bolling 278 1982 No tournament, as two events in 1976 1981 Gary Player 272 PO 1980 Bobby Cole 279 1979 Gary Player 279 1978 Hugh Baiocchi 285 1977 Gary Player 273 1976 Gary Player 280 1976 Dale Hayes 287 PO 1975 Gary Player 278 1974 Bobby Cole 272 1973 Bob Charles 282 1972 Gary Player 274 1971 Simon Hobday 276 1970 Tommy Horton 285 1969 Gary Player 273 1968 Gary Player 274 1967 Gary Player 279 1966 Gary Player 278 1965 Gary Player 273 1964 No tournament as there were two events in 1963 1963 Allan Henning 278 1963 Retief Waltman 281 1962 Harold Henning 285 1961 Retief Waltman 289 1960 Gary Player 280 1959 Denis Hutchinson 282 1958 Arthur Stewart 281 1957 Harold Henning 289 PO 1956 Gary Player 286

year winner Blows South African Open Championship 1955 Bobby Locke 283 1954 Reg Taylor 289 1953 Jimmy Boyd 302 PO 1952 Sid Brews 305 1951 Bobby Locke 277 1950 Bobby Locke 280 1949 Sid Brews 291 1948 Mickey Janks 298 1947 Ronnie Glennie 293 1946 Bobby Locke 285 1941-1945 No tournament because of World War II 1940 Bobby Locke 293 1939 Bobby Locke 279 1938 Bobby Locke 279 1937 Bobby Locke 288 1936 Clarence Olander 297 PO 1935 Bobby Locke 296 1934 Sid Brews 319 1933 Sid Brews 297 1932 Charles McIlvenny 304 1931 Sid Brews 302 1930 Sid Brews 297 1929 Archie Tosh 315 1928 Jock Brews 297 1927 Sid Brews 301 1926 Jock Brews 301 1925 Sid Brews 295 1924 Bertie Elkin 316 1923 Jock Brews 315 1922 Fred Jangle 310 1921 Jock Brews 316 1920 Laurie Waters 302 1919 WH Horne 320 1915-1918 No tournament because of the First World War 1914 George Fotheringham 299 1913 James Prentice 304 1912 George Fotheringham 305 1911 George Fotheringham 301 1910 George Fotheringham 315 1909 John Fotheringham 306 1908 George Fotheringham 294 1907 Laurie Waters 146 1906 AG Gray 151 1905 AG Gray 1904 Laurie Waters 143 1903 Laurie Waters 163 The tournament was played over 36 holes until 1908

Multiple winners

Eighteen men had won this tournament more than once by 2017.

• 13 wins
  • Gary Player : 1956, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981

• 9 wins
  • Bobby Locke : 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1955

• 8 wins
  • Sid Brews : 1925, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1949, 1952

• 5 wins
  • George Fotheringham : 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914
  • Ernie Els : 1992, 1996, 1998, 2006, 2010

• 4 wins
  • Laurie Waters : 1903, 1904, 1907, 1920
  • Jock Brews : 1921, 1923, 1926, 1928

• 2 wins
  • AG Gray : 1905, 1906
  • Harold Henning : 1957, 1962
  • Retief Waltman : 1961, 1963
  • Bobby Cole : 1974, 1980
  • Wayne Westner : 1988, 1991
  • Tony Johnstone : 1984, 1993 (Dec)
  • David Frost : 1986, 1999
  • Mark McNulty : 1987, 2001
  • Trevor Immelman : 2003, 2004
  • Tim Clark : 2002, 2005 (Jan)
  • Retief Goosen : 1995, 2005 (Dec)

Web links

• Official website (English)
• Reporting in 2018 on the official website of the European Tour (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Venue - Card of Course
2. ^ How the System Works. Official World Golf Rankings , January 1, 2007, archived from the original on December 3, 2013 ; accessed on February 6, 2011 . 
3. ^ South African Open Championship History and Highlights . South African Open Championship. Retrieved February 6, 2011.