2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge Programme by The Publishing Partnership

5 - 8 D ECE M B E R 2013

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CONTENTS 2013 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 10 WELCOME LETTERS 22 SPONSOR THANKS 26 MAJOR CHANGES FOR AFRICA’S MAJOR

72 BRACE YOURSELF, OR NOT

The debate around long-putter

111 THE SWING OF THINGS A step-by-step look at Major winner Justin Rose’s swing sequence

anchoring

116 WHAT’S HOT FOR 2014

players and prize money

As Tiger Woods’ dominance at

128 THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

will ensure a more

the Majors subsides, we see the

Golf-course photographer Grant

spectacular event

emergence of key players

Leversha sees his life’s dream come

Changes in the format, number of

than ever before

30 THE FIELD Player profiles

32 PLAYER PROFILES

76 MAJORLY COMPETITIVE

82 EVOLUTION OF A MASTERPIECE

The Nedbank Golf Challenge – from 1981 till today

86 HE WHO LAUGHS LAST

Defending

The impressive list of members

champion

of the Nebank Golf Challenge’s

Martin Kaymer and selected players from the field

68 SOUTH AFRICA: FERTILE GOLFING GROUND Depth of play, excellent golf courses

‘The Last-place Club’

90 GOING LOW

A closer look at this tournament’s eclectic scoreboard over the years

98 CAN YOU SAY “MAJOR” IN MANDARIN? The incredible rise – and rise – of Asian golf

105 GIVING BACK THROUGH GOLF

Your equipment guide for the new year

to fruition

133 SETTING UP THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE Devising a challenging and entertaining course is all in a day’s work for Dennis Bruyns

138 AN UNSPOILED WALK A hole-by-hole tour of the Gary Player Country Club

152 COURSE LAYOUT 154 WHAT’S NEW AT SUN INTERNATIONAL? The Sun International Group continues to thrill with its host of new eateries and hotels

159 BEHIND THE SCENES Players and their families enjoy

and beloved local

The Sports Trust continues to make

golfing heroes are

a difference in the lives of previously

165 ROLL OF HONOUR

inspiring South Africa’s

disadvantaged and disabled golfers

Winners from the last

stock of young guns

in South Africa

32 tournaments

myriad ‘after-golf’ activitites

FOR SUN INTERNATIONAL | TOURNAMENT CHAIRMAN Mike van Vuuren TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Alastair Roper EVENT MANAGER Leedam Vercellino SUN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS Alison McKie, Zoleka Skweyiya SPONSOR LIAISONS Leedam Vercellino, Irooshka Govindsamy, !Elardus Senekal, Warren Rudolph, Sonja Hall FOR THE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP | EDITOR Matthew Pearce MANAGING EDITOR Wendy Maritz ART DIRECTOR Ryan Manning COPY EDITOR Christine Curtis EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Mark Beare, John Morkel FINANCIAL MANAGER Naeema Abrahams ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Nic Morkel ADVERTISING SALES Sameegha Wolhuter, Grant van Willingh, Claire Weight, Jean Ramsay. For sales enquiries for the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge programme, please call Nic Morkel on tel: 021-424-3517 or cell: 082-468-6490. TRAFFIC MANAGER Janice McLean PHOTOGRAPHY Grant Leversha, Getty Images, Shutterstock REPRODUCTION Hirt & Carter PRINTING ABC Press, Cape Town Produced for Sun International by The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg, 8018. Copyright Sun International 2013. Editorial and sales enquiries: tel 021-424-3517, fax 021-424-3612, email info@tppsa.co.za. The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or Sun International. The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd and Sun International do not accept any responsibility for information published. For information on sponsorship and hospitality opportunities at the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge, phone Leedam Vercellino on 011-780-7471.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

WELCOME

WELCOME TO THIS, THE 33RD EDITION OF THE Nedbank Golf Challenge, an event that has grown, matured, changed, adapted and, most importantly, delivered a showpiece for South African golf fans to enjoy since 1981. While past adaptations have included prizemoney increases, field-size increases, the addition of a Champions Challenge and various updates to the Gary Player Country Club golf course, 2013 undoubtedly sees the most significant changes to the event that, for many, signals the beginning of the end of each year. With the field having been extended to include 30 players, with co-sanctioning from both the European and Sunshine Tours, and with innovative qualifying criteria, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has instantly become a more inclusive and more broadly appealing proposition globally, to players and spectators alike. What the qualification criteria have meant is that the final few places in the field have only been determined since this publication was despatched to the printing works in time for it to be available for your reading enjoyment, and that has necessitated a different approach to the way we have gone about deciding on the content that has found its way onto the pages. It has been impossible to profile every player, both from a space and logistical perspective, so we have provided more in-depth coverage of a selection whose presence was confirmed early. As defending champion, Martin Kaymer was one of the first to confirm his participation and,

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

as our “cover model”, an obvious choice for a profile, as was Branden Grace who won last year’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and quite literally burst onto the world stage with four European Tour wins in a single year after having to regain his card at the Qualifying School. Just prior to going to print with this official publication, we received the outstanding news that Ernie Els had confirmed his participation. The 2012 Open Champion is this event’s most successful player and his presence will no doubt add an air of excitement and anticipation for the legions of fans affectionately known as ‘Ernie’s Army’. Also featured are two international players with an oft-stated affinity for South Africa and whose performances have taken their status in world golf to new heights in 2013. Henrik Stenson, certainly towards the close of the US season, was simply the hottest golfer on the planet as he strung consistent top-10 performances together with crucial victories that allowed him to claim the FedEx Cup end-of-season bonus. It is not lost on Stenson how incredible his form has been every time he has competed in South Africa, with his victory in last year’s SA Open at Serengeti providing the catalyst for his stunning

return to form. A past winner at Sun City, he must start as one of the favourites this week. The other SA “connection” is Johannesburgborn Englishman Justin Rose, who claimed his first professional victory in the city of his birth after suffering a testing loss of form shortly after turning professional. His dedication to his trade and his refusal to give up through the tough times was repaid in the most telling terms this year with his first major victory in the US Open, while he has come close at Sun City, finishing one stroke shy of his friend Trevor Immelman in 2007. Add these names to the likes of Zimbabwean birdie machine Brendon de Jonge, past champion Sergio García and a powerful South African contingent including major champions Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, and the recipe becomes as exciting as ever. Included in this year’s publication is a look at some of the latest equipment for the summer, ongoing debate on the pending long-putter ban, a look at what we amateurs can learn from Justin Rose’s impeccable swing and much, much more. Enjoy the read, enjoy the tournament and have a wonderful holiday golfing break. Matthew Pearce Editor

N WELCOME

NEDBANK HAS BEEN MAKING SOUTH African golf happen for the past 33 years and I have no doubt that this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, with an expanded field, world ranking points and increased prize money, will make for an even more exciting golfing spectacle, worthy of its title as Africa’s Major.

For many the Nedbank Golf Challenge signals the end of a busy year and for us at Nedbank it is rewarding to reflect on the year that has passed. We celebrated a number of milestones in the pursuit of our vision to be Africa’s most admired bank. Nedbank was voted South African Bank of the Year in 2013 by The Banker Magazine, we received the 2013 Sunday Times Top 100 Company Corporate Social Investment Leadership Award and we remained the most transformed company on the JSE as measured by the Department of Trade and Industry codes. These are achievements that we are extremely proud of, as they reflect our commitment to shaping a sustainable future for South Africa in a proactive way for the benefit of all of its citizens. Our client-centred innovations received recognition during the year, with the Nedbank App Suite™ being awarded the Best Android Consumer App at the MTN App of the Year Awards 2013. In support of the small-business sector, Nedbank celebrated the second year of the Nedbank Small Business Friday – an initiative aimed at growing small businesses in South Africa. We also launched the Small Business Index™ as a means of empowering the sector by bringing together a series of research findings and insights to help gain a deeper understanding of the difficulties it faces. Nedbank was the first signatory to the National Small Business Chamber’s Prompt Payment Code initiative. By signing the code we undertake to pay our small-business suppliers promptly, thus alleviating the cash-flow pressures they face. In addition to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, our flagship golf event, we also invest in golf development by supporting the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open and the First Swing golf clinics for children with disabilities. As the official banking partner to the Sunshine Tour, we are also the proud sponsor of the Nedbank Affinity Cup Pro-Am, a South African PGA Tour event. Nedbank is a founding trustee of The Sports Trust and, together with Sun International, we contribute to golf development through The Sports Trust Challenge, a corporate fundraising event that takes place on the Monday after the Nedbank Golf Challenge and raises R1 million annually for sport development. I would like to thank Graeme Stephens, Alastair Roper, Leedam Vercellino and the team at Sun International for the efforts that have gone into making this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge such a remarkable event. Thank you for your attendance. I trust you will have a fantastic time at Africa’s Major. Mike Brown Chief Executive, Nedbank Group

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

In addition to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, our flagship golf event, we also invest in golf development by supporting the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open and the First Swing golf clinics for children with disabilities.

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W WELCOME

WITH EVERY YEAR’S NEDBANK GOLF Challenge, we strive to improve on the superb standards of golf, entertainment and television-viewing that have come to be expected by the thousands of spectators as well as the players who are drawn every December to Sun International’s Gary Player Country Club at Sun City. I am delighted to say that this year we have succeeded in organising a tournament that surpasses anything we have offered over the past three decades. Since its inception in 1981, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has grown enormously in international stature and has consistently attracted the elite of world golf to compete on what is surely one of the world’s most spectacular and demanding courses. With an enhanced purse, a greatly expanded field and the addition of official ranking points, the new structure of the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge will bring to Sun City one of the most exciting fields in world golf. In keeping with the tournament’s tradition, defending champion Martin Kaymer, who took up full-time membership of the PGA Tour this year, returns to Sun City with a guaranteed place in the field, as does Branden Grace, the 2012 winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. Other than these two, the new format gives an added edge of excitement to the field, because opportunities to qualify will remain open right up to the week before the tournament tees off. In all, a diverse, expanded field of 30 of the world’s top golfers will this year compete for prize money totaling an extraordinary $6.5 million. This record field is made all the more attractive by the fact that the Nedbank Golf Challenge is now a contributing tournament in the calculation of international ranking points. The restructuring of the tournament will also result in an increase in the number of South Africans eligible for qualification, and this can only be good news for the development of the domestic game as it opens up new competitive doors for the next generation of South African golfers. We at Sun International view the Nedbank Golf Challenge not only as one of the world’s most prestige sporting events, but also as a key opportunity to showcase the numerous scenic, natural and human assets that South Africa has on offer as a global tourism destination – as well as the resorts, golf courses and hotels that our group has developed as one of the most respected resort operators in the world. It is through the enthusiastic and generous support we continue to receive from our partners and associates, the loyalty of the spectators and the commitment of the golfers themselves that we are able to stage this tournament to ever more exacting standards. To all of you, I extend a warm word of welcome and a sincere expression of our gratitude. Valli Moosa Chairman, Sun International Limited

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

We at Sun International view the Nedbank Golf Challenge not only as one of the world’s most prestige sporting events, but also as a key opportunity to showcase the numerous scenic, natural and human assets that South Africa has on offer as a global tourism destination.

T WELCOME

THIS YEAR, THE NEDBANK GOLF Challenge is presented in a new format – designed to enhance the tournament’s status among the world’s most competitive and exciting players, and to increase its appeal to the international audience that is drawn every year to what ranks as one of the sporting calendar’s most spectacular events. In addition, we have increased the event’s total prize-money pool to $6.5 million, which is a significant increase of 30 percent over last year’s purse. The winner will take away $1.25 million and even the 30th-place finisher will collect $100 000. At the same time, the eligibility criteria for participation in the tournament have been expanded to ensure that it continues not only to attract the elite talent of the world’s leading tours, but facilitates an increase in the number of South Africans eligible for qualification in the field. By including the winner of the South African Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the top two on the 2013 money list among the automatic invitees, we hope to open new doors for our own players to compete in some of the biggest tournaments in world golf. This combination of a lucrative and competitive purse, closer partnership with the powerful European Tour, and expanded selection criteria with more South Africans in the field has also been designed to attract a new wave of spectators and followers to a rejuvenated Nedbank Golf Challenge. And, for the first time, the tournament will count towards World Ranking points as well as Ryder Cup points, and as official money on both the European Tour Race to Dubai and the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. With both prize money and points counting for more, the Nedbank Golf Challenge is becoming an increasingly attractive tournament for players. With the significant support of Nedbank, the Sunshine Tour and the many sponsors and partners who are celebrated in this official programme, we have worked hard to devise a tournament format that is guaranteed to draw the international circuit’s top players and to welcome them and their loyal followers to a superb stay at southern Africa’s most popular tourist and sporting resort. As in previous years, there is no shortage of opportunities for entertainment, relaxation or superior dining at the end of each day’s play. In addition to Sun City’s renowned casino offerings, our various entertainment venues will be hosting a top-notch line-up of South Africa’s best known and most popular stars, including legendary musicians Johnny Clegg and Kurt Darren, and comedians Chris Forrest and David Kau. On behalf of Sun International, it is my very great pleasure to welcome you to Sun City and the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge. I have no doubt that you, the players and sponsors, will once again be rewarded by a few unforgettable days of thrilling golf, excellent entertainment and pleasurable relaxation. Graeme Stephens Chief Executive, Sun International Limited

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

As in previous years, there is no shortage of opportunities for entertainment, relaxation or superior dining at the end of each day’s play.

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WELCOME

THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE IS one of the great fixtures on the South African sporting landscape, and the Sunshine Tour is thrilled to welcome everyone to the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City – and the first steps in a new chapter in a great golf tournament’s illustrious history. For many fans, this tournament has represented their first interaction with the game and, now that the field has been expanded to 30 players from all over the golfing world, the prize-fund boosted to $6.5 million and the European Tour has come on board as a co-sanctioning partner with the Sunshine Tour, we’re excited at the prospect of drawing even more people to the sport – both as players and lifelong fans. It is a pleasure working with committed partners such as Nedbank and Sun International, and their decades of experience in putting on this tournament assures that fans and players alike get a top-class experience. To the European Tour, with whom we have staged seven events on the Sunshine Tour in 2013, we owe a debt of gratitude. The events on which we collaborate are among the best on the Sunshine Tour, and this one is the icing on a cake of decades of co-operation and friendship. We hope that the pioneering 30 players in this new version of an institution in a sports-mad country enjoy it as much as some of the greatest golfers in the world have done before them and, like those greats, they feel moved to spread the South African golfing message as they spend the new year travelling to other places all over the world. To the sponsors’ guests and all the fans both at the event and watching all around the world on television, enjoy this first event of a new era – one that promises to keep “Africa’s Major” at the forefront of international golf for many years to come. Selwyn Nathan Executive Director, Sunshine Tour

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

We hope that the pioneering 30 players in this new version of an institution in a sports-mad country enjoy it as much as some of the greatest golfers in the world have done before them and, like those greats, they feel moved to spread the South African golfing message as they spend the new year travelling to other places all over the world.

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WELCOME

THE EUROPEAN TOUR HAS LONG enjoyed an excellent relationship with South Africa and the Sunshine Tour, and our co-sanctioning of the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the first time will undoubtedly serve to strengthen that bond. It is with a sense of keen anticipation that we open a new chapter in this venerable tournament, which was first played in 1981 and was won last year by Martin Kaymer, who succeeded Lee Westwood as champion. With 30 of the world’s best players competing for a $6.5 million prize fund and a $1.25 million first prize, the Nedbank Golf Challenge is sure to prove an exciting addition to The European Tour International Schedule. With that in mind, we must commend all the parties involved in the staging of the event, not least our partners at the Sunshine Tour, with whom we co-sanction this tournament – and a further five events in The 2014 Race to Dubai. We are also extremely grateful for the support of the title sponsors Nedbank and Sun International, the company that owns the magnificent Sun City resort playing host to the tournament. The course was designed by Gary Player, a man who knows a thing or two about the game, having won nine Majors and countless titles across the world in an incredible career. Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention the work of the volunteers, whose cheer and generosity are deserving of great praise, and also the spectators, without whose enthusiasm a golf tournament would be rendered meaningless. George O’Grady Chief Executive, The European Tour

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

With 30 of the world’s best players competing for a $6.5 million prize fund and a $1.25 million first prize, the Nedbank Golf Challenge is sure to prove an exciting addition to The European Tour International Schedule.

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SPONSORS

A big thank you! SUN INTERNATIONAL AND THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT ORGANISING COMMITTEE EXPRESS THEIR WARMEST THANKS TO THE LOYAL AND DEDICATED SPONSORS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS EVENT

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

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the course layout, the current status of the game or weather information. And then there’s the ‘fore button’ that can be used to warn other players of a misplaced shot. Pressing this button sends a warning to all other golf carts within the danger zone in order for them to also issue a warning signal. The elegant and ergonomically shaped seats are heated as well as ventilated and can be adjusted electronically using the Mercedes-Benz typical controls on the side of the seat. The optional lightweight doors are another special feature. A click-in function allows these to be very simply fitted if the weather is not ideal, providing protection against wind and rain. A retractable lightning rod is included for added safety in case storm clouds start to gather. In bright conditions the windscreen can be

darkened at the touch of a button, while it also features windscreen wipers with rain sensors, thus ensuring that they activate as soon as it starts to rain. The Vision Golf Cart also includes a whole range of stowage facilities. Aside from the stowage area for the two golf bags, there are also two dashboard compartments. The centre console is also specially designed to accommodate golf balls and scorecards. There is a small fridge fitted beneath the centre console, while cup holders between the seats will keep drinks hot or cold. Although the Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart is only a design study so far, there is no doubt that many players would like to see the cart become reality, bringing with it fresh ideas and and thereby more fun, more innovation and more comfort to moving around on the golf course in true iconic style.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

TOURNAMENT

SINCE 1981 THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE HAS EVOLVED TO MAINTAIN ITS REPUTATION AS A SOUGHT-AFTER EVENT FOR WORLDCLASS GOLFERS. THIS YEAR PROMISES TO BE NO LESS EXCITING

Major changes for

AFRICA’S THE FORMAT CHANGE FOR THE 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge is easily the most important in the history of a tournament that has made a speciality of significant changes. From the minute the tournament teed off in 1981 it was already something different. That year, the Milion Dollar Challenge ushered in golf’s first million-dollar purse to be contested by only five players. The winner would receive $500 000. For eventual champion Johnny Miller it was the equivalent of $1 805 for every time he hit the ball. At the time, Tom Watson held the money-

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

earning record of $530 000 for a season on the PGA Tour. In 1982, the format changed to include an enlarged 10-man field, but still gunning for a million-dollar total purse. An endorsement of this change came from London’s Daily Express, which declared at the time, “When Jack [Nicklaus] comes back, it’s got to be right.” It remained as such until 1987, when another significant change was made. That year, eight players were all hunting a single, winner-takesall $1-million purse. It was the biggest thing in world golf and it went the way of Ian Woosnam. The following year the tournament retained the $1-million payout for the winner, but reverted back to prize money for the rest of the field.

MAJOR With fluctuating field sizes throughout the ’80s, it was in 1993 that the field size of 12, since then traditional, was first settled upon. Players were invited according to the winners of the Majors that year, and then those available thereafter, according to the World Ranking. This has remained the format most Nedbank Golf Challenge fans have grown up with. There was the significant increase in first-place prize money to $2-million, to celebrate the millennium in 2000, with Ernie Els banking that cheque. This remained the first-place prize until 2003, when the event capitalised on South Africa’s hosting of the Presidents Cup by expanding its field to 18 players and offering

a first-place cheque of $1.2-million. The field reverted to 12 players the following year, with the purse still at $1.2-million for the winner. In 2010, this was increased to $1.25-million. And now, in 2013, the tournament has undergone a complete revamp of its entire field structure. The time was ripe for change, and the Nedbank Golf Challenge responded with a new format, an increase in prize money, and official ranking points that are among the most valuable in the game, aiming to attract one of the strongest and deepest fields in world golf to Sun City. The field has been increased to 30 players, who will now compete for a total of $6.5-million. This is an increase of $1.5-million on the total

2012 prize money. But the first-place cheque will remain $1.25-million, whereas last place will be worth $100 000. This makes the Nedbank Golf Challenge one of the most lucrative tournaments on both the PGA Tour and European Tour, and certainly the richest tournament on the Sunshine Tour. Apart from the money, the golfers will also be awarded Official World Golf Ranking points as well as Ryder Cup points. Additionally, in one of the biggest changes, the event has become an official tournament on the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour, and prize money will count towards both the Race to Dubai and the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit. The eligibility criteria for a place in one of

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

TOURNAMENT

I think with this new structure we have one of the most exciting fields in world golf.

the most sought-after The increased number fields in world golf have of South African players been extended to ensure in the field are drawn the 2013 Nedbank Golf from their position on Alastair Roper, Challenge draws from the the Official World Golf Nedbank Golf Challenge true global strength of Ranking on Monday Tournament Director the game. 18 November 2013, with a total The defending champion of five players qualifying either remains exempt for the following year’s through defending champion status, the tournament, and the winner of the previous previous season’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit season’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit is also winner, or the 2013 FedEx Cup or the 2013 still guaranteed a place in the field. Race to Dubai. The new selection criteria target the best of But there were further opportunities to the world’s leading tours, from the PGA Tour qualify for this year’s tournament right up to and European Tour to the Japan Golf Tour. the week before the event. The winner of the There is also an increase in the number of 2013 South African Open and Alfred Dunhill South Africans eligible for qualification. Championship, played in the two weeks In terms of the official world money lists, the leading up to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, field is now drawn from the leading 10 players gained a place in the field. within the top 30 on the final 2013 FedEx Cup The remainder of the field, if required, are standings, the leading 10 players from within the drawn from the leading available players on top 30 on the final 2013 Race to Dubai rankings, the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday the winner of the 2012 Asian Tour Order of 18 November 2013. Merit, the winner of the 2012 Japan Golf Tour And another incentive for South African Order of Merit, and the winner of the 2012 PGA players is that the number-one and -two Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. player on the Sunshine Tour Order of

2013 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA (a) Defending champion. (b) The winner of the 2012 Sunshine Tour Official Order of Merit, if not otherwise exempt above. (c) The leading 10 available players not otherwise exempt in (a) or (b) above from within the top 30 only of the Final 2013 Fedex Cup. (d) The leading 10 available players not otherwise exempt in (a), (b) or (c) above from within the top 30 only of the Final 2013 Race to Dubai. (e) South African players to be selected in order of their position on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of Monday 18 November 2013, such that the total number of South African players qualifying through (a) to (d) combined as at the conclusion of the 2013 Race to Dubai is five* in total. (f) The winner of the 2012 Asian Tour Order of Merit, if not otherwise exempt above. (g) The winner of the 2012 Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit, if not otherwise exempt above. (h) The winner of the 2012 PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit, if not otherwise exempt above. (i) The winner of the 2013 South African Open, if not otherwise exempt above (a blank entry will be filed for this winner). (j) The winner of the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Championship, if not otherwise exempt above (a blank entry will be filed for this winner). (k) The balance of the field will be completed as follows: (i) The player ranked number one on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit as of Monday 25 November 2013, if not otherwise exempt above. (ii) The player ranked second on the 2013 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit as of Monday 25 November 2013, if not otherwise exempt above. (iii) Players selected in ranking order from the OWGR as of Monday 18 November 2013. *After close of entries, should a player in categories (c) or (d) withdraw, they will be replaced by the next eligible player from within their category, up until 18h00 (local time in Sun City) on Sunday 1 December. Thereafter, a withdrawal from these categories will be replaced by the next eligible player from category (k) above. A withdrawal from any other category after close of entries will be replaced by the next eligible player from category (k) above.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

Merit as of Monday 25 November 2013 were also exempt. “I think with this new structure we have one of the most exciting fields in world golf,” says Alastair Roper, tournament director of the Nedbank Golf Challenge. “We have provided opportunities for the best in world golf to have their shot at qualifying for Africa’s Major. We also have incredible momentum right up to the week before the Nedbank Golf Challenge, with players battling it out for a place in our field. I have no doubt that we have strengthened the Nedbank Golf Challenge as one of the premier tournaments in world golf and the numberone event in its time slot.” The format change has also been welcomed by sponsor Nedbank. “Since 1981, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has remained at the forefront of world golf and become an iconic event on the South African sporting calendar. Through the enhancements of Africa’s Major we continue to make world-class golf happen and bring the world’s best golfers to Sun City,” said Thulani Sibeko, group executive: marketing, communications and corporate affairs at Nedbank.

2013 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE PRIZE MONEY 1 $1 250 000 2 $775 000 3 $433 000 4 $348 000 5 $295 000 6 $245 000 7 $195 000 8 $175 000 9 $162 000 10 $158 000 11 $154 000 12 $150 000 13 $146 000 14 $142 000 15 $138 000 16 $135 000 17 $132 000 18 $129 000 19 $126 000 20 $123 000 21 $120 000 22 $117 000 23 $114 500 24 $112 000 25 $109 500 26 $107 000 27 $104 500 28 $103 000 29 $101 500 30 $100 000

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P L AY E R S

The field WE WELCOME 16 OF THE CONFIRMED PLAYERS* TO SUN CITY AND THE GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB FOR THE 33RD NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

Brendon de Jonge

Luke Donald ENGLAND

SOUTH AFRICA

Ernie Els

Sergio Garcia

Branden Grace

Martin Kaymer

Louis Oosthuizen

DA Points

Justin Rose

Charl Schwartzel

Peter Senior

Henrik Stenson

Kevin Streelman

Richard Sterne

Thaworn Wiratchant

Gary Woodland

ZIMBABWE

SOUTH AFRICA

ENGLAND

USA

GERMANY

SOUTH AFRICA

AUSTRALIA

THAILAND

*Players confirmed as at 15 November 2013.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

SPAIN

USA

SWEDEN

USA

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Escape Artist: Martin Kaymerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calm on-course demeanour helps him in pressure situations.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

The

BIGGER PICTURE

DEFENDING CHAMPION MARTIN KAYMER WILL RETURN TO THE GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB A RELAXED AND BALANCED CONTENDER

ITTING ON THE MOUNTAIN HE LOVES TO RUN UP IN ARIZONA, Martin Kaymer has the one thing he has always searched for in his golf and life – perspective.

Looking out over the Sonoran Desert, Kaymer says, “It’s like therapy for me. It’s so calming when you’re on top of the mountain. My mind is about golf. This is my passion, what I like to do, so I don’t really want to forget about it. But I’ve grown a lot as a person over the last two years. And being here more often means I get to know myself a lot more – what I want, and what makes me happy.” For a player who has grown up in the shadow of Germany’s greatest golfer, Bernhard Langer, Kaymer has worked hard to understand what works for him both on and off the course. And he’s worked equally hard to ensure that golf remains in perspective for him. His biggest lesson in this came upon the death of his mother, Rina, in 2008, shortly after his second victory on the European Tour in the BMW International Open. Kaymer broke down in tears when he won, taking the trophy to hospital where his mother was fighting her last battle against cancer. After his win, he shared with the media how he told his mother that the victory had been for her. “It wasn’t easy [to take part in this event],” he said, “But she wanted me to play.” Her death was hard for Kaymer, as well as his father, Horst, and his brother, Philip, with whom the golfer partnered in the pro-am format Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland recently. But the loss also

gave Kaymer the perspective he so desperately sought. It’s this perspective that Kaymer brings to his golf, and that has allowed him to handle big pressure situations with apparent ease. It’s always interesting to hear Kaymer speak of pressure, because as much as he keeps telling us he’s feeling it, he also keeps showing us something completely different. Last year, the clean-cut German felt the full weight of the most unbearable pressure in golf – the chance to hole the winning putt in the Ryder Cup. Kaymer made it, securing another victory for Europe over the Americans. Then he arrived at Sun City for the Nedbank Golf Challenge. On the final day, when he made a double bogey on the third hole of the Gary Player Country Club, he told us he felt the pressure. He responded with three birdies over the turn. When Charl Schwartzel was closing in on him on the back nine and Kaymer pushed his drive deep into the rough on the par-five 14th, it seemed the pressure was getting to him. But he hit back with a magnificent shot out of the trees and turned what had started to look like a double bogey into a birdie. And when everybody, including his home media, was calling for a German double after Bernhard Langer won the senior tournament last year, Kaymer again told us he felt the pressure. Yet he still claimed

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Kaymer holed the putt that retained the Ryder Cup for Europe in 2012.

a solid two-stroke victory to add his name to the list of Nedbank Golf Challenge champions. “You look at all those great names on the bronze plaques on the walkway to the ninth green, and it’s nice to know mine will be on there as well,” he says. At the age of 28, Kaymer is already a global star in the game. He’s been number one in the world. He’s won 19 times around the globe. He’s a Major champion after his victory in the 2010 PGA Championship. He won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in 2010. And he was voted the European Tour Golfer Of The Year in 2010. But at this point there will never be a bigger moment in Kaymer’s career than that eight-foot putt he holed at Medinah to secure the Ryder Cup for Europe in 2012. Again, there was more than the usual pressure bearing down on Kaymer. After all, he was German. So when he looked down at his crucial eight-foot putt and saw a footprint on the green, that’s when the thought came into his head. “I thought, Bernhard, okay, gone,” he says, in reference to his countryman and mentor Langer’s missed putt in the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island that cost Europe victory. He felt the pressure, then responded. “I said to myself, ‘There’s no second doubt. Inside right, step up, make it.’ There will never ever be a more important putt in my life.” But some may argue that the first putt of a

10-year-old Kaymer at the Mettman Golf Club across the road from his home in Düsseldorf was equally important, as it launched one of the most intriguing careers in the game: one that most of Germany wasn’t even aware of before Kaymer won the PGA Championship in 2010 (and, even then, the German media hardly focused on his triumph in a country where golf, as Kaymer says, “is just some sport”). But again, it hardly bothers a player who, by the age of 25, had already won a Major, a Ryder Cup and a title on the famous Old Course in St Andrews when he took the Dunhill Links Championship there. Far from becoming complacent, Kaymer still has many goals. For a start, he’s desperate to play well in the Masters. The first time he ever made the cut there was in 2012, and his best finish at Augusta National is tied 35th. Having taken up full membership of the PGA Tour in 2013, he’s hungry for more success there as well. Kaymer has struggled with inconsistent form over the past few years. But often his victories will come when he is not at his best: in his world, setbacks are to be welcomed for the opportunity they bring to lend some perspective. And while some supporters are worried that he’s not the once-dominant force he appeared to be from 2008 to 2011, Kaymer is not really bothered. “It happens that you don’t win for a few weeks or months. It does happen, but it

It’s always nice to go back to the old days when I was a kid, and just have a completely normal day where you just hang out with your family.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

doesn’t mean that you’ve lost it or anything. I’m not that concerned,” he told the media before last year’s Scottish Open. “Besides, I feel very relaxed,” he added. Why? Well, after missing the cut in the French Open just before the Scottish Open, Kaymer had gone home seeking some of that perspective. He’d found it in his grandmother’s garden, where he spent a day digging and planting with her. “I think maybe you can call it therapy, to get completely away from golf, think about something else, just do normal work. That’s what I enjoy once in a while. It’s always nice to go back to the old days when I was a kid, and just have a completely normal day where you just hang out with your family, talk completely different stuff than birdies, world rankings, golf courses, how many bunkers there are and stuff like that.” And that’s the beauty of Martin Kaymer. Whereas he wasn’t at his best in 2012, he would later emerge to deliver a careerdefining performance in the Ryder Cup. The golfer who loves nothing more than to get away from the game will, as a result, always remain within the very heart of it.

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 28 December 1984 TURNED PRO: 2005 FAMILY: Single SPECIAL INTERESTS: Football, basketball, go-karting CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Won three tournaments on the European Tour and his first major, the PGA Championship, in 2010. Finished the season as the European Tour’s number one. Earned €4.5-million in prize money over the season, beating the record Lee Westwood set the previous year. Became the first German to receive the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award on the European Tour in 2007. Was on the winning European Ryder Cup team in 2010 and 2012. Holed the putt that ensured Europe would retain the Ryder Cup at Medinah in 2012. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Took up full membership on the PGA Tour for the first time in his career and has had two top-10s there this season. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T35 The US Open: T59 The Open: T32 The PGA Championship: T33 NGC RECORD: Third appearance; 2011: 8th; 2012: 1st

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BRENDON DE JONGE A GOLFER BY THE NAME OF B DE JONGE TEED it up in the 1997 Zimbabwe Open. He was an amateur. Nobody really took any notice of him. After all, Nick Price was in the field. Price went on to win by two strokes over Mark McNulty. Tony Johnstone was also in the field, finishing tied 10th. Brendon De Jonge missed the cut that week. But in 2013, he made it in a very big way. De Jonge received the recognition he deserved when Price named him as one of the two Captain’s Picks for his International Team for the Presidents Cup. It was just reward for a player who has been quietly making his way through the ranks in America. De Jonge was the top-ranked amateur in Zimbabwe, winning the 1999 Zimbabwe amateur title by a record 14 shots and surpassing the previous record held by his idol Nick Price. He decided to take his game to the US college circuit and played for Virginia Tech, where he struggled through the pain of a broken rib to finish ninth in the 2002 NCAA Central Regional. He won a host of college tournaments before turning professional in 2003 and teed off his career on the Nationwide Tour (now the Web.com Tour). He earned his PGA Tour card at the 2007 Qualifying School, but was unable to retain it. In 2008 the burly Zimbabwean broke through with a victory in the Xerox Classic on the Nationwide Tour. He went on to finish second on the money list, was voted Player of the Year, and

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

secured another shot at the PGA Tour. He retained conditional status there for the 2010 season, and then enjoyed his best season to date when he had seven top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. De Jonge was incredibly solid in 2013, with four top-10s on the PGA Tour. But arguably the highlight of his career so far was being named in the International Team for the Presidents Cup. Price was looking for the kind of aggressive play De Jonge has become famous for. Since 2009 De Jonge has made more birdies on the PGA Tour than any other player, and he hits the ball incredible distances. When Price decided to pick him, De Jonge also had more rounds in the 60s than any other player on the PGA Tour this year. Making it onto Price’s team was a dream come true for De Jonge, who had had to choose between cricket and golf as a young boy. It was a choice made all the more easier when he first met Price as a teenager and when the former world number one had returned home to play in the Zimbabwe Open. “I was a little kid out getting autographs and got a book signed. We’re a very proud sporting country so we all followed his career very, very closely. Obviously when he was number one in the world it was a very proud time for us back in Zimbabwe,” said De Jonge. De Jonge and Price have remained close, with Price often inviting the young

Zimbabwean to stay with him in the US and always willing to lend an ear for support or advice. Price has also given De Jonge what he still ranks as the single most important piece of advice he has received in this game. According to De Jonge, Price told him to always remember, “It is a job but it’s a game as well, and you need to keep enjoying it.” And he also hopes to achieve what Price has, most notably off the fairways. “He’s a better person than he ever was as a golfer. He’s fun to be around. He’s just a down-to-earth, regular guy. Just a super guy to spend time with.” No doubt De Jonge will have phoned Price for a bit of advice about how to tackle the Gary Player Country Club as he makes his debut in this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 18 July 1980 TURNED PRO: 2003 FAMILY: Wife, Mary; children, Lauren and Keaton. SPECIAL INTEREST: Fishing CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Voted the 2008 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year. Claimed seven top-10s on the PGA Tour in 2010. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Made his debut in the Presidents Cup on the International Team in 2013. Enjoyed a solid finish to the FedEx Cup with one top-10 and three top-20s. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: DNP The US Open: DNP The Open: DNP The PGA Championship: T33 NGC RECORD: Debut

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Ernie Els with the Claret Jug after winning the 141st Open Championship.

ERNIE ELS

Johann Rupert sat back to reflect on the first time he met a spiky-haired youngster with an amazing golf swing. “The first time I met Ernie Els, he looked like a one iron with ears,” said Rupert. From his days as a talented youngster at Kempton Park Golf Club, Els has gone on to become one of the giants of the game, with more than 60 international victories and four Majors to his name. He returns to Sun City as the most successful golfer in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, having earned the most prize money and now making a record 18th appearance in the event at the Gary Player Country Club.

His most recent Major was arguably his most emotional. With his victory in the 2012 Open Championship, Els banished more than a few internal demons and questions regarding his ability to win again at the highest level of the game. Els’ victory at Royal Lytham & St Annes last year did indeed represent an astonishing transformation not only in his game, but also his life. Els had struggled for some time to regain his form and had to dig deep into his character to get back to the pinnacle

of the game. One of the most challenging moments of his career came on a Friday in December 2006, during the second round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Els was walking down the 13th fairway at Leopard Creek and at three over par for the tournament, with the cut at two over. He was in danger of missing his first cut on the European Tour since 1999. He birdied the 15th and then eagled the last to make it into the weekend. He was back to level par for the tournament. Or, as he said, “Back to square one”. It was

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an apt description of where he stood in his career at the time. He’d spent 2005 recovering from a knee injury and subsequent surgery. In 2006 he won the South African Open. It was a critical victory in terms of Els’ confidence. “The South African Open launched my career when I won it for the first time in 1992. That win gave me a lot of spots into some European Tour events, one of them being the British Open where I finished fifth. That in turn got me into the US Open the next year, and my performance there got me into the US Open in 1994, which I won. So without my 1992 SA Open win I wouldn’t have made it into those tournaments and maybe not have had the career I have had. So I regard the SA Open very highly. I owe this tournament a lot of gratitude,” he said. Els’ 1992 South African Open triumph was indeed a watershed moment for him. His victory over Derek James at Houghton Golf Club that year saw the then 22-year-old achieve the triple crown of winning the South African Open, South African PGA and South African Masters in the same year. His international breakthrough came a year later when he won the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. Then, in 1994, Els announced himself to the world with victory in his first Major – the 1994 US Open. Fuelled by his victory in the 2006 South African Open, Els went public with his three-year plan to catch Tiger Woods and become number one in the world again. But after several near misses in the Majors, Els was still unable to add to his three Major titles. It was beginning to confound his greatest supporters, such as Gary Player. “I’ve always felt that Ernie has unbelievable talent. I have so much confidence in his ability, and he definitely has exceptional ability. I’ve always felt he was going to win the Masters and I’m surprised he hasn’t. Obviously, with his great length, that’s a great asset at the Masters. Yes, he’s not performing to the ability that he has, but I can’t help but feel that he will do it,” Player said. But in the year of one of his greatest disappointments Els also celebrated one of his greatest triumphs. In April 2012, Els failed to qualify for the Masters, having dropped out of the top 50 in the world. But he had already started to work with Dr Sherylle Calder, the eye-training specialist who worked with the Springboks, All Blacks and England rugby teams. And it paid off when he

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

Els won the BMW International Open in Germany from start-to-finish in June, his 28th European Tour victory.

won his fourth Major in the Open Championship that year, with a ruthless back-nine display on Sunday that provided him with a hugely emotional return to the winner’s circle. Els has impacted so much on South Africa’s sporting culture that he has an association with many of the country’s sports stars. “We used to play junior golf together,” recalls PGA professional Kevin Stone. “I first met him in 1983 in Welkom, and he was this skinny blonde kid. But we’d already heard all about him. He was going to be the next superstar. He was still a whippersnapper then – I think he was about 13. But even then you could see his potential. And through the ranks we used to play under-18s and under-23s and Ernie was always an exceptionally gifted golfer. And he practises very hard. Everybody says he’s the Big Easy and he doesn’t work hard enough. But if you have a look at his hands, he’s got some serious work in them.” Although Els is often chided for his undying support of the Lions rugby team, a number of rugby legends remain in awe of the golfer. “I think Ernie has been a great ambassador for South Africa,” says former Springbok Breyton Paulse. “Ten or 15 years back I wouldn’t even have watched golf. Now we have so many good youngsters coming through the ranks due to the incredible example he has set and the structures he has put in place through his foundation.” Another former winger, Ray Mordt, says Els’ humility has always impressed him. “As rugby players, we are nothing compared with the kind of global icon he is. I’ve met Ernie a few times and he’s an incredible person. He’s definitely an icon to us. But what I admire most is that

he’s world renowned but still so humble. To me, that’s very important.” Bryan Habana also recalls the first time he met Els. “Ernie has been an amazing supporter of the Springboks and he loves his rugby. He actually handed over my first Springbok jersey in 2004 when I made my debut at Twickenham.” And just over a year ago, the Open champion arrived at Twickenham again on the day before the Boks’ test against England to be at the traditional captain’s practice, to pose for photographs with the players with the famous claret jug and to pass on his personal message of support. Despite the international homes and travel that have become synonymous with his career, Ernie Els remains a South African to his very core. Now The Big Easy returns to a gallery that appreciates him the most as he tees it up in the Nedbank Golf Challenge as the single most successful player in the history of this iconic South African event.

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 17 October 1969. TURNED PRO: 1989. FAMILY: Wife, Liezl; Children, Samantha, Ben. SPECIAL INTERESTS: Movies, sports, reading, wine-making CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: A global player with over 60 victories worldwide and four Majors, including the 1994 and 1997 US Opens and the 2002 and 2012 Open Championships. Was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for a record 758 consecutive weeks. Is the European Tour’s leading all-time money winner and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Won the BMW International Open and finished tied fourth in the US Open. Made his eighth appearance for the Internationals in the Presidents Cup. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T13 The US Open: T4 The Open: T26 The PGA Championship: Missed cut NGC RECORD: 18th appearance; 1992: T3rd, 1993: 7th, 1994: T3rd, 1995: T7th, 1996: 2nd, 1997: 2nd, 1998: 5th, 1999: 1st, 2000: 1st, 2001: 2nd, 2002: 1st, 2003: 17th, 2004: T2nd, 2005: 9th, 2006: 4th, 2007: 3rd, 2010: 5th.

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SERGIO GARCÍA HAVING BEATEN SOUTH AFRICANS IN BOTH OF HIS PREVIOUS Nedbank Golf Challenge victories, it seems only apt that Sergio García has the opportunity to become the first foreigner to win “Africa’s Major” three times. At only 33 years oold, García is already making his ninth appearance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Despite his age, it feels as if Garcia has been around for decades, largely because of his early start in golf and the number of accolades he has already garnered. He won his club championship at the age of 12, was then the youngest player to make a cut in a European Tour event in the 1995 Turespaña Open Mediterranea, became the youngest winner of the European Amateur Championship, won a professional tournament on the European Challenge Tour while still an amateur, and posted the lowest amateur score in the 1999 Masters. Few golfers are able to play in a Nedbank Golf Challenge in their rookie seasons as a professional, but García did so when he turned professional in 1999. He finished ninth in a year in which he won as a rookie in the Irish Open and German Masters, and had a memorable battle with Tiger Woods for the PGA Championship before finishing second. It was his shot from behind a tree on the 16th hole onto the green that still defines him. That same year he became the youngest player to compete in the Ryder Cup. A winner of 24 tournaments worldwide and a veteran of six Ryder Cups, García

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

brings a wealth of experience with him to Sun City. And his intimate knowledge of the Gary Player Country Club course always makes him a threat in the field. His victory in the 2001 Nedbank Golf Challenge was one of the most dramatic in the history of this event. He closed with a final round of 63 to tie Ernie Els, and then on the first play-off hole he holed his chip on the par-three 16th to win. Then in 2003 he beat another South African to the title in Retief Goosen, and also in a play-off. He also won the 2010 Gary Player Invitational with John Cook as his partner. García’s love of the good life off the fairways has always made him a favourite with the Sun City fans. In his home in Borriol, Spain, he is the club president of the local football team, which plays in the Spanish Third Division. And he even made an appearance for the team in September 2010. He shares a close friendship with tennis star Rafael Nadal, and enjoys a good game of poker when he gets the chance. García certainly continues the proud Spanish history in the Nedbank Golf Challenge that was started by Seve Ballesteros and his two victories in this event.

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 9 January 1980 TURNED PRO: 1999 SPECIAL INTERESTS: Real Madrid FC, tennis, computer games CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Had a memorable battle with Tiger Woods for the PGA Championship before finishing second in his rookie season in 1999. A winner of 24 victories worldwide and a veteran of six Ryder Cups. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: His tied eighth at the Masters marked his 18th top-10 finish in a Major. Had five top-10s on the European Tour this year, and four top-10s on the PGA Tour, including tied eighth in the Players Championship. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T8 The US Open: T45 The Open: T21 The PGA Championship: T61 NGC RECORD: Ninth appearance; 1999: 9th; 2001: 1st; 2002: 5th; 2003: 1st; 2004: 12th; 2005: 11th; 2006: T7th; 2008: T5th

P L AY E R P R O F I L E

Branden Grace holds aloft the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship trophy in 2012.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

GRACE takes his place IN THE SUN AFTER ATTENDING THE EUROPEAN TOUR’S QUALIFYING SCHOOL, THINGS HAVE REALLY “COME TOGETHER” FOR BRANDEN GRACE… AND RATHER QUICKLY AT THAT

OWARDS THE END OF 2012, Padraig Harrington was asked to choose the one player in the world he would most like to play with. Without even hesitating, he chose Branden Grace. “There’s nobody in the world right now I’d like to play with more than Branden, just to see what makes him tick,” Harrington said. Such was the impact created by Grace’s historic 2012 season that top international players were looking on and no longer asking “Where did he come from?” but rather, “Where will he end up?” It was one of the great fairy tales in golf. After losing his European Tour card in 2010, Grace went from spending a year grinding it out in 2011 and heading back to the Tour’s Qualifying School at the end of that year to breaking through with five victories worldwide and collecting more than R30-million in earnings. “I’m living the dream,” he quite rightly said while in the midst of it all. And this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge will be another important part of his dream. Grace won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in 2012, thereby securing his place in the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge field. “A lot of hard work went into my 2012 season, and one of my main aims was to win the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and secure

a place in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. So I’m very pleased to have done this,” Grace says. “I grew up watching the tournament over the years and it’s any young South African golfer’s dream to make it into this field – especially at a time when the tournament is entering such an exciting new era.” It was in Johannesburg at the beginning of the 2012 season that Grace started to turn around his career. On a weather-interrupted Saturday at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, Grace had just made the third consecutive birdie of his third round of the European Tour co-sanctioned Joburg Open, when previous delays and incomplete rounds forced the round to be suspended because of poor light. Grace shared the lead with England’s Richard Finch on 15 under par, with both of the players needing to return early on Sunday morning to complete their third rounds before the start of the final round. That evening, as he reflected on the possibility of a maiden European Tour title, Grace declared, “I think I’m close at the moment. I’ve grown as a player. I’m more likely to give myself chances and put myself in contention on the weekends.” When he returned that Sunday, Grace added a further two birdies for a three-stroke lead going into the final round. He then added a measured 72 to win by one stroke over England’s Jamie Elson. It was Grace’s 50th European Tour event. But it was also the first page of an entirely new chapter in his career – where he could feel

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Branden Grace celebrates with his caddy, Zack Rasego, as he holes the winning putt during the final round of the Volvo Golf Championship at Fancourt in 2012.

confident that he belonged on one of the biggest Tours in the world. That confidence sparked one of the most dramatic breakthrough seasons in the game. Grace went from his Joburg Open victory to the Volvo Golf Champions tournament at the Fancourt Links. Facing a world-class 35-man field consisting of Major winners, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup stars, and former world number ones, Grace stunned them all as he worked his way into a play-off with his more experienced countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Els set the mark in the clubhouse at 12 under par. Goosen birdied three of the final four holes to finish on 12 under as well. Grace arrived on 18 already on 12 under and facing a makeable five-foot birdie putt for an outright victory. He missed. “I wasn’t really nervous in regulation play, until I got to 18. When I stood over that last putt I thought, ‘Jeez, here we go. The legs are shaking a bit.’ Obviously I missed the putt. But everything after that was really quick. I never had time to think about it. It was literally a case of signing the scorecard, getting out there and keeping going to the play-off.” And he made no mistake in an even more pressured environment. The young graduate of the Ernie Els Fancourt Foundation had to step onto the 18th tee alongside two of his heroes – Els and Goosen. “Standing on the tee with Ernie and Retief in the play-off was unbelievable. I was very calm, though. I said, ‘Howzit. Howzit’ and off we went.” This time Grace birdied the 18th to beat his more fancied fellow countrymen. “It’s one of those awesome things to know I’ve beaten two of my idols in a play-off.” From there Grace went on to win the Volvo China Open before arriving at St Andrews for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He prepared for this festival of links golf by watching YouTube videos of Louis Oosthuizen’s victory in the 2010 Open on the Old Course. One of his golf goals was to win a tournament on the Old Course and hold up

Standing on the tee with Ernie and Retief in the playoff was unbelievable. I was very calm, though. I said, ‘Howzit. Howzit’ and off we went.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

a trophy on the famous Swilcan Bridge. “I dreamt of lifting a trophy on that bridge,” he says. A few days later he did just that. After opening with an incredible 60 on Kingsbarns, Grace went on to claim his fourth European Tour title on the famous fairways of the Old Course on Sunday. With that he became the first player in European Tour history to win his first four tournaments in the same year. Then Grace returned home to the Sunshine Tour to win the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Fancourt. And with that he secured his place at the top of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. As incredible as his season was, Grace took none of it for granted. Even though he’s still young, he already knows how quickly things can change in this game and how low one can sink. “I was out on the Challenge Tour playing every week and just trying to survive and get back on the European Tour. Sponsors aren’t easy to find at times like that, so you use most of the money that you make. But you fall behind and you start owing people money, and that puts huge pressure on you. “Then I went to the European Tour’s Qualifying School and everything just came together. I got my card, and my caddie Zack and I sat down and we said, ‘We’re playing really well and we can win one of the next two tournaments.’ That was the goal before the Joburg Open, and the rest is history. I could just relax and play golf. “It’s been awesome. Everything has happened really quickly. Things have happened that I couldn’t ever have imagined.” And he’s become more sensible about his goals as well. “A few years ago my goals were too unrealistic. I didn’t understand the process. What I’ve been able to accomplish is

phenomenal and, yes, it has exceeded my expectations to a point. But this is just the start, the jump-off point. My long-term goals are to win Majors and rank inside the top 10. That’s going to take some time, patience and experience. I understand that now. “I’ve worked hard and had a lot of knocks, but it’s never a bad thing taking a couple of steps back before you can go forward. When I lost my card on the European Tour the first time, I wasn’t actually ready to be on the tour. I was a good player but not a great one. Taking a step back was good for me. I maintained belief in myself and kept trying. I’ve worked hard and it’s rewarding to see it paying off.”

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 20 May 1988 TURNED PRO: 2007 FAMILY: Single SPECIAL INTERESTS: Movies, hunting, reading CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Won his first tournament in the Coca-Cola Charity Championship on the Sunshine Tour in 2010. Won four times on the European Tour and five times worldwide in 2012. Scored a European Tour record-equalling 60 at Kingsbarns in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in the same year. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Made it to the semi-finals of the Volvo World Match Play before losing 3&2 to eventual champion Graeme McDowell. Lost in a play-off with Phil Mickelson for the Scottish Open. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T18 The US Open: MC The Open: T64 The PGA Championship: MC NGC RECORD: Debut

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P L AY E R P R O F I L E

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN REMEMBERS THE DAY well. It was at Mossel Bay Golf Club in 2002. It was the day he shot 57. “I played with two of my friends and won 27 skins that day. They weren’t very happy with me. It was a strange day. I made birdies at my first three holes and shot 29 on the front nine. I hit it close on 13 but missed the eagle putt. Then on 14 I hit it in the bush and thought, ‘Okay, that’s it. It’s over’. But I found my ball, made par, and then finished with three birdies and an eagle.” It’s been the pattern of Oosthuizen’s career that when he is on form he is capable of making the best in the world look very ordinary, but by his own admission his form is somewhat streaky. Oosthuizen had missed the cut in the previous three Open Championships he’d played in before he won in such spectacular fashion at St Andrews in 2010, beating Lee Westwood by seven strokes. He’d also missed the cut in his first three Masters before finishing second in 2012 when he lost in a play-off with Bubba Watson. But a Major, 11 professional victories, a Presidents Cup debut in 2013 and a career high ranking of fourth in the world have done little to affect the humility of a man who is as down to earth as the fields he ploughs on his farm outside Gouritsmond near Mossel Bay, and using the John Deere tractor he bought with his Open winnings. Oosthuizen’s talent was quickly spotted

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

as a boy when he was brought into the fold of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation. He went on to claim some memorable victories on the Sunshine Tour, the best of which came in the 2008 Telkom PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg. He won by 14 shots with a score of 28-under-par 260, with rounds of 66, 63, 66 and 65. It was the biggest 72-hole winning margin in the history of the Sunshine Tour. Oosthuizen also came close to matching the biggest victory in relation to par in the history of the Sunshine Tour, which was Mark McNulty’s 29-under 259 in the Royal Swazi Sun Pro-Am at the Royal Swazi Sun Country Club in 1987. “I just played so well that week. Those were probably the four best rounds of my career. It was just one of those weeks where you can do no wrong.” The 2012 Masters was building towards a fairy-tale ending for South Africa as Oosthuizen worked his way into a lead, with 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel ready to slip the green jacket on him. In a dramatic final round at Augusta National Golf Club, Oosthuizen hit a four-iron from 253 yards and the ball pitched on the front of the green and rolled into the hole for the first albatross on the second hole. But Watson went on to produce a miraculous

shot in the play-off that beat Oosthuizen. This year Oosthuizen started in spectacular fashion when he won the Volvo Golf Champions in Durban and climbed to a high of fourth in the world. But an old neck injury caught up with him and forced him to withdraw in the first round of the Open Championship. He was sidelined from the game for a large part of the season, returning just in time to make his Presidents Cup debut.

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 19 October 1982 TURNED PRO: 2002 FAMILY: Wife, Nel-Mare; children, Jana, Sophia and Emma SPECIAL INTERESTS: Hunting, movies CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Won the 2010 Open Championship and finished runner-up in the 2012 Masters after losing in a play-off to Bubba Watson. Winner of 11 tournaments. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Started the year with a career high world ranking of fourth and with a victory in the Volvo Golf Champions in Durban. But a recurring neck injury forced his withdrawal in the first round of the Open Championship and a lengthy recovery period. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: MC The US Open: Withdrew The Open: Withdrew The PGA Championship: DNP NGC RECORD: Third appearance; 2010: 12th; 2012: 4th

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A victorious Rose after his first Major win at the 2013 US Open.

A Rose in

FULL BLOOM US OPEN WINNER JUSTIN ROSE WILL BE A FIRM FAVOURITE AT THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE THIS YEAR

N 2002 AT THE DUNHILL Championship at Houghton Golf Club, Justin Rose became known as something else for the first time in his young career. He was now a winner, and no longer just the golf prodigy who started his career with 21 missed cuts. It was entirely apt that the South African-born Rose should claim his first professional victory in this country. And part of his victory speech was a thank you to his father, Ken, who was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. “My dad’s not so well and he is the guy I owe the most to. He’s put a lot of time, a lot of hours into my game. This win is for him more than anybody,” Rose said on that day in Johannesburg. Three weeks later, Rose won his second tournament, also in South Africa, when he claimed the Nashua Masters at the Wild Coast.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

P L AY E R P R O F I L E

Then in 2010 Rose won twice on the PGA Tour, in the Memorial Tournament and the AT&T National. And this year he took a further step up when he claimed his first Major with victory in the US Open at Merion. He lifted the trophy on Father’s Day, the ultimate tribute to his dad, who had passed away in September 2002. With his US Open triumph, there was a definite sense that Rose’s entire career had just come full circle. “When my father was close to passing away, he kind of told my mom, don’t worry, Justin will be okay. He’ll know what to do,” Rose told the media after his US Open triumph. It has been an incredible journey for Rose. The world was stunned when the fresh-faced 17-year-old amateur holed a 50-metre pitch from the 18th fairway at Royal Birkdale to finish fourth in the 1998 Open Championship. He turned professional and then struggled through 21 consecutive missed cuts. There was an irony in the fact that it also took him 22 starts before he claimed his first top 10 on the PGA Tour. He has gone on to win 14 times around the world – claiming titles on the PGA Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia. He topped the European Tour Order of Merit in 2007, and played a star role in two Ryder Cups. But there was no doubting his talent to win on the biggest stage in the game when he became the first English golfer in 43 years to win the US Open and the first English winner of a Major since Nick Faldo claimed the 1996 Masters. On that emotional Sunday, Rose spoke openly about the struggles early in his career. “I sort of announced myself on the golfing scene probably before I was ready to handle it. And golf can be a cruel game. And definitely I have had the ups and downs, but I think that ultimately it’s made me stronger. “It was a pretty traumatic start to my pro career. I’ve never really talked about it because you don’t want to admit to that being the case, but I think when you’ve got past something you can talk openly about it. “When I was missing 21 cuts in a row, I mean I was just trying to not fade away, really. I just didn’t want to be known as a one-hit wonder, a flash in the pan. I believed in myself inherently, deep down I always knew that I had a talent to play the game. And I simply thought

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Rose after defeating the US 14.5 to 13.5 to retain the Ryder Cup in 2012.

that if I put talent and hard work together, surely it would work out in the long run. “At times it feels like 25 years since Birkdale, and other times it feels like it was just yesterday. There’s a lot of water under the bridge.” But his greatest triumph will remain the character he has shown through some of the most difficult times in his career and personal life. “I think a lot of us came from great men and we have the responsibility to show them what great men can be.” Rose has a keen sense of the values instilled in him by his father. When he beat Phil Mickelson in the singles of the 2012 Ryder Cup, sparking the European comeback, Rose was genuinely appreciative of the respect he felt Mickelson showed him by applauding some of his shots in that match. This sense that there is more to life than golf also shines through in his desire to be “a good dad and husband”. That’s what is really important... Results can come and go, that’s why it is the pursuit of improvement that has to be the priority.” Although his parents moved to England when he was five because of the political uncertainty in South Africa at the time, Rose still shares a close bond with this country. “South Africa has always been a second home to me. I always feel so comfortable there. I enjoy the way of life and the sense of humour. There’s always good banter going on and South Africans know how to have fun. So I may be primarily English, but I will always have a soft spot for South Africa.” And he has a great relationship with many of the South African professionals. “We’ve had a few braais together at Retief’s

(Goosen) place, and a few beers at Trevor’s (Immelman) place.” Rose will be making his fifth appearance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and had an epic tussle with Immelman in 2007 before finishing second to the South African. But he has always been quick to praise his fellow competitors. And they have often repaid the favour. After Adam Scott’s Masters triumph in April this year, Scott sent his friend a text message saying, “This is your time. This is our time to win these tournaments.” Little did he know how prophetic those words would turn out to be as only a few months later Rose joined him as a Major champion. And for Rose, there will always be the satisfaction that he reached this point through sheer hard work and belief. “This is a journey that goes back 20, 30 years for me of dreaming, of hoping, of practising, of calloused hands. I think this could be the most satisfying, because there’s no one helping you along the way. You’ve had to do it the hard way, you’ve had to do it yourself.”

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 30 July 1980 TURNED PRO: 1998 FAMILY: Wife, Kate; children, Leo and Charlotte SPECIAL INTERESTS: Tennis, football, cars, architecture CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: A winner of 14 tournaments worldwide. Winner of the European Tour Order of Merit in 2007. Enjoyed a highly successful 2012 in which he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship and carded a 62 in the final round of the DP World Tour Championship on his way to finishing second on the Race to Dubai rankings. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Finished second to Tiger Woods in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. Won his first Major in the US Open at Merion in June 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T25 The US Open: 1 The Open: MC The PGA Championship: T33 NGC RECORD: Fifth appearance; 2007: 2nd; 2008: 9th; 2010: T9; 2012: 11th

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P L AY E R P R O F I L E

CHARL SCHWARTZEL CHARL SCHWARTZEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE master of understatement. Last December, he won the Thailand Golf Championship by 11 strokes and a week later produced the lowest ever tournament total of 24 under par at Leopard Creek to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship by 12 strokes. This at a time when he said he wasn’t playing well. But Schwartzel has always measured his success against his own standards and not those of others. And it’s for this reason that he gave perhaps the greatest insight into his thinking when he sat down at Leopard Creek and spoke about his future ambitions. “I don’t want to expect anything. Expectation is not a good thing. I just play,” he said. “For me, there have been too many people asking, ‘What do you want to achieve?’ and you say, ‘Well, this, this and this’. Sure, you want to do things, but the more you force the issue the less you do it. I don’t want to think about anything. I just want to tee it up, hit the ball down the fairway, hit it on the green, make the putt and see where it leads me. “We all want to win tournaments, but thinking about winning golf tournaments is not going to win tournaments for me. I have to stay right here where I am, plod along, and if I play the best I’ll win. By playing well and winning, the World Ranking and money list all take care of themselves. You can’t take the step ahead and say I want to become world number one.” Schwartzel also went into 2013

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

determined to move on from his 2011 Masters triumph. His win at Augusta National Golf Club was one of the finest ever seen in the Masters. With four birdies over the final four holes, Schwartzel took his place amongst the game’s elite. It was the pinnacle of what has been Schwartzel’s steady and determined progression through the ranks of international golf. He became the third-youngest player to earn a European Tour card at the age of 18. By the time he was 20, Schwartzel had already won on the European Tour in the 2004 Alfred Dunhill Championship. And at 22 he had competed in three of the four Majors. But in December 2013, his desire to move on from past glories revealed everything about his hunger for new triumphs. “The Masters is gone. It’s been almost two years now, so let’s see if we can get some new ones. Let’s make some new memories now and talk about something new.” This year has been another steady one for Schwartzel as he claimed a victory in Asia as well as a host of top-10s on the European Tour and PGA Tour. He finished no worse than tied 25th in three of the four Majors,

missing the cut in the PGA Championship. Schwartzel returns to Sun City as a man beginning to feel very comfortable in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He ran Germany’s Martin Kaymer close in last year’s final round before finishing second. It was a testament to the words he spoke after winning the Africa Open and Joburg Open back-to-back on the Sunshine Tour in 2010 when he said, “I feel like I can beat anybody in the world”.

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 31 August 1984 TURNED PRO: 2002 FAMILY: Wife, Rosalind SPECIAL INTERESTS: Hunting, cars, flying CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Won his first Major at the Masters in 2011. Has won eight times on the European Tour and six times on the Sunshine Tour. Won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit three years in succession in 2005, 2006 and 2007. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Started the European Tour’s 2013 season well with a victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, followed by second place in the Joburg Open. Won the Nanshan China Masters on the OneAsia Tour. Had five top-10s on the PGA Tour. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T25 The US Open: 14 The Open: T15 The PGA Championship: MC NGC RECORD: Fifth appearance; 2006: 5th; 2007: 10th; 2011: 6th; 2012: 2nd

P L AY E R P R O F I L E

Stenson completed a remarkable comeback in 2013, highlighted by winning the PGA Tour’s season-long FedEx Cup.

The

“ICEMAN” sizzles in 2013 FROM 230TH AT THE START OF 2012 TO A SPOT IN THE TOP FIVE… 2013 WILL CERTAINLY BE REMEMBERED AS THE YEAR THE ICEMAN MADE GOOD

T WAS LATE ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE GOLF course was empty, but for Henrik Stenson. Only a few hours earlier the big Swede had climbed off an aeroplane, and now he was busy working off the jetlag and focusing his mind on the Serengeti Golf Estate course ahead of the 2012 South African Open.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

P L AY E R P R O F I L E

As the sun was setting that afternoon, Stenson picked his way through multiple tee shots and a variety of wedges from just off the greens. But only a few days later, he would experience a new dawn in his career. Coming into the week ranked 113th in the world, Stenson left the tournament with a win that would spark one of the most remarkable seasons in 2013. And now he returns to Sun City as arguably the comeback player of his generation, with a breakthrough year in which he’s challenged in the Majors and dominated the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs. It’s been an incredible return to form for a golfer who was at the top of his game in 2009 and then dropped to 230th in the world at the start of 2012. When he scored a quadruple bogey on the par-four 18th hole at Augusta National Golf Club during the 2012 Masters, equalling the highest score ever on this hole, many thought Stenson’s fall from grace was complete. But he showed tremendous character to

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

rebuild his game and work his way back into the top five in the world. Since he finished second in the Open Championship in July, Stenson went on to finish third in the PGA Championship and then win the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Tour Championship to claim the overall FedEx Cup title and a $10 million bonus. Stenson has enjoyed a number of firsts in his career. He was the first Swede to win a World Golf Championship event when he beat Geoff Ogilvy 2&1 in the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2007. And he became the highest ranked Swedish golfer in history when he was ranked fourth in the world in 2013. But equally impressive was his first showing in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2006. In an event famous for its tough treatment of firsttimers, Stenson finished second, only two strokes behind winner Jim Furyk. The following year he was fourth, and then in 2008 he broke through with a crushing nine-stroke victory over Kenny Perry from the US. A year later he was second again

Stenson won both the Deutsche Bank Championship and Tour Championship en route to winning the FedEx Cup.

when he lost in a play-off with Robert Allenby. Stenson was introduced to golf by a family friend. “No one in my family played golf. I played soccer and badminton,” he said. He was immediately hooked on the game, and by the age of 18 he was a scratch handicap who spent most of his days at the golf club. “These were long days but all my friends were also on the course all day. We played short-game competitions and searched for balls in ponds and ditches. My mom soon got so tired of washing and drying dirty, wet clothes and shoes that she offered to buy balls instead. But the real attraction was the thrill of the search,” he said. Stenson even believes it may have been these thoughts of his mother worrying about his clothes that prompted him to produce one of the great moments in golf during the 2009 WGC-CA Championship when he stripped down to only his underwear and golf glove to play a recovery shot from a water hazard.

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P L AY E R P R O F I L E

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 5 April 1976 TURNED PRO: 1998 FAMILY: Wife, Emma; Children, Lisa and Karl SPECIAL INTERESTS: Music, movies, fishing, cars CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Winner of 15 tournaments. Climbed into the top 20 on the World Ranking in 2007 and then broke into the top 10 in 2007. Was the first Swede to win a World Golf Championship event when he beat Geoff Ogilvy 2&1 in the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Became the highest-ranked Swedish golfer in history when he reached fourth in the world. Won The Players Championship in 2009. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Finished second in the Open and third in the PGA Championship. Ended the season with wins in the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Tour Championship to see him win the overall FedEx Cup. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T18 The US Open: T21 The Open: 2 The PGA Championship: 3 NGC RECORD: Fifth appearance; 2006: 2nd; 2007: 4th; 2008: 1st; 2009: 2nd

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

“Maybe it was my mother I was thinking of when I took off my clothes at Doral, to avoid soiling my shoes and clothes.” He went on to represent Sweden as an amateur and won a host of tournaments. In 1998 Stenson turned professional and finished 14th in his first event on the South American Tour in Argentina. But his breakthrough year came on the European Challenge Tour in 2000, when he claimed three victories on his way to topping the Order of Merit. It was also when a golf commentator first gave him the nickname “Iceman”. Stenson graduated to the European Tour and won in his first season on the main tour, beginning a career that includes 15 victories around the world and two Ryder Cup appearances, the first of which (in 2006) saw him hole the winning putt for Europe. Later in 2009 he claimed his second victory on US soil in the Players Championship, climbing to a career-high fourth on the World Ranking. But what followed was an agonising three-year slump that saw him plummet to 230th in the world. It began with a massive financial blow as a result of his investments with the Stanford Financial Group, which was exposed as an elaborate Ponzi scheme and fell victim to the global financial crisis. Stenson

After climbing from 230th to 4th on the World Ranking, the Swede is back in high demand.

lost a huge chunk of his personal fortune. His game also suffered as he struggled with a wayward driver and inconsistent putting. One of the lowest points for Stenson must have been the week he didn’t qualify for the PGA Championship two years ago. So he returned home and entered the club championship at his home course in Barsebäck, Sweden. He finished second. But it spoke volumes for his passion for golf and his desire to do whatever it took to get back to the top. “Life is ups and downs – stock market, golf, everything kind of goes in cycles. There’s no magic potion. It’s just hard work on the right things that eventually pays off,” he said during the FedEx Cup Playoffs this year. With his career firmly back on track, Stenson is free to continue his love for fast cars and Formula 1, indulge in his snowmobile that he has nicknamed Stalin, and do the things that keep him focused on the present. “I enjoy snorkelling in warm waters, watching fish and turtles swim past. It makes you stay in the present,” he said. And yet the future remains a tantalising prospect for Stenson.

Life is ups and downs – stock market, golf, everything kind of goes in cycles. There’s no magic potion. It’s hard work on the right things that eventually pays off.

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RICHARD STERNE IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT RICHARD STERNE SPENT two years completely out of the game, frustrated by a back injury and countless visits to a number of doctors to try and solve the problem. During 2010 and 2011 Sterne hardly touched a club. Then he returned for the 2012 Africa Open and finished sixth in his first competitive round of golf for about 10 months. And in February 2013 he shot rounds of 63, 65, 68 and 64 at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to claim a seven-shot victory over Charl Schwartzel in the Joburg Open – his sixth European Tour title. That win came a week after finishing second in the Dubai Desert Classic. Those results say everything about the supreme natural talent Sterne possesses. Despite being away from the game for so long, his 2013 season has been a remarkable one. He finished tied 12th in the WGCCadillac Championship, tied ninth in the Volvo World Match Play Championship, second in the French Open, tied ninth in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and tied 13th in the European Masters. Sterne entered the paid ranks in 2001 off the back of a stellar amateur career, and has been a rising force in the game ever since. As an amateur, he became the second South African to win both the senior and junior national Stroke Play and Match Play titles. In 1999 he was the second-best junior

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

golfer in the world, finishing runner-up in the World Junior Championships. His breakthrough professional victory was in the 2001 Rye Hill Championship on the Euro Pro Tour, and then in 2004 he won the Open de Madrid to set up his career on the European Tour. Some of the finest golf he has played came during two historic weeks in the summer of 2008. That year Sterne won the Joburg Open in January and, in two straight weeks in December, captured the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the South African Open Championship. He topped the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit for that season, securing him his debut and to date his only appearance in the 2009 Nedbank Golf Challenge. “The South African Open was a great win because I had won so many of the big national amateur titles, and I was missing the SA Open as a professional. I always thought it would be the hardest one to win,” he said. “When I look back on those two wins back-to-back, I sometimes wonder how I did it. But at the time, it just felt good and didn’t seem that difficult.”

BIOGRAPHY BORN: 27 August 1981 TURNED PRO: 2001 FAMILY: Wife, Lise-Marie; Children, Mari SPECIAL INTEREST: Fishing CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Won his first European Tour title in the 2004 Open de Madrid. Has won six times on the European Tour and six times on the Sunshine Tour. Claimed three victories in a memorable 2008 season, in which he finished top of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. 2013 HIGHLIGHTS: Won the Joburg Open by seven shots and achieved several top finishes, including tied 12th in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, tied ninth in the Volvo World Match Play Championship, second in the French Open, tied ninth in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and tied 13th in the European Masters. 2013 MAJORS: The Masters: T25 The US Open: DNP The Open: T21 The PGA Championship: MC NGC RECORD: Second appearance; 2009: 11th

STRENGTH OF SA GOLF

SOUTH AFRICA:

FERTILE GOLFING

GROUND

SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF HAS LAUNCHED MANY SUCCESSFUL CAREERS DUE TO THE DEPTH OF PLAY, FANTASTIC STANDARD AND SUPERB COURSES THE COUNTRY OFFERS

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

N 1992, A CAREER WAS launched on South African fairways. Ernie Els won the South African Open, the South African PGA Championship and the South African Masters, and it was exactly the momentum that one of this country’s greatest golfers needed.

Ernie Els has inspired SA golfers for two decades, in much the same way Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are doing now.

“That really set me on my way. Without my 1992 SA Open win I wouldn’t have made it into those tournaments and may not have had the career I have had,” says Els. His performance in 1992 secured him a place in the Open Championship that year. It was only his second appearance in a Major since 1989. Els finished fifth. As a result he made it into the 1993 US Open, where he finished tied seventh. And this in turn secured him a place in the 1994 US Open, which he won. Such has been the platform the Sunshine Tour has provided for some of its biggest stars to tee off their careers. This year, the Nedbank Golf Challenge will play a crucial role in this process, not so much for the established stars of the game but rather for those seeking to take the next step on their way to the top. The expanded eligibility criteria for the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge mean that more South Africans than ever before have had the chance to play in “Africa’s Major”, giving their careers a serious boost. The most notable opportunities exist through the exemptions into the field granted to the winner of the previous season’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, the winners of the 2013 South African Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship, and the current number-one and number-two ranked players on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit as of Monday 25 November 2013. And with the Nedbank Golf Challenge now officially a European Tour event, it is a lucrative doorway onto one of the major tours of the world. This is where South African golf has truly excelled: its ability to position itself as a tour capable of launching careers. Currently, of the six South African tournaments co-sanctioned with the European Tour, four offer the winner a one-year exemption on the Tour and two offer a two-year exemption. Every single winner of the tournaments co-sanctioned with the European Tour is also exempt into the lucrative limited-field Volvo Golf Champions tournament. A winner on the Sunshine Tour can also secure an exemption into the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, as is the case for the Dimension Data Pro-Am champion. A solid season on the Sunshine Tour can even kick-start a major career, with the winner of the Tour’s Order of Merit earning an automatic place in the following year’s Open Championship. The Order of Merit winner is also exempt into the second biggest tournament on the European Tour – the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. And the top two finishers on the Order of Merit secure

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

STRENGTH OF SA GOLF

a place in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The final Order of Merit also offers various exemptions ranging from full membership of the Canadian Tour to the final stages of the European and Asian Tour Qualifying Schools. It’s these incentives that make playing in South Africa such an attractive proposition for many international professionals. Few countries are able to offer golf courses of the quality you will find on the PGA Tour and European Tour, all-round weather favourable to good golf, and a structure that could give a young professional every chance to progress in the game. “The structure of the Sunshine Tour provides the opportunity to move from one level to the next,” says Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour. From an international perspective, England’s Robert Rock is one player who has always enjoyed playing in South Africa and admits the overall offering is attractive for players still building their careers. “The great thing about the South African tournaments is that you can always rely on playing a fantastic course. And there’s a fantastic standard of golf as well,” he says. After winning the 2010 Joburg Open, Charl Schwartzel broke into the top 50 for the first time, Nathan certainly believes a growing number leaping from 65th to 35th in the world. of foreigners will start seeing the benefits of Grace and George Coetzee were travelling then we’re going to finish up like Australia. playing in South Africa. “Over the next few around South Africa and winning tournaments Australia has managed to pay a lot of money years I believe there will be an influx of on the Sunshine Tour. to get one decent field in the Australian Open. European and American players trying to get Perhaps the best example of how often these Fortunately the history of the Sunshine Tour onto our Order of Merit or get playing cards generations overlap was during the 2012 Volvo is that we have not paid huge sums of money here,” he explains. “It gets you six European Golf Champions tournament. to get people to play.” Tour events here, and opens a lot of doors with After winning the Joburg Open, Grace What astounds the world, however, spots in the Open, WGC events, and now earned a place in this exclusive field when is the constant depth of South the Nedbank Golf Challenge. It’s the tournament was played at The Links at African golf. For decades the attractive. I say, come and try. Fancourt. He went on to make it into a play-off country has consistently Come and see what we’ve with Els and Goosen, and then beat his heroes produced world got coming through here. to spark one of the greatest seasons in history. champions. South Africa And that’s what the The Joburg Open did something similar for ranks fourth all time Sunshine Tour is all Schwartzel – when he won the tournament for on the list of Major about. We’ve had some the first time in 2010, it carried him to a then victories by country, and of the biggest names career-high 35th on the world rankings, when Louis Oosthuizen in golf history come making him then the highest-ranked South won the 2010 Open and through the Sunshine Selwyn Nathan, African golfer after Retief Goosen and Ernie Charl Schwartzel won the Tour. Tom Lehman, John Executive Director, Els. This from a player who started that year 2011 Masters, two of the last Daly, Corey Pavin, Seve Sunshine Tour ranked 65th in the world! Suddenly he was well three Majors at that point were Ballesteros, Hale Irwin, Nick within the elite top 50 in the world, and eligible owned by South Africans. Faldo, Ian Woosnam and others. for the biggest events in the game. Moreover, there has always been a natural “The Sunshine Tour is a great breeding “Who knows what can happen this year,” progression of stars in the game. Gary Player ground. I think we’ve done a great job in this Schwartzel said shortly after that victory. “If had Bobby Locke to look up to. Ernie Els and respect for the past 50 years. As long as we keep I keep going like this, there could be some big Retief Goosen had Gary Player to lead the believing that our tour is a platform to greater things ahead.” way. And now Charl Schwartzel and Louis things for players, it will continue to grow. Prophetic words indeed from a future Oosthuizen are stepping into those golf shoes. “But if you try and say that our tour has to Masters champion. It also wasn’t that long ago that Branden have the biggest money and the biggest players,

The Sunshine Tour is a great breeding ground. I think we have done a great job in this respect for the past 50 years.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

a fitting tribute THE SUNSHINE TOUR IS WHERE IT BEGINS. FOR MANY PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE CHAMPIONS. PRINGLE OF SCOTLAND – a name which has become synonymous with golf and which shares a

heritage much in common with golf and its origins, is pleased to be associated with the Sunshine Tour – where future champions are bred. Pringle of Scotland – the fashion choice of the Sunshine Tour.

D E B AT E

Anchoring proponent Tim Clark using his long putter at the Crowne Plaza Invitational. Clark has no supination in his forearms and opposes the USGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ban on anchored putters.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

Brace yourself, or not SOME USE IT, OTHERS OPPOSE IT. “IT’S JUST NOT GOLF,” SAYS ONE RESPECTED PROFESSIONAL. HERE’S THE LATEST ON THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING PUTTER ANCHORING

ROFESSIONALS ARE SPLIT IN THEIR OPINION. ITS MERE presence in the game has been described as divisive and an act of cheating. Not much has changed since a similar debate divided golf in 1848.

That was the year the gutta-percha golf ball was introduced in Europe, threatening the incumbent feathery ball and the livelihood of those ball makers. Scottish professional Allan Robertson, himself a maker of featheries like his family before him, raised an outcry over the use of this invasive new ball. And when he caught his business partner, Tom Morris, actually playing with a gutty, he immediately broke ties with him. In light of this, the debate towards the end of last year around the future of putter anchoring is hardly new to golf. And now it’s happened. In November 2012, the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced their intention to ban the anchoring of putters from 1 January 2016. What followed were three months of debate and feedback on the matter, and the golf bodies considered the opinions of

weekend golfers, clubs, equipment companies, professionals, tour officials and anybody else with something to say. Then, in May 2013, they made the formal announcement of a ban under Rule 14-1b. According to a joint statement by the R&A and USGA at the time, “The R&A and USGA have prepared a detailed report to explain the reasons for the decision to adopt Rule 14-1b. The report explains the principles on which the Rules of Golf are founded, why freely swinging the entire club is the essence of the traditional method of stroke, and why anchoring is a substantially different form of stroke that may alter and diminish the fundamental challenges of the game. It points out that the rule will still allow the use of belly-length and long putters, and that a wide variety of types of strokes remain for players to use. The report concludes that

the new rule should not adversely affect participation in the game, that it is not too late or unfair to require players to comply with it and that it will remove concerns about any potential advantage that anchoring provides. It also makes clear that one set of rules is essential to the future health of the game.” Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, said, “We recognise this has been a divisive issue but after thorough consideration we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf.” Glen Nager, the USGA president, added, “Having considered all of the input that we received, both before and after the proposed rule was announced, our best judgment is that Rule 14-1b is necessary to preserve one of the important traditions and challenges of the game – that the player freely swing the entire club.” Many a player would indeed like to freely swing the entire club at the ban.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

D E B AT E

We recognise this has been a divisive issue but after thorough consideration we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf. Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of the R&A

THE ACTUAL RULE READS AS FOLLOWS: 14-1b: Anchoring the club In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point”. Note 1: The club is anchored “directly” when the player intentionally holds the club or a gripping hand in contact with any part of his body, except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm. Note 2: An “anchor point” exists when the player intentionally holds a forearm in contact with any part of his body to establish a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

SO WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS? For a start, the governing bodies have been quick to stress that this is not an equipment rule. Long or belly putters are not being banned, just the anchoring of them to the body while putting. What this does to the sale of long putters remains to be seen, but owning a long putter if you can’t anchor it clearly does appear to have limited marketability. The equipment companies have been divided in their reaction. “The rule change regarding anchoring, as explained by the USGA and R&A, concerns only the definition of a stroke, and does not alter any current equipment regulations or impact any equipment that we manufacture and sell. We believe in one set of rules in golf and support the USGA and R&A as the ruling bodies and will continue to manufacture golf equipment that abides by the rules they establish,” was the statement from Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist. But Cobra Puma Golf was far more outspoken. “Golf lost today. This is not the direction we should be going. It will only continue to alienate people from golf ... This decision is a giant leap back on that front.” TaylorMade Golf also saw it as a step backwards, stating, “We appreciate the process the USGA used in its decision to ban the anchoring of putters, but we

don’t agree that the decision is in the best interest of the game.” The PGA Tour and PGA of America initially opposed the ban strongly but later announced they would respect the decision. However, the PGA Tour did in its statement on the matter make the following point: “Although the board has elected to follow the USGA in this case at the elite level, it continues to be mindful of its responsibility to review future rule changes that might be adopted by the USGA in order to determine whether they should apply to PGA Tour competitions. “It is not inconceivable that there may come a time in the future when the Policy Board determines that a rule adopted by the USGA, including in the area of equipment, may not be in the best interests of the PGA Tour and that a local rule eliminating or modifying such a USGA rule may be appropriate.” For amateurs, the implications seem fairly obvious. But there may be some policing required during your Saturday league match in February 2016. You may happen to play with a golfer who has a long putter. And you will have to be on your guard. You would have to keep an eye on every stroke he makes to ensure he does not anchor in any way. The penalty for violation of this rule will be two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play. One spin-off of the debate was an argument for bifurcation of the rules, namely one set of rules for the professionals and another for the amateurs. But golf’s governing bodies shot this down as well. In a joint response to this they declared, “The history of golf is actually a history of movement towards unification of playing and equipment rules – and this is more than ever true today, as golfers of different abilities from myriad geographies and cultures seek to play the same sport on a national and international basis, and soon in the Olympics.” So until midnight on 31 December 2015, anchoring of the putter is perfectly legal. But thereafter, it’s “anchorers away”, my friend.

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THE MAJORS

MAJORLY COMP AS TIGER’S HOLD ON THE MAJORS SUBSIDED, THE FIELD OPENED UP FOR A NUMBER OF OLD FAVOURITES AS WELL AS A CONTINGENT OF YOUNG, DYNAMIC AND ROBUST PLAYERS

After his birdie putt on the 18th green and a play-off with Rocco Mediate, Tiger Woods won the 108th US Open in 2008.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

YOU HAVE TO HAND IT TO TIGER WOODS. SINCE 1996, HE HAS BEEN GOLF. He changed the way the game was played. He changed the way they made equipment. He changed the way they built golf courses. For goodness’ sake, he even changed one of the very fundamentals of golf – the Majors are hard. Or rather, he didn’t make the Majors look easy as he rattled off 14 wins. He just made them that much harder for everybody else. “Competitive” was just not a word associated with the Majors when Woods was at his peak. And then he stopped. He left a vacuum at the pinnacle of the game and suddenly the Majors are more competitive than this generation has ever seen. When Jason Dufner became a headline for his game and not his “Dufnering” by winning the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, he became the 19th different winner in the last 21 Majors and the 15th first-time winner in the last 19 Majors. Why? Tiger Woods. As they say on the PGA Tour, “These guys are good,” but the real reason is that Woods has now allowed them to be better. From 1997 to 2008, the Majors belonged to Woods.

ETITIVE

He won them with reckless abandon. This was his time. He was racing towards history and nobody else could think of getting in the way of history by actually trying to win one of these themselves. And then history took a detour into a fire hydrant. If you’re looking for a sign of years of pent-up Major frustration, consider who started winning straight after Woods won his last in the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. Padraig Harrington suddenly snapped back into life and greedily grabbed the Open and PGA Championship that year. In 2009 we had – shock! – four different Major winners. In 2010, Phil Mickelson was the veteran in a year when we had three first-timers break through in Graeme McDowell (US Open), Louis Oosthuizen (Open) and Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship). Then the kids climbed in. Charl Schwartzel (Masters) and Rory McIlroy (US Open) won the first two Majors of 2011. Darren Clarke gave hope to a generation of golfers who thought their time had passed in the oldest Major in the game when he won the Open that year. Ernie Els followed suit in this Major a year later. And then Phil Mickelson made it a hat-trick a year after that. And all around there were names like Keegan Bradley, Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

THE MAJORS

Jason Dufner about to blow a five-shot lead in the 2011 PGA Championship and lose in a play-off to Keegan Bradley. Dufner won the event two years later. Holding their own: 2011 champions Rory McIlroy (US Open) and Darren Clarke (British Open) of Northern Ireland.

bringing crazy swings and funky sound bytes to the greatest stage in golf. “Who won the 2010 US Open?” could suddenly qualify as a trivia question. Ever since Woods found a way to stop winning Majors, golf became a democracy again. Since 2008, we’ve had three players winning more than one Major. Harrington did so with his two titles in 2008 to go with his 2007 Open triumph. McIlroy weighed in with his incredible 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA Championship titles. And Mickelson kept plugging away with a win in the 2010 Masters and then the 2013 Open. Yet Woods is not entirely to blame. The flood of younger players into the game has brought with it a different dynamic. They do not bear the mental scars of being pounded by Woods for years. Some weren’t even born when he started winning Majors. They know him as a part of golf history, but not of their golf history. So they arrive on the biggest stages in the game absolutely fearless. They’ve been raised on a steady diet of being as good as you want to be. They do not arrive on tour all that overawed

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

any more. They are able to win quicker and younger. And there are lots of them, making the fields in the Majors now very deep and dynamic. And if you want to know how quick the change is happening, consider a headline that reads, “Seven young players who will challenge Rory”. When did even McIlroy stop being young? In 2011, three of the four Majors were won by players in their 20s. “They’re good and they’re talented and they’re athletic and they hit it a mile,” said 34-year-old PGA Tour campaigner Jonathan Byrd. Even Gary Woodland, at the age of 29, tells the media, “You look at the guys coming up and they’re getting younger and younger. I almost feel like I’m old… Every week, it seems like there’s a new young guy coming out and playing well.” They’re also able to put the disappointments behind them faster than it takes to fire off a Tweet, and move on to the next challenge. The US Open is the toughest test in golf ? Tell that to McIlroy as he wins it in record fashion. The back nine at the Masters is the most nerve-racking experience in the game? Oops. Charl Schwartzel just birdied the final four holes at Augusta National to win. You’re not supposed to recover from throwing away a Major? In 2011, Dufner blew

a five-shot lead standing on the 15th tee of the PGA Championship. Ever heard of Jean van de Velde again? But you have heard of Dufner again. That’s because, after losing that 2011 PGA Championship, he said the following, “I’m disappointed now but there are a lot of good things to take from this week. Coming from where I came from, to be in this position, it’s a dream come true. I’m not going to let this define my career. Hopefully I’ll have more time to win Majors and use what happened today as a positive.” No scar tissue. Just lessons. But it all comes back to Woods. There is the opinion that the depth has always been there in the game and in the Majors. It’s just that nobody really saw it because we were all so focused on Woods. So we all kind of ignored Sergio García, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and so many others for a while. As veteran golf writer Doug Ferguson puts it, “The pool of young talent in golf has never looked deeper… Attribute that depth to Tiger Woods. It’s not because he set the bar so high and made everyone try to get better. It’s because he no longer wins so many tournaments. So maybe the pool only looks deeper because it no longer has such a big fish.”

TOURNAMENT

EVOLUTION OF A

golf masterpiece

NOW IN ITS 33RD YEAR, THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE HAS EVOLVED NOT ONLY IN STATURE AND PURSE, BUT HAS ALSO BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

ARY PLAYER IS A MAN WHO HAS always dreamt big. But today even he smiles when he thinks back to the first time he was asked to build a golf course at Sun City.

“I stood on the site where the Gary Player Country Club is today, and in those days there was nothing but bush and bits of barbed wire,” he recalls. There was no water, no huge man-made lake to keep watering lush green fairways under the merciless African sun. But there was a lot of cattle dung. “I told my hosts that day, ‘In America they call these meadow muffins. That’s all you have here. Meadow muffins’,” says Player. But there was also the dream to build a golf course that would host a tournament that would, over the years, go through several evolutions as a global showpiece, a political football and a benchmark for professional golf tournaments around the world. Part of the tournament’s folklore is the fact that Lee Trevino, after playing in the Sun City Classic in February 1981 on the newly built Gary Player Country Club course, suggested the idea of a golf tournament with a million-dollar purse. It was the perfect vehicle to promote this glamorous new resort, and to this day the tournament serves as a key marketing tool for Sun International, as well as South Africa as a whole, in terms of driving tourism. A few months after Trevino’s suggestion, the Million Dollar Challenge teed off with the first

Lee Westwood chips in for a birdie on the 18th hole to win the 2010 event. Stars like Westwood have kept the crowds at full capacity for 32 years.

million-dollar purse in world golf. That was the first big statement made by this event – the amount of money on offer to the players. The first prize alone was $500 000. The year before, Tom Watson had set a PGA Tour record for a single season’s earnings when he amassed $530 808. Now, in just one week, either Player, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros or Johnny Miller could almost equal that. It turned out to be Miller, who beat Ballesteros in a play-off for the inaugural title. But the $100 000 for last place was only $13 000 less than what Jack Nicklaus earned for the entire 1964 season when he finished second in three of the four Majors. Such was the power of the inaugural event – then known as the Million Dollar Challenge – that it immediately had the golf world talking. It was so big that Nicklaus decided to tee it up again in 1982. Yet the tournament had to weather a fierce political storm in the ’80s as it fought for survival against the backdrop of South Africa’s apartheid policy and the international condemnation thereof. The tennis legend Arthur Ashe wrote a letter to Nicklaus imploring him not to support the tournament. Player sent out an impassioned plea through the media, saying, “I will continue to do all I can to encourage and help black golf…” Trevino applied his own unique sense of humour when he responded to threats about being added to the UN sporting blacklist for international athletes who chose to compete in South Africa by asking, “When can I pay my

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

000

TOURNAMENT

membership fees?” The Great White Shark, Greg Norman, bared his teeth at a similar threat by declaring, “It’s no-one’s business and I will tell anyone to go to hell if they tell me where I must play.” Despite the controversy, the tournament continued to thrive, growing from an initial five-man field to 10 in the early ’80s, and spreading out the purse to the extent that even the last-place finisher could earn a handsome pay cheque for a week’s work. But what the Nedbank Golf Challenge did especially well – and continues to do – is taking golf from purely a sporting contest and turning it into an entertainment spectacle. Here you had a tournament attended by some of the greatest celebrities in the world at the time, including Frank Sinatra, Telly Savalas, Joe DiMaggio and Sean Connery. This was as much a show as a sports event. The late ’80s did see the field size suffer under the weight of politics but the organisers responded with another first for world

From braais and celebrity performances to post-game rounds-ups and family gatherings, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has placed as much emphasis on the day’s play as it has on providing excellent entertainment after the game.

golf. In 1987, Ian Woosnam walked away with the first winnertakes-all $1-million cheque for his victory at Sun City. A year later, the first prize remained at $1-million, but the tournament reverted to the traditional format of payouts for the rest of the field as well. In 2000, the tournament went through another major restructuring of its prize money when it celebrated the new millennium by offering a $2-million first prize to the winner. Ernie Els banked the cheque that year after a play-off with Lee Westwood. Els took another $2-million in 2002 – the last time the first prize was that high. In 2003, the Nedbank Golf Challenge capitalised on a wealth of international players in South Africa for the Presidents Cup, and expanded the field to 18 players. First place that year was worth $1.2-million. In 2004, the field reverted to a 12-man format, and the following few years saw a heavier weighting of the prize money for second and third place as well as last place – to the point that the runnerup in 2012 received $660 000. In 2006 the tournament also offered official world ranking points for the first time. Its ability to evolve with the players’ needs throughout the generations is where the Nedbank Golf Challenge has always excelled. It has always distinguished itself as a tournament where the players are treated unlike any other in the world: they’re offered everything from

personal concierges to make them dinner or show reservations, to assistance with booking additional tours around South Africa before or after the tournament. In 2012, the organisers even facilitated a wildlife-photography excursion in the bush for keen photographer Tom Watson, with a renowned wildlife photographer as his guide. The family focus of the event has also been paramount – the organisers encourage players to bring their family along for a week that is focused as much on relaxation and enjoyment as it is on world-class golf. “The way we’ve structured this tournament is what makes us different from any other event,” says Sun International’s tournament director Alastair Roper. “Yes, the prize money is still a big draw card, but these players could get the same, if not better, elsewhere. The real difference between the Nedbank Golf Challenge and other tournaments is the way we look after the players. “We book tables at certain restaurants for them. Some players bring huge entourages. Henrik Stenson had 10 people one year, and Jim Furyk about seven. So we also arrange a wives-and-families programme, involving game drives or visits to arts-and-craft markets and so on. We will facilitate trips they want to do in other parts of the country before or after the tournament. Furyk expressed an interest in going shark-cage diving at Gansbaai, so we assisted him with this. And one year we helped put together a trip to the Winelands for him. “We do the same for the rules officials who come out. We’ve got so many people from all over the world who are part of this event, and we take special care in looking after them.” In the early days of his career, Nick Price was also overwhelmed by the

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

experience and this attention to detail on behalf of the players. “This tournament has to be one of the best in the world from the players’ point of view,” he says. “We were treated royally, like kings. It was a different kind of experience for me. I felt conscious of everything that went on, even when I was eating dinner.” The tournament still has a strong entertainment focus, keeping at the forefront of popular culture when it comes to a combination of top local comedians and musicians to entertain the fans each day. Another significant evolutionary step was turning the Nedbank Golf Challenge into a major corporate event. There are few tournaments worldwide that attract such a strong corporate following, with sponsors’ tents dotted across the golf course for a week that is seen as a valuable networking opportunity. Over the years, The Nedbank Golf Challenge has also excelled in its ability to provide key experiences at every level for those who form part of the event. The players, media and celebrities benefit

from a host of functions ranging from the famous beach party at the Valley of Waves to an intimate players-only gathering at the Boma. And the media are treated to their own party that is as much an institution of this tournament. It is all about creating an experience unmatched in the game of golf, and sending as many people away with the message that this is a major golf tournament hosted in an unbelievable resort within an incredible country. “The Nedbank Golf Challenge is first and foremost a marketing tool for Sun City and Sun International. The return on the television exposure we get worldwide runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s where the real value is for us,” says Roper. Today the Nedbank Golf Challenge has entered a new era in which it forms part of the European Tour’s international schedule, drawing a field not only from the Major winners and world rankings but also from the top finishers on the tours of the world, including the PGA Tour, European Tour, Sunshine Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour. The key ingredient, however, remains the same. Pretoria News golf writer Howard Salkow summed it up best when he wrote in the ’80s, “It is a tournament where the big names hang out, where the major events around the world are forgotten for four long hard days, and it is where golfers will be hungry for the richest golfing prize that can be offered anywhere in the world.”

SCOREBOARD

HE WHO LAUGHS LAST...

THE LIST OF LAST-PLACE FINISHERS IN THE HISTORY OF THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE, AS THESE STATS REVEAL

OBODY REMEMBERS WHO FINISHES LAST, RIGHT? BUT WHAT happens when your last-place finishers have won a combined 54 Majors and seven of them have been world number one? Oh, and more than a couple are also Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup captains and legends.

Since 1981, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has had some of the most incredible winners featuring the biggest names in golf. But it’s also had some of the most incredible ‘losers’ – or, rather, it’s had a pretty illustrious list of last-place finishers. Generally, for the golfers, this would be one time they wouldn’t want to be in the company of names such as Tom Watson, Gary Player, Bernhard Langer, Nick Price, Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy, Ian Woosnam, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Vijay Singh, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Sergio García and a few other

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

notables. However, as we’ll point out, the Nedbank Golf Challenge’s Last Place Club is a significantly impressive one. Our Last Place Club is made up of players who, well, finished last. More particularly, we included players who finished last after four days, as well as players who were disqualified, withdrew, or tied last. But if the strength of your field can be measured by who finishes last, then the Nedbank Golf Challenge remains one of the strongest fields in golf.

How strong? Well, in terms of Major victories alone, the Winner’s Club underachieves significantly with a combined 33 Majors (compared with the Last Place Club’s 54 Majors). Moreover, only four of the winners have also been world number ones (compared with the Last Place Club’s seven). Further proof of the strength of the Last Place Club is the fact that, if you had to put together European and American Ryder Cup teams from all of the last-place finishers, they would look like this:

Similarly, the respective Presidents Cup teams made up of the last-place finishers would look like this:

PRESIDENTS CUP INTERNATIONALS

Louis Oosthuizen

Retief Goosen

Nick Price

Michael Campbell

Gary Player

Vijay Singh

Greg Norman

David Frost

RYDER CUP EUROPE CAPTAINS: Nick Price, Gary Player, Greg Norman

Darren Clarke

Rory McIlroy

Paul Lawrie

Ian Woosnam

Nick Faldo

Bernhard Langer

Sandy Lyle

Sergio García

Miguel-Angel Jiménez

Colin Montgomerie

CAPTAINS: Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie

PRESIDENTS CUP AMERICA

Stewart Cink

Jim Furyk

Corey Pavin

Phil Mickelson

So being in the Last Place Club is clearly not a bad thing. So much so that we think you could have a kind of Best of the Worst Award.

RYDER CUP AMERICA

TURN OVER TO SEE WHO HAS THE MOST LAST-PLACE FINISHES.... CAPTAINS: Tom Watson, Corey Pavin, Lanny Wadkins

Stewart Cink

Tom Watson

Jim Furyk

Ken Green

Corey Pavin

Phil Mickelson

Lanny Wadkins

Larry Nelson

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

SCOREBOARD

THE MOST LAST-PLACED FINISHES GARY PLAYER

THE NEXT BEST ARE:

MIGUEL-ANGEL JIMÉNEZ 3 LAST PLACES

Jiménez finished last in 1999, 2000 and 2008.

4 LAST PLACES

NICK PRICE

The man who helped launch the Nedbank Golf Challenge as the Million Dollar Challenge, who played the role of tournament host and who gave it the most magnificent stage at the Gary Player Country Club, was clearly much too gracious a host to steal the limelight. So when it came to the event itself, Player stepped aside and gave his colleagues the shine. He did so in 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1986.

We also believe special mention needs to be made of those select players who’ve pulled off the double act of finishing last and first in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. They are:

PLAYERS WHO HAVE FINISHED LAST AND WON THE EVENT RETIEF GOOSEN

Last in 2007 and first in 2004

NICK PRICE

Last in 1983, 1992 and 2003, and first in 1993, 1997 and 1998

JIM FURYK

Last by disqualification in 2001, and first in 2005 and 2006

IAN WOOSNAM

Last in 1993 and 1997, and first in 1987

COREY PAVIN

Last in 1996 and first in 1995

NICK FALDO

Last by disqualification in 1992 and first in 1994

BERNHARD LANGER

Last in 1998 and first in 1985 and 1991

SERGIO GARCÍA

Last in 2004 and first in 2001 and 2003

COLIN MONTGOMERIE Last in 2006 and first in 1996

DAVID FROST

Last in 1991 and first in 1989, 1990 and 1992

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

3 LAST PLACES

Price finished last in 1983, 1992 and 2003.

We’ve had a few back-to-back victories over the years, including Seve Ballesteros in 1983 and 1984, David Frost in 1989 and 1990, Nick Price in 1997 and 1998, Ernie Els in 1999 and 2000, Jim Furyk in 2005 and 2006, and Lee Westwood in 2010 and 2011. On the other hand, those who’ve distinguished themselves with back-to-back last-place finishes are:

BACK-TO-BACK LAST-PLACED FINISHERS GARY PLAYER In 1981 and 1982

MIGUEL-ANGEL JIMÉNEZ In 1999 and 2000

And Our Award For The Nedbank Golf Challenge's Most Accomplished Player Goes To: NICK PRICE

No other player has had as many lastand first-place finishes as Price has, namely three of each. Not even Ernie Els can match this. Els 'underachieves' with his three victories but not a single lastplace finish!

Apart from the Last Place Club, the Near-misses Club of the Nedbank Golf Challenge boasts equally impressive alumni. This list, too, includes several Major winners. In 1981, Seve Ballesteros become the first member when he lost a play-off to Johnny Miller. The following year, Masters champion Craig Stadler lost a play-off to Raymond Floyd. The club had begun with two nail-biting finishes, and went on to include the following standout performers:

NEAR-MISS CLUB ERNIE ELS

The leader of the Nearmiss Club, with his four second-place finishes in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2004.

NICK FALDO

A unique title for him – he’s the runner-up in the Near-miss Club, and was also the runner-up in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 1983, 1984 and 1987.

NICK PRICE

Joining Els, Faldo and Lanny Wadkins for a special mention as the players who have had back-to-back

second-place finishes in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Price was the runner-up in 1994 and 1995.

LANNY WADKINS Runner-up in 1985 and 1986

COLIN MONTGOMERIE Runner-up in 1999 and 2002

RETIEF GOOSEN Runner-up in 2003 and 2005

HENRIK STENSON Runner-up in 2006 and 2009

But the most famous runner-up in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge is probably Tiger Woods, who was beaten in a play-off by Price in 1998. So while nobody cares or remembers who finished second or last in most sports and other golf tournaments, clearly the Nedbank Golf Challenge is in a class of its own in this department too. And let’s be honest, other than this, who really cares that Carl Pettersson was last this year, as were Kyle Stanley, Sandy Lyle and Darren Clarke in four fairly well-publicised tournaments. If you’re going to finish last and want to make it count, the Nedbank Golf Challenge is the tournament for it. As has been said, he who laughs last, so often laughs longest!

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SCOREBOARD

Going low!

FROM ERNIE ELS’S RECORD 25 UNDER PAR TO IAN WOOSNAM’S 21 OVER, THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE SCOREBOARD HAS CERTAINLY OFFERED SOME SURPRISES OVER THE YEARS

SINGLING OUT THE best field in a tournament that since 1981 has consistently attracted the world’s top players is a challenge.

In 2005 Jim Furyk beat Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen and Adam Scott in a play-off to take the title. He enjoyed another win the following year.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

The inaugural field of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Seve Ballesteros and Johnny Miller must surely rank as one of – if not the – finest fields in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, considering the collective might of their careers in the game. But an eclectic scorecard of the rounds played in the Nedbank Golf Challenge so far tells an interesting story about the years that featured the best scoring fields in this event. In compiling our list, we looked at the lowest single rounds from every round of every Nedbank Golf Challenge since 1981. On this basis, the 2001 Nedbank Golf Challenge ranks as the finest, with a combined eclectic total of 32 under par 256. This was the year Sergio García beat Ernie Els in a play-off, following the Spaniard’s

SCOREBOARD

Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros at the inaugural Nedbank Golf Challenge.

incredible final round of 63. The eclectic scorecard of the field that year reads 67, 65, 61 (this score by Padraig Harrington did not count as an official course record because of placing on the fairways) and 63. When it comes to the eras of dominance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the late ’90s and early 2000s stand out as the best run of combined scoring in the history of the event. From 1996 to 2003, the highest eclectic total was 20 under par and the lowest 32 under par. This was an incredible era for the tournament, during which Nick Price beat Tiger Woods in a play-off, Ernie Els scored the lowest winning total of 25 under par and won the tournament’s first $2-million purse, and Jim Furyk, in one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship, disqualified himself after a rules misunderstanding. The next best is the stretch from 2005 to 2011, where the highest was 21 under par, and the lowest 28 under par. This was the time of the largest play-off in the history of the event, when Furyk beat Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen and Adam Scott to the title. During this period Furyk also became a rare back-toback winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge; Henrik Stenson claimed a crushing nine-stroke victory over the field; and Robert Allenby became

In 1993 Nick Price had the four lowest individual rounds of 67, 66, 66 and 65. A victorious Sergio García at the 2001 Nedbank Golf Challenge. The event ranked as the finest in terms of lowest scores with a combined total of 32 under par 256.

the first Australian winner of the tournament. The toughest combined scoring year for the field was 2012, when the eclectic total was 11 under par and Martin Kaymer won. The best rounds from the field that year made for a scorecard of 70, 69, 69 and 69, with a total of 11 under par 277. Strangely, the year of the official lowest recorded round in the Nedbank Golf Challenge does not rank highly on the eclectic total. The 62 recorded by Lee

The toughest combined scoring year for the field was 2012, when the eclectic total was 11 under par and Martin Kaymer won.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

Westwood in the third round of the 2011 tournament was impressive, but the field that year managed an eclectic total of 23 under par. Ernie Els features in some of the best scoring in the history of the event, having himself recorded a record 46 sub-par rounds in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He’s also responsible for the lowest individual winning total of 25 under par in 1999. But in 1993, Nick Price didn’t even need the help of the rest of the field to put together the eclectic total that year. His rounds of 67, 66, 66 and 65 were the four lowest individual rounds every single day – the only time in the event’s history that this has been achieved – for his then record total of 24 under par. The highest individual winning total was the four under of David Frost in 1990, while Ian Woosnam suffered the highest individual total overall of 21 over par in 1993. And while there have been 11 rounds of 80 and higher in the history of the tournament, there has never been a hole-in-one. This last record is one that surely cannot stand for too much longer – and perhaps, with this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge entering an exciting new era in its format and prize money, this is finally the year when an event worth millions of dollars is able to boast about that one-in-a-million shot.

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MANAGEMENT

THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRUSTRATING FOR A PROFESSIONAL GOLFER COMPETING IN A HIGH-PRESSURE ENVIRONMENT THAN AN UNWANTED DISTRACTION AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE CLICK OF A CAMERA LENS AT THE TOP OF A SWING WAS THE WORST POSSIBLE WAY TO PUT OFF A GOLFER, BUT THE AGE OF THE MOBILE PHONE HAS CHANGED ALL THAT It is one thing to have a phone on “silent”, but with the quality of cameras on most handsets these days, it is as much for the opportunity to grab a quick snap as to make a call that spectators take their phones onto the course. The Nedbank Golf Challenge has previously required all patrons to leave their mobile phones at a collection point before entering the golf-course area and then collecting them after the day’s golf. There are now regulations in place to ensure that unnecessary disruptions do not occur. The tournament organisers request that, now that the Nedbank Golf Challenge is following world trends regarding cellphone usage during the tournament, all spectators adhere to the policy laid out as follows:

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

1. Cellphones must be switched to silent at all times. 2. Calls may be made and received in the “cellphone hot spots” areas only. The “hot spots” include all hospitality areas, marquees and skyboxes but do not include the skybox exteriors. 3. Please consult the course layout boards to find these “hot spots”. 4. Cameras and mobile-phone cameras may be used on practice and pro-am days but are strictly prohibited on tournament days. 5. Marshalls may confiscate phones if these rules are not adhered to. The tournament officials and players thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.

RISE OF ASIAN GOLF

Guan Tianlang made the cut at this year’s Masters, at the age of just 14.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

CAN YOU SAY

“MAJOR” IN MANDARIN? IN RECENT YEARS THE ASIAN TOUR – ALONG WITH ITS PLAYERS – HAS BECOME A GROWING FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

OR A COUNTRY that banned golf until 1984, China has certainly caught up fast. The rise of Asian golf has been a phenomenon of the global game, from the young players coming through in the men and women’s games, to the growth of the industry as a whole. And China has been fuelling much of the movement as its growing middle class is developing an increasing appetite for the game. Never was this more evident than when the Masters committee decided to grant an invitation to the winner of the 2012 AsiaPacific Amateur Championship for a place in the most sought-after field in world golf. It fell to 14-year-old Guan Tianlang, the Chinese amateur who became the youngest player to make the cut in a Major when he made it through to the weekend of the Masters at the age of 14 years and five months. Guan has been on a strict golf programme from the age of four. When

other four-year-olds were thinking Barney, he was thinking birdies. But while the West may have hailed him as the next best thing, he was already well known in China. After all, he was the youngest player to tee it up in the 2012 China Open, at the age of 13 years and 177 days. But news of Guan was no sooner out than his countryman, Ye Wocheng, now 13, became the youngest player ever to tee it up in a European Tour event in the China Open, at the age of 12. In 2012, China’s Andy Zhang was the youngest player, at the age of 14, ever to qualify for the US Open. And when golf stood on the brink of history with the first player ever to win four professional Majors in one season, it wasn’t the likes of Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy holding everybody’s attention, but South Korea’s Inbee Park. Park had the opportunity to do exactly this when she teed it up in the Women’s British Open this year. Lydia Ko – of South Korean heritage but now a New Zealander – won two titles on the LPGA Tour and one on the Ladies European Tour while still an amateur. She beat none other than Park for one of those titles.

And when Shanshan Feng won the 2012 LPGA Championship, she became the first Chinese player – male or female – to win a Major. Taiwan’s Yani Tseng is the youngest player in history – male or female – to win five Majors. The accomplishments of Asian golfers are becoming more and more regular, and still younger and even better players are emerging from Asia all the time. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see three or four of the world’s top 10 from Asia by 2020,” says Lee Westwood. Golf industry experts certainly agree with him. In 2012, on the eve of the Open Championship, HSBC released 2020 Vision, a report focusing on the future of golf. It declared, quite simply, that “Golf is moving East”. An increase in individual wealth in China is fuelling the sport’s growth there, particularly amongst women. Golf courses in Asia are also seen to be more profitable than their US or European counterparts. The report also proclaimed boldly that the hottest property in golf in 2020 will be an Asian player, followed by the rise of Asian brands in the equipment and clothing market.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

RISE OF ASIAN GOLF

According to the report, the number of golf courses in China has risen from 170 in 2004 to more than 600 in 2011. The popularity of the game there is booming. Golf has a television audience in China of roughly 40-million. This may seem small in the context of a population of a billion people, but when compared with television audiences in the US (roughly 25-million) and the UK (roughly 6-million), it’s significant. The power of celebrity endorsements is also higher in emerging markets, with 45% of people in China saying that a celebrity endorsement affects their decision to buy a brand – compared with only 15% in the US. For the corporate world, this is like finding the end of the golf rainbow.

One aspect of China’s golf development programme is targeting children who fall just short of becoming Olympic gymnasts or, believe it or not, javelin throwers.

13-year-old amateur Ye Wocheng of China with his caddy during the first round of the European Masters at the Golf-Club Crans-sur-Sierre.

Shanshan Fang became the first Chinese player (male or female) to win a Major.

With some of the richest tournaments in world golf now played in Asia, and the PGA Tour and European Tour fighting hard for their share of this market, more and more professionals are drifting to the fairways of the East. A few years ago the Asian Tour was seen as very much a minor tour, but now it’s a growing force in the game, attracting more professionals every year. South African golfers have long seen the Asian Tour as a viable option. But to fully understand just how serious a country such as China is about developing the

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

future stars of golf, you need to see their approach when it comes to the Olympics. China has always placed great emphasis on the Olympics and, with golf now back in the fold for 2016, they are making an even greater push for glory. One aspect of China’s golf development programme is targeting children who fall just short of becoming Olympic gymnasts or, believe it or not, javelin throwers. In the past, a Chinese child who had been targeted for Olympic glory as a gymnast and

failed to achieve this would likely find himor herself with no other options. Now there is golf. What do javelin throwing and golf have in common, you may ask? Well, the first Chinese golfer ever to play in the Masters was Liang Wen-Chong. He was a javelin thrower before he took up golf. And Greg Norman has been employed as part of China’s programme to make sure they put forward world-class golfers by the time the 2016 Olympics tees off. Renowned swing coach David Leadbetter has also seen the potential of golf in China. “Swings so technically sound that they could grace the cover of any golf magazine,” Leadbetter said of the young Asian golfers he’s seeing coming through. “I think we’re almost certainly going to see the next great wave of male golfers emerging from Asia. Their work ethic and discipline are always evident in the way they set about achieving their goals.” Even nursery schools in China are offering free golf lessons to children, while parents are said to be willing to pay around $44 000 for golf lessons for their kids. Arnold Palmer remembers well when he saw the future of golf, on the day he met a young Jack Nicklaus. “Jack was a muscular 16-yearold who even then could slug the ball further than most professional Tour players… I was suddenly staring at the future and my greatest rival in the game.” But today that future will be winning Majors before they’re even old enough to drive.

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SHOOTOUT Tournament of Champions

AFTER TAKING ITS FUNDRAISING ABILITY TO NEW HEIGHTS IN 2011 AND 2012, THE MTN SUPERSPORT SHOOTOUT, SOUTH AFRICA’S “TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS”, CELEBRATED ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY AT ZIMBALI ON THE KWAZULU-NATAL NORTH COAST IN 2013, FURTHER ENTRENCHING ITSELF AS ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER INVITATIONS ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF AND BUSINESS CALENDAR Zimbali Coastal Resort, with its exceptional Fairmont hotel and course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, proved to be a popular venue among the participants, the world-class accommodation, catering and fair test of golfing ability combining to produce a memorable experience for all. As a networking environment, the event is almost without peer in the South African context, with representatives of government, the corporate sector and sport interacting in an environment united by the common denominator of success. The participants are also united in their commitment to use their respective talents to raise large sums of money for worthy charities. This year’s 10th-anniversary celebrations proved no different, with a further R4 million raised for the beneficiaries, the Jacob G Zuma RDP Education Trust and the Gozololo Centre for Needy Children that cares for more than 2000 Aids orphans in KwaZulu-Natal. A clear indication of the commitment to meaningful social investment that is at the core of the event’s objectives, has been the more than R15 million raised over the past three events alone

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

and the steadfast commitment to making the 10th edition of the Shootout the most successful ever. One of the most sought-after invitations on the amateur golf scene, the MTN SuperSport Shootout is a particular highlight for South Africa’s sports stars of past and present, who not only relish the opportunity to quench their competitive thirst in a sport other than their own under televised tournament conditions, but also to trade stories of famous victories and vivid memories across a variety of sporting codes. In the midst of this year’s celebrations there was also a poignant time of reflection when a tribute video was shown to honour former heavyweight boxing champion Corrie Sanders, a passionate golfer who had taken part in all nine previous events and who was tragically killed in the year since the previous event. Bo Moseneke, the SuperSport presenter whose bubbly presence graced the first two Shootouts, was also fondly remembered by colleagues and viewers alike, having passed away in 2005. For businessmen and politicians, the Shootout represents a relaxed and informal environment

– in a world-class setting – in which to discuss future political and economic strategy, while rubbing shoulders and partnering on the golf course with the country’s sporting elite. While all the participants enjoy the social and networking aspects of the MTN Shootout, the competitive nature of those who have excelled in sport at national and international level is palpable on the golf course; the desire to win is clearly evident, as is the increased nervousness as the contenders “come down the stretch”. Big names from a host of sporting codes have contended for the individual title over the years, including Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, World Cup-winning rugby captain Francois Pienaar, multiple world champion paddler Oscar Chalupsky, Naas Botha, André Joubert and Brian McMillan, while former Springbok Breyton Paulse took individual honours in 2011. The 2013 event had a fascinating finish. Leaders in the individual competition are positioned towards the back of the field off the first tee, to allow the SuperSport cameras to capture the potential winners coming down

the back-nine stretch. However, former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey caused something of a logistical nightmare with his second-round brilliance. Having teed off on the 10th tee significantly behind the leaders, he produced a very solid round in difficult conditions to systematically close the gap. He knew he was in contention when the TV cameras suddenly appeared on the seventh hole (his 16th)! It was only then, he said, that he felt nervous. He was delighted to close out with two pars for the victory and the first win in 10 years for the soccer fraternity. The betterball competition also produced a popular victory, with experienced course designer Peter Matkovich teaming up with former Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher to hold off a competitive field. For Boucher it was particularly satisfying to compete in an event of this nature, following the freak eye injury that brought a premature end to his cricket career. Just as is the case in sport, the importance of partnerships and combinations in making this successful event happen cannot be underestimated. SuperSport has been the principal partner of the event since its inception and not only provides the production team for a live broadcast over two days, but also plays a role in attracting the past and present sports stars to the event. The partnership with government brings a stature to the event that has been strengthened by the involvement with the President’s charity, while there is hardly a golf-playing businessman who would not lend their support to this unique format. Having not had golf as part of its mainstream sponsorship portfolio for many years, MTN made a strategic decision in 2011 to enter the golf environment through this high-profile televised amateur event, and has now extended this to the MTN National Golf Series, events that take place in key strategic regions, culminating in a national final and the overall winner gaining access to the prestigious Shootout. Regardless of who wins, mere participation in the MTN SuperSport Shootout provides an annual highlight for the players, while the real winners are the children who benefit from the event’s nominated charities. For while fun is being had at Zimbali and important networks formed, the social conscience of the event and its participants is always top of mind. Here’s to 10 more years of South Africa’s Tournament of Champions!

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

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C S I I N I T I AT I V E S

The Alex chapter of the SAGDB in East London. From left to right: Coach Richard Dikileyo; managing director of SAGDB Grant Hepburn; learners from Lumko High School and Ebenezer High School; SAGDB manager of the Border Region Millie Dondashe; coach Bongani Yaba; and The Sports Trust marketing manager Carol Crawford. Millie Dondashe coaches learners from East London.

GIVING BACK through golf

THE SPORTS TRUST CONTINUES TO GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, PROVIDING MUCH-NEEDED SUPPORT TO PREVIOUSLY DISADVANTAGED AND DISABLED GOLFERS OF ALL AGES The Nedbank Golf Challenge is one of the success stories of South African golf, and Sun International and Nedbank are committed to ensuring that it provides for an equally incredible future for the local game. Sun International, in partnership with Nedbank, is one of the founding trustees of The Sports Trust, an organisation that has invested more than R82-million in sports development throughout South Africa. The Sports Trust Golf Challenge, played on the Monday following the Nedbank Golf Challenge, annually raises more than R1-million for golf development. This has helped The Sports Trust to make key donations to both the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) and the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA). Rob Fleming, Chairman of The Sports Trust, says: “The Sports

Trust Golf Challenge is our flagship event, and we are delighted to invest a significant portion of the proceeds into the two organisations SAGDB and SADGA, which both enjoy such an outstanding track record of golf development.” This year The Sports Trust will be supplying new equipment worth more than R250 000 to the SAGDB’s advanced squads, namely the top 12 players in each province who compete in official junior golf tournaments. “Over the past few years The Sports Trust has made an incredible difference by providing our players with kit and equipment,” says SAGDB managing director Grant Hepburn. “It’s easy to underestimate how important this is, but it is only if our players have the right golf clubs and feel confident in themselves that they are truly able to compete on a level

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

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C S I I N I T I AT I V E S

East London Disabled Golf association.

Learning the ropes – SA Disabled Golf in Cape Town.

playing field with their more fortunate peers.” The Sports Trust is also contributing R150 000 to a new SAGDB chapter in East London that will cover the coaching expenses necessary to take a player from beginner through to advanced status in the region. The support of the SAGDB is vital for an organisation that for the last 14 years has been at the forefront of growing the game of golf in South Africa. It has a network of nationwide programmes that has introduced thousands of underprivileged children to the sport. The programme in East London is already well established, with talent from townships such as Mdantsane and Duncan Village having been identified and with some of these players going on to represent Border at all age-group levels. Lwazi Gqira is one such example. He was Border’s most outstanding player at the 2013 South African Interprovincial Tournament. Two members of the 2013 Border Ladies’ Interprovincial team, Yolanda Duma and Zethu Myeki, also came through the SAGDB programme in this area. “The involvement of The Sports Trust will not only allow us to sustain what we already have in East London, but will also give us the means to grow even further,” says Hepburn. “There is so much sporting talent in the area, and the wider we can spread our net, the more we will discover.”

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

The involvement of The Sports Trust will not only allow us to sustain what we already have in East London, but it will also give us the means to grow even further. Grant Hepburn, SAGDB’s Managing Director

The focus of the chapter will be the West Bank Golf Club because there are two schools within walking distance of this course. SADGA will also benefit from a donation of R120 000 from The Sports Trust for its highly successful First Swing Progamme (FSP). The donation is for the purchase of 20 putting surfaces for various schools where the FSP operates, as well as for 42 frame nets for indoor or outdoor practising, 116 chipping nets, 100 chipping mats, and 150 children’s putters and chippers, with the chippers being key for golfers who are in wheelchairs and cannot use regular clubs. The FSP has been a revelation in terms of its success at the schools. Given Holose came to the programme as a caddie from Kei Mouth Golf Course two years ago, and he improved to the extent that he qualified as part of the South African Deaf Team to attend the World Deaf Tournament in Japan.

An advanced SAGDB golfer practising at the golf range in East London, where aspiring golfers are taught by PGA coach Michelle de Vries.

Ignation Douries from Citrusdal is another success story, having attended his first Nedbank South African Disabled Golf Open in 2013. And Charl Theron made the Western Province side for the second time in two years. “I am delighted that The Sports Trust has been able to support the South African Disabled Golf Association with an equipment donation,” says SADGA patron Retief Goosen. “I have seen the way they are changing lives with the work they do. Both organisations do an incredible amount of good and it’s great that golf can be the vehicle for such a positive impact.” A new era of the Nedbank Golf Challenge brings with it an even greater investment in the future of South African golf. As Maseda Ratshikuni, head of Nedbank Cause Marketing concludes: ‘Nedbank is proud to make a contribution to South Africa’s future golfing champions through the developmental activities managed by The Sports Trust. The iconic Nedbank Golf Challenge provides an opportunity to raise funds for the growth of the domestic game and give future champions a chance to make golfing greatness happen.’

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INSTRUCTION

In the swing of things FROM BACKSWING TO FOLLOW-THROUGH, MUCH CAN BE LEARNED FROM THE PROFESSIONALS A SEAT AT THE PRACTICE TEE AT THE Gary Player Country Club is an eye opener for anyone trying to improve their game. Spectators can view how purely and consistently players of the Nedbank Golf Challengeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calibre strike the ball, noticing also how the different mechanics used by each player often produce the same or similar results. The hitting area might produce the most similarities, but backswings and follow-throughs can differ quite markedly. Grant Hepburn provides a step-by-step look at the swing sequence of a favourite Nedbank Golf Challenge contender, Justin Rose.

GRANT HEPBURN has been a

P H O T O G R A P H S : CO U R T E S Y O F TAY L O R M A D E

regular face in Compleat Golfer for almost a decade. His CV includes working on the European and US Tours, a partnership with Robert Baker in Logical Golf and an impressive list of top amateur and professional golfers. Since returning to South Africa, Hepburn has set up his own academy, the Southern African Golf Institute, based at the River Club in Cape Town, with a dedicated and highly trained crew of fully qualified PGA professionals. Hepburn is also managing director of the South African Golf Development Board, which caters for more than 2 000 young golfers around the country. For more information, call 021-852-8056 or visit www.sagolfinstitute.com or sagolfboard.org

In association with NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

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INSTRUCTION

1. This is an excellent study of perfect balance in the setup. Note the equal amount of bend in the knees and hips. Rose’s chin is away from his chest but not so high that his eyes do not look directly at the ball. Too often amateurs overdo the concept of “chin up” – look at how the line on his cap peak aims at the ball. This is important as it helps the shoulders to move on the correct plane. A chin that is too high gets the shoulders on a plane that’s too flat at the start of the swing.

2. The clubhead is pretty much in line with the hands, indicating that he has swept the club back on the correct path. The club face is in the classic “toe up” position, which means that it is in the ideal “square” position. A correct grip and good wrist action ensure this.

3. Rose is nicely on plane here. Something to learn from is how his right forearm is parallel to the angle of his spine. If his elbow was “flying” behind him that forearm would be in a flatter position than his spine angle, and if his elbow was too restrictive and “tucked in”, the forearm would be too vertical. Copy this position and you will be storing power correctly in your right arm.

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4. At the top of the backswing we can see his belt buckle, indicating that his hips have turned. There is no gap between his knees, which proves that his left knee moved across correctly in the backswing instead of incorrectly poking outwards towards the ball, which would restrict the turn too much. His hands have swung into a powerful position just behind the right shoulder and the club face is in a perfectly square position – parallel to the left forearm. This is an excellent position, technically, from which to start the downswing.

5. Have a look at how the angle of the shaft is parallel to the angle that the shaft was at address. That means the club is on the ideal plane. The fact that the shaft is below his right shoulder shows that it is swinging down on “the inside” path, a must for power and control. Most amateurs have the club way above the shoulder line here, on a steep and weak path. Rose achieves this with the help of his lower body leading the way and making sure that the right shoulder moves under his chin at the start of the downswing and not outwards towards the ball. Amateurs can also learn from how well he keeps his left arm across his body and his right elbow behind the side of his body – a sure way to stay on the correct path and load up power.

SIDE-ON VIEW 6. At impact, the right shoulder and right hip are lower than the left, allowing Rose to swing down the line towards the target. His right shoulder is directly under his chin – ideal. The peak of his cap is at the same position that it was at address, showing that he has “stayed in” the shot. His right arm has started to cross over the left arm, which means that he has released the club powerfully through the ball.

7. An important aspect of this position is that his body is still tilted at the same angle around his spine as it was at address. Notice that Rose has not kept his head still. Instead he has correctly allowed it to swivel so that he can watch the ball fly. Swivelling the head has an added advantage of allowing the body to get through the ball, especially the hips and shoulders. If the head remained still, it would block the opening up and release of the body and that would cause loss of power and direction as the body would not be able to support the swinging of the arms. The shaft is once again parallel to the angle that it was at address. Talk about swinging “on plane”!

8. This is a wonderful blend of a full release of legs, arms, body and club as Rose cruises into a high finish. The left elbow, although high, points downwards proving that the club was released fully through impact. A “flying” left elbow or “chicken wing” that is often seen with amateurs happens when the club was swung from the outside and was not released fully. Again look at how he has kept the tilted angle of his body to the right, showing that he is in balance and on plane.

8 In association with

9. I like how his weight has finished on the outside of his left foot so that we can see the spikes on his shoe and the right foot is up on its toe as a result of a powerful leg movement and transfer of weight. The club has freewheeled over the left shoulder and around his neck. This is a perfect example of a swing that’s on plane, in balance and full of effortless power.

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INSTRUCTION

1. Most people get the right shoulder lower than the left at address, but many amateurs make the mistake of setting up with a high right hip. That blocks a correct turn and often leads to a reverse pivot. I love how Rose sets up perfectly with a lower right shoulder and lower right hip so that his spine angle tilts to the right. This position allows for a powerful coil behind the ball in the backswing.

2. The take-away here just oozes with technical simplicity and perfection. The club has been swept away with just enough wrist action. There is a slight turning of the hips, which supports the coiling of the shoulders. Look at how the left side of his body imitates the original spine angle that he set up at address: leaning slightly to the right, showing that he is turning and not tilting at the start of his backswing.

3. We can no longer see his chest as his shoulders and hips continue to turn. The wrists have started to cock some more, setting the club on plane and building up leverage, which can later be released through the ball.

4. Rose has coiled his body like a spring, helped by his left knee, which he has allowed to drift across to the right. His weight is on the right leg and he has loaded up his wrists fully. Again notice how his back is tilted slightly to the right as it was at address. He is in an ideal position to launch the downswing.

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5. It’s obvious from this picture that Rose’s legs have shifted his weight across from the right side to his left side. Amateurs often start the downswing with shoulders and arms. All good players lead the downswing with the lower body and that helps the arms to drop into the correct slot. It also helps to create “lag” in the club head – that’s the angle between his left arm and the club that has been retained. All of that energy is stored up by the right arm and wrist, and will be released at impact when the right arm straightens and the wrists are activated. A good way to think of how the wrists work at impact is to imagine hammering a nail into the back of the ball.

FACE - O N V I E W 6 and 7. The club has been slung at great speed with perfect control through impact. The release of the right heel off the ground allows the legs to get through the hitting zone and lets the hips and core of the body turn through the shot. That is so important – not only does it add power but it also supplies the much-needed control over the shot as the body supports the arms.

8. The firming up of Rose’s left leg and side creates a solid post for his right side to swing into. Look at how well he has chased the ball towards the target with his right knee, right hip and right shoulder. This is a brilliant example of how the body should help the arms in the swing.

7 9. The finish is a picture of commitment. His weight has moved all the way through onto his left side and his hips and shoulders have rotated to face the target. Rose’s chin nestles against his left shoulder as he watches the ball fly far and straight. This is a swing that is beautiful to watch and offers so much for amateurs to learn from.

8 In association with

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EQUIPMENT

TaylorMade SLDR fairway wood

TaylorMade Lethal golf balls

SLDR fairway woods combine two of TaylorMade’s most recent innovations: Speed Pocket technology and an exceptionally low-and-forward centreof-gravity (CG) location. And the compact head size and shallow face mean an easy launch and playability from every lie.

The Lethal ball features a revolutionary five-layer construction for optimum spin control, Progressive Velocity technology for swing speed, and the Seamless LDP 322 dimple pattern for penetrating flight – all adding up to a game-changing performance.

WHAT’S TaylorMade SLDR rescue club

Enjoy faster ball speed and lower spin with this rescue club’s exceptionally low-and-forward CG location and easy alignment with the high-contrast face.

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FOR 2014? NEW EQUIPMENT FROM THE GAME’S LEADING MANUFACTURERS

TaylorMade Spider Blade counterbalance putter

Enjoy stability and speed with features including the 130g grip for counterbalancing head weight and ensuring your stroke stays on path, linear alignment making your aim much easier, and the PureRoll Surlyn insert that promotes soft yet solid feel and smooth roll straight off the face.

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TaylorMade SpeedBlade iron

The new SpeedBlade irons feature the lowest CG of all TaylorMade irons, making them easy to launch on a high and strong flight. And with their individually engineered heads, you can enjoy optimised distance, trajectory, control and spin.

TaylorMade SLDR driver

The modern classic SLDR is built for hitting longer or straighter drives by promoting a high launch angle, lower spin-rate and faster ball speed. Other features include an SLDR movable weight that promotes up to 25 metres of shot-shape adjustment and a Fujikura Speeder 57 shaft that blends light weight with great feel and playability.

TaylorMade SLDR stand bag

This sturdy lightweight stand bag offers a variety of convenient features and storage options, including an automatic antisplit stand system, a four-point shoulder strap with moulded pad for easy carrying and seven pockets to store your valuables, tees, golf balls and much more.

TaylorMade SLDR TP cart bag This premium cart bag organises and protects the longest of your clubs and other essential gear. It features an 8.5x11-inch six-way velour top that protects your clubheads and shafts from nicks and scratches, seven storage pockets and a rain hood.

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EQUIPMENT

ClimaLite jacket

Stay focused on the game and confident on the course in any weather with the stylish ClimaLite jacket.

Adams TightLies fairway woods

For those long par fours and fives, new TightLies fairways woods offer playability from every lie, and a comfortable ease in getting the ball into the air.

Adams Super S integrated hybrid adizero Tour adizero shirt

Stand out without shouting in this comfortable colourblocked and thinly striped golf shirt.

Ashworth Cardiff footwear

A golf shoe with the cross-over appeal of a town shoe. Playability, wearability and a sure-footed spikeless sole unite with tumbled leather and rich suede accents to take the Cardiff from the course to the clubhouse and beyond. (Comes with two-year waterproof warranty.)

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Proprietary lightweight and waterproof materials combine to create the lightest, most comfortable and best performing 10-cleated Tour golf shoe that adidas has ever created.

Providing length and consistency on those long approach shots and tough pitches, your golf game just became a lot more fun!

Adams Super DHyâ&#x201E;˘ hybrid

Designed for tour pros and low-to-mid handicap players, the hybrid is low launching, extremely workable and very forgiving, and provides extra distance with its shotshaping control.

SERGIO’S NEW LOFT

9.5°

JUSTIN’S NEW LOFT

10.5°

LOFTS ARE HIGHER. DRIVES ARE LONGER. PROS ARE BELIEVERS.

When we developed our SLDR driver, we didn’t expect it to change the rules of distance. Now you get more distance from setting the loft higher, not lower. It has to do with a lower, more forward center of gravity. That breakthrough vaulted SLDR to the #1 driver on the PGA Tour, and it’s now available in the fairway wood and Rescue.

taylormadegolf.co.za ©2013 Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. #1 Driver in Golf claim based on combined 2012 wins and usage on the PGA, European, Japan Golf, Web.com, Champions, and LPGA Tours, as reported by the Darrell Survey Co. and Sports Marketing Surveys, Ltd. #1 Driver on the PGA Tour claim based on usage since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, as reported by the Darrell Survey Co. Driver claim based on 2013 tour testing.

DUSTIN’S NEW LOFT

10.5°

EQUIPMENT

G25 iron

G25 irons offer gameimprovement technology — high trajectory, distance and extreme forgiveness — in a sleeker head that inspires confidence. A custom-engineered face structure ensures a solid feel and distance with control. Progressive sole widths help optimise CG placement for accurate distance gapping. In appearance and performance, these 17-4 stainless-steel designs will appeal to golfers of all abilities.

Scottsdale TR putter

Scottsdale TR™ putters are named for the “true roll” they provide as the result of Ping’s new variable-depth groove technology. Grooves are deepest in the centre and become gradually shallower towards the perimeter to equalise ball speeds for exceptional distance control on putts struck on the centre, heel or toe. Adjustable-length shafts help optimise performance, and 12 models fit every stroke type.

G25 hybrid

These traditionally shaped 17-4 stainless steel hybrids are extremely forgiving, launch the ball high, and feel solid at impact. External sole weighting positions the CG low and back for optimising launch and spin while raising the MOI. Progressive CG locations optimise launch angle and spin rate in each club while creating functional distance gaps.

G25 driver

S55 irons

G25 fairway wood

Engineered to ensure clean contact, high launch and greater distance from almost any lie, the G25 fairways deliver the confidence and the technology to add yards and improve accuracy whether the ball is sitting on a tee or nestled in the grass. The thinnest face of any Ping fairway wood creates an efficient energy transfer for faster ball speeds and more distance.

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These compact, multi-material players’ irons provide added distance with control while increasing workability and forgiveness. A tungsten toe weight stabilises the face to improve accuracy, and a vertical stabilising bar offers distance control. The custom tuning port is made from a thermoplastic elastomer for a soft feel and sound at impact.

For everyone from beginners to tour players, the combination of a large, forgiving head, Trajectory Tuning™ technology, and a speedgenerating shaft makes the adjustable G25 driver a sound choice for improving distance and accuracy off the tee. You can add or subtract one-half degree of loft on the standard 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12° settings to optimise launch conditions for maximum distance.

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JHB 44051

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EQUIPMENT

Apex irons

The new Apex irons feature Callaway’s signature X Hot Distance engineered into the forged club head, increasing feel and distance, while the tungsten sole inserts in the longer irons maximise playability and performance. Other features include: Thin 455 Carpenter steel face insert for increased ball speed. Ultra-soft 1020 forged carbon steel body for precise distance control. Tungsten sole inserts (in the three-, four- and five-irons) lower the centre of gravity and increase forgiveness, getting the ball in the air easier and quicker. The high-performance, wide-spaced groove delivers more consistent spin from a variety of lies, promoting accurate distance control. Premium steel and graphite options: the New True Temper XP95 lightweight steel shaft delivers a high launch for controlled ball flight, while the UST Recoil lightweight graphite shaft features a higher flex point to aid workability and feel.

COUNTERBALANCED WEIGHT 30g – 40g depending on length HEAVY SHAFT TOUR-PREFERRED BALANCE POINT 400g HEAD

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Odyssey Tank putters

Added stability through the stroke. Featuring weighted components with a calculated balance point for a higher MOI increases the putter’s resistance to rotating during the stroke and twisting off-centre hits. Additional weights promote a pendulum stroke for consistent control. Counterbalance stabilility weighting “quiets” the hand for consistent control – a heavier head (400g) and shaft (150g) raise the MOI to create more stability through impact and create more of a pendulum stroke.

EQUIPMENT

BiO Cell hybrids

Optimise distance and improve your long game with features that include MyFly8™ technology, a high-strength steel face and combined BiO Cells and E9™ Face technologies.

BiO Cell fairway woods

Maximise your distance from the fairway, the rough, and even the tee with BiO Cell MyFly8™ technology that offers eight adjustable loft settings to optimise yardage gaps. Other features to enjoy include: High-strength face insert that allows for more face flex resulting in faster ball speeds, longer distance and higher trajectory. Combined BiO Cells and E9™ Face technologies for super-low CG and MPO.

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BiO Cell drivers

Enjoy unmatched distance and personalisation with the new BiO Cell drivers, available in a super, fresh colour range. Features include: MyFly8™ technology offering eight adjustable loft settings to maximise distance and manage trajectory for differing weather and ground conditions. SmartPad™ technology that delivers a square face at address, regardless of loft setting. Combined BiO Cells and E9™ Face technologies remove weight from the face, repositioning it low and back to deliver a higher MOI.

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EQUIPMENT

Cleveland 588 Altitude driver

High-strength, lightweight wall construction redistributes more weight lower and deeper in the club head. The resulting precision weighting promotes the highest, straightest launch with higher MOI for more head stability through impact. Add the lightweight head, shaft and grip (weighing 270g), and enhanced variable face thickness technology, and you’ve got more control through the swing and faster ball speed on off-centre hits for maximum forgiveness.

SRIXON AD333 Super Sleeve

Srixon’s all-round two-piece performance AD333 golf ball offers a larger, highly resilient EGG Core, along with thin cover technology that provides a high initial velocity for greater ball speed and maximum distance. With its advanced aerodynamics and soft blended cover, it’s suitable for golfers of all abilities. The Super Sleeve contains 24 balls.

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Cleveland Smart Square putter

The all-new Cleveland Smart Square putter with Dual Axis Alignment creates easier, more constant alignment and incredible confidence on the green. Two parallel lines extend from the centre of the face to frame the ball perfectly down the line, and two perpendicular lines offer instant feedback when the putter is misaligned at address. The result is faster, more reliable alignment on every putt.

Cleveland Smart Sole range

The all-new Cleveland Smart Sole range of wedges offers a more stress-free short game. Use the Smart Sole S for easier bunker escapes – the wide wedge sole prevents excess digging in turf and sand, promoting solid contact and consistent club-head speed from every lie around the green. It also features an optimal loft and shape to promote more consistent contact and easier launch out of bunkers. And with a design that promotes proper short-game technique, Smart Sole C encourages crisper, more consistent greenside chips with easier control of launch and distance.

COLLECTOR’S PIECE

The 17th hole at the Lost City Golf Course.

The light

FANTASTIC RENOWNED SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF-COURSE PHOTOGRAPHER GRANT LEVERSHA HAS SEEN HIS LIFE’S WORK MATERIALISE IN THE SUPERBLY CRAFTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED COLLECTOR’S PIECE WITHIN AN AFRICAN EDEN – GOLF COURSES OF SOUTH AFRICA

The iconic ninth hole at the Gary Player Country Club.

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“Phenomenal. Awesome. Outstanding. These adjectives cannot begin to describe this superb work of art and love. No detail seems to have been overlooked.” Benjamin Franklin Awards, 2013, New York

The 12th hole at Leopard Creek Country Estate, situated on the southern border of the Kruger National Park.

PERFECT LIGHT.

“An awesome compilation.” Brian Joffe

“A wonderful book with images of soaring beauty and inspiring intensity. A reminder of why golf is such a challenge and such a joy.”

Jeremy Thompson, Sky News presenter, London, UK

“The best book I have ever seen.” Dale Hayes

Acclaimed golf-course photographer Grant Leversha has spent the better part of his life chasing it. It can come at the strangest of times. It can be brief and fleeting. Deep into a Saturday afternoon at Leopard Creek, Leversha caught it. In the less than 10 minutes it took for the sun to set, Leversha captured the 13th green against the backdrop of the Kruger National Park – quintessentially Africa. It’s one of the images he has included in a magnificent opus that he has named Within An African Eden – Golf Courses Of South Africa. Leversha’s book features his best largeformat golf-course photography of South Africa’s most iconic courses, as well as a brief history of each. It has been crafted to the highest standards of publishing, from the full-leather hand binding to the calligraphy, illustrations and printing. The complete book weighs 14kg and, when open, measures one metre in width. The collection includes 1 000 numbered copies, of which 26 comprises the Masters

Collection and 950 the Premier Collection. There are 24 artist’s copies. Johann Rupert, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Nick Price, Peter Matkovich and Ronald Fream endorse both collections with forewords, while each of these big names has signed the Masters Collection. It is easily the most exquisite collection of golf-course photography to be found anywhere in the world, and showcases South Africa’s finest layouts and golf holes like never before. The book has already garnered the highest international praise, winning three major international publishing and printing awards, including the following: Gold Winner at the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the category “Outstanding Book Of The Year – Art And Craftsmanship” Gold Winner at the 2013 Benjamin Franklin Awards in the category “Coffee Table Books” Gold Winner at the 2013 Gold Ink Awards in the category “Fine Editions” Winner of the Award Of Recognition For Print Excellence’ at the 2013 Printing Industries of America

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COLLECTOR’S PIECE

Gold Winner at the 2013 Creativity International Awards in the category “Book Design” Platinum Winner at the 2013 Creativity International Awards in the category “Illustration, Photography And Typography” Honourable Mention at the 2013 International Photography Awards It competed against 5 000 entries from around the world, including submissions from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the Getty Museum (Los Angeles) – an unprecedented achievement for a published work on the subject of golf. “In the independent publishing world these are considered the ‘Oscars’, and I am hugely encouraged that experts in the field of publishing and art have recognised this work to be worthy of such accolades,” says Leversha. “When I conceived the idea to produce a work on golf courses in South Africa, my vision was to set a new publishing standard and I decided from the outset that the result would be a sumptuous work of art. “Every aspect in the production of this work has been carefully researched. I engaged only the best of professional craftspeople, all experts in their respective fields of creating such a fine book.” Such is his dedication to getting that perfect image of a golf course that he will travel the length and breadth of the country, often spending days on one course, to get that 15 minutes of good light for one magnificent shot. “The process has involved all the incredible

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Grant Leversha and Jabu Mabuza, former CEO of Tsogo Sun and current Chairman of SA Tourism. Leversha with golfing legend Jack Nicklaus.

Above and below: Superb craftsmanship displayed in the full-leather handbinding and calligraphic engraving.

support I receive from the golf clubs, including the golf directors and greenkeeping staff who are up early to rake the bunkers and prepare a particular golf hole for me to shoot,” says Leversha, who never takes this assistance for granted. The images have not come without him having to put his very existence at risk from time to time. One of his most nerve-wracking moments was when the wing tip of a light aircraft missed him by seven metres as he perched on a crane shooting Beachwood Golf Course in Durban, adjacent to Virginia Airport. Shortly thereafter, the airport control tower called the clubhouse to get Leversha off his perch. It’s been an amazing journey to this point for a man who was raised in Durban on a steady diet of surfing and beach life. After leaving school, he joined the merchant navy, and then in 1985 started a career in corporate finance. A desire to break out on his own saw him open a small packaging business in 1989. But his passion for photography soon had him selling this business. Leversha launched his photographic career by following the Springbok rugby team in 1992 as South Africa was reintegrating itself into world sport after apartheid. He served as the official photographer for the Springboks’ 1995 Rugby World Cup campaign. Next he turned his eye towards South Africa’s golf courses and began establishing himself as one of the foremost golf-course photographers in the world, with covers for Golf Digest South Africa, Compleat Golfer and countless other publications around the world. Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus have featured his work in their respective official calendars and for their golf-course design businesses. His work has seen him win the Fuji ProFoto Sport Photography awards in 1993 and 1994, the Golf Digest South Africa Golf Photographer Of The Year in 2003, and the prestigious Golf Digest South Africa Contribution To Golf In South Africa Award in 2009 – the latter accolade meant joining the likes of Johann Rupert, Peter Matkovich, Dr Hasso Plattner, Theo Manyama and Denis Hutchinson. But for Leversha, who is happiest in his boardshorts, the greatest reward remains that single shot of a golf hole that may have taken days to get, that perfect frame of perfect light.

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COURSE SETUP

SETTING UP THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE D E N N I S B R U Y N S I M AG E : CO U R T E S Y O F C O M P L E AT G O L F E R

MAKING SURE THE GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB COURSE REMAINS A CHALLENGE FOR WORLD-CLASS PLAYERS AND PROVIDES ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE SPECTATORS ARE ALL A DAY’S WORK FOR DENNIS BRUYNS

IT IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC golf courses in the game, and annually thousands of amateur golfers and fans watch how the world’s best negotiate the Gary Player Country Club during the Nedbank Golf Challenge. They watch that tentative first approach shot on the first hole to a pin tucked in the left corner of the green. They watch a hard-fought par on the eighth. They thrill at the risk and reward for an eagle on the ninth. And they love how the 16th comes at such a crucial time and could completely change the round. And that’s exactly how Dennis Bruyns wants it. As the man behind the setup of the course for the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Bruyns has to get that balance right between setting up a golf course than can test the world’s best and still leaving room for the entertainment factor.

‹‹ The 17th hole (above) is the most challenging to set up, says Bruyns

And there are a couple of tricks he puts to use in process. For a start, length is not a defining factor in the setup of the course. “When this course was first designed, Gary Player had a particular setup in mind,” says Bruyns. “It was never designed to be played from the tips. If you do that, it becomes a brutal golf course and many of the holes become very similar. For example, played from the back tees, all of the par-threes become about 205 to 210m long. So you’d be playing the same shot on every one of them. There’s no variation.”

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COURSE SETUP

On 18 the pins are down the left green for the first three days, so the ball naturally feeds to the hole. But if you put that pin top right, it repels the ball.

As is the case with most course setups, Bruyns likes to plan his way from what he wants the professionals to attack the pin with. “The idea is to say, from this position, to give the golfers a chance to attack the pin they must have a seven-iron or eight-iron in their hands, so we need to use the appropriate tee to enable them to do that.” In the early days of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Player and Bruyns formulated a particular setup that favours this golf course. And that remains the bible from which Bruyns works, down to the finest detail of this pin placement requiring this particular tee. Bruyns loves the variability of the par-threes at the Gary Player Country Club, and varies the distances off the tee here by as much as 160 to 210m. “In any particular round there, I vary the distances so that you’d have a middle iron, low iron and high iron, and I wouldn’t leave all the long irons to the last day. But there could be a three or four club difference in their length.” Bruyns admits that the changes in technology over the years have affected the setup. “For example, in 1993 on the 11th hole, Nick Price took a five-iron into that green. Today they’re hitting a nine-iron in there because they cut off that much more of the dogleg off the tee. Now it doesn’t matter where you put the pin because they have a nine-iron or wedge in their hands. But in those days, with a five-iron in their hands, the pin placement made that much more of a difference.” When it comes to the par-fives, Bruyns says he never has and never will set up the ninth to be played off the back tee. “This hole is always about encouraging players with risk and reward, so we play it a good 40m shorter than the back tee.” The 17th and 18th may use the back tees on occasion, but Bruyns admits this makes these two holes incredibly tough. The pin placement on 18 is also key. “On 18 the pins are down the left of the green for the first three days, so the ball naturally feeds to the hole. But if you put that pin top right, it repels the ball.” The fairways are never grown in like on some championship courses, and the severity of the rough is left entirely up to the weather. “This golf course has enough challenges, and kikuyu doesn’t need to be too long to be challenging.”

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

As for his favourite hole, Bruyns says he loves the par-three 16th. “I think it has a very interesting green with those two big tiers, and it offers interesting pin placements. I like the fact that we can vary the tees so much there. But I just think it’s a great par-three that comes at such a critical time in the round. You make a two there and finish par, par and you’ve done very well. Of the par-fives, the ninth is a lovely hole. The most challenging hole for me to set up is the 17th. The green isn’t like the others that are clover-shaped and have shelves to them. The 17th has a flat green with no corners to it. I also find the 17th is a negative hole. The golfers are just trying to hit it on the fairway and then get out of there.” The par-four 8th regularly ranks as the toughest hole on the golf course. By design, with the ditch running through the fairway, there is no chance of taking advantage of a big drive. And the 2nd is hit blind into a raised green. “I remember the year Tiger Woods was out here, on one of the days he played it really strangely. He hit six-iron off the tee and then four-iron in.” As much as there is a science to setting up the golf course, Bruyns also has to allow for uncontrollable factors such as the weather. “If the course is wet and the greens are holding, you can go much tighter with the pins without ruining the spectacle. But if they are bone hard and running at 13 on the Stimpmeter, you can’t go putting a pin into a corner and leave the golfer with a landing area of 6 to 10m on a hole where he’s coming in with a three-iron. He just won’t go anywhere near that pin. It’s just middle of the green, a long

two-putt and get out of there. That’s when the golf course becomes a measure of how tough it is and how patient you are, and the winner is just the last guy standing rather than the one who goes out there and wins it.” Bruyns also has to take into account that the Gary Player Country Club is a resort course with a high volume of traffic from recreational golfers. “So we have to leave it playable for the busiest time of the year in this respect.” Generally, Bruyns applies the old-age principle of course setup: the further away from the hole, the more difficult the shot. And as for a winning score, Bruyns is happy with anything in the double figures and closer to 12 under or 15 under par. “But you have to remember that this golf course is a living thing. It’s more than 30 years old, and trees have grown and died. So it’s always evolving. I remember Lee Trevino saying that he loved the course because it was like playing 72 different holes as the pins and tees changed so much. Now I’d say we probably offer about 36 to 40 different holes in the week.” And for Bruyns, the variation it offers remains the beauty of the Gary Player Country Club course. “It’s actually not the sort of course where you should go as an amateur and say, ‘We’re going to play from the white or green tees.’ If you really want to experience this course, you should play some holes from white, some from green, and some even from the ladies’ tees.” As even the pros will tell you, this is not a course to be dictated to, but to be experienced, understood and enjoyed.

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HOLE BY HOLE

138

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

UNSPOILED

walk

TAKE A STROLL WITH US AS WE EXAMINE THE GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB HOLE BY HOLE

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

139

HOLE BY HOLE

1st

Most will hit a club from the tee that takes the fairway bunkers out of play. Players will be left with a mid- to short iron to a green that slopes sharply from back to front and with some potentially wicked pin placements. Distance control with the approach is vital to ensure a reasonably flat putt.

DISTANCE 403m / PAR 4 / STROKE 7

The first of four par-fives, all of which are genuine scoring opportunities. A fairway bunker right in driver territory and a sharp left-to-right camber on the fairway make the tee shot tough, but everyone will take a chance with the driver here to create the chance of reaching the green in two shots.

3rd

140

2nd

DISTANCE 520m / PAR 5 / STROKE 13

The tee shot on this par-four is vital. A driver can leave a nine-iron or wedge into the green but the risks are high, with bunkers on the right of the fairway and bush on the left. The prudent play is a three-wood or less, which leaves a medium iron to a raised, well-bunkered and viciously sloping green.

DISTANCE 411m / PAR 4 / STROKE 3

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose Choose thesight bestofdriver

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Our Out of Home platforms are growing exponentially with more and more roadside, transit areas, malls and lifestyle environments being introduced. These key environments, complemented with our comprehensive footprint of traditional Outdoor Advertising formats across South Africa and Africa, are areas where marketers are able to begin, or continue, their conversations with their consumers. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no riddle why you should use our Out of Home formats! We have proof that your media return on investment (ROMI) is significant when your include OOH into your media mix! planners place their brandthat in the media flow, campaign ensuring that relevant A Media new study weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;veneed just to completed shows a new product achieved a messages are placed in the customer path to purchase. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about strategic, location-based impacts throughout the consumers day and phenomenal 48% uplift in sales by using Out of Home as a key driver to get their message to the consumer! Our rangeconversations of products from to Billboards to Digitalstoryâ&#x20AC;Śall the way to the till! lifestyle, creating seamless that Street can beFurniture sewn together into a coherent screens. in a myriad of consumer environments, will give your brand game and name just the lift it needs! Give us a call. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help you engineer your consumer conversations that make an impact on your bottom line!

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HOLE BY HOLE

4th

The number of tee positions and depth of the green allow for a distinctly different shot requirement on all four days. Few are tempted by the traditional front-right pin position over the water on Sunday, while anywhere above the hole on this green leaves a lightning-fast putt.

DISTANCE 195m / PAR 3 / STROKE 9

Most will hit a three-wood off this tee to take a deep fairway bunker out of reach, which then leaves a medium- to long iron into a green that was designed to accept short-iron shots. If the pin is in a corner of the green, then the prudent play is to aim for the middle of the green and be happy with a two-putt par.

6th

5th

DISTANCE 449m / PAR 4 / STROKE 11

A short but potentially dangerous par-four where the biggest threat lies in the tee shot, with a fairway bunker up the right and thick rough down the left. The green is well bunkered and is also protected by thick rough immediately in front of the green.

DISTANCE 388m / PAR 4 / STROKE 15

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

143

HOLE BY HOLE

7th

The green has two distinct portions separated by a ridge, and to get the tee shot all the way to a back-left pin position requires a long iron even for the long hitters. Although a frontright placement looks more inviting from the tee, it brings more bunkering on the right into play.

DISTANCE 206m / PAR 3 / STROKE 17

A ditch running through the fairway rules the driver out off the tee, so almost everyone will be hitting a three-wood here. Once the fairway has been found, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still plenty to do, with an approach that is uphill all the way to a green on which the pin can be tucked away. Frequently ranked the most difficult hole.

9th

144

8th

DISTANCE 450m / PAR 4 / STROKE 1

The most popular spot for spectators, the ninth green and surrounds provide one of the great amphitheatres in South African sport. On at least two of the four days, the island green will be in range in two shots, setting up the possibility of two-putt birdies and the odd eagleâ&#x20AC;Ś but some potentially big numbers as well.

DISTANCE 545m / PAR 5 / STROKE 5

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

World Class Professional Golf in a World Class African City 6 - 9 February 2014

Royal Johannesburg & Kensigton Golf Club

HOLE BY HOLE

10th

A second consecutive par-five that the players like to use to kickstart their back-nine charge. The green is comfortably the smallest target on the course, demanding absolute precision from more than 200 metres out if it is to be found in two, but you can expect to see a large number of up-and-down birdies here.

DISTANCE 500m / PAR 5 / STROKE 16

A visually intimidating tee shot, as the hole takes a 90-degree dogleg from right to left and there is nothing but thick bush all the way up the left. The prudent play is to aim straight and be content with finding the fairway, even if it does mean a slightly longer approach.

12th

11th

DISTANCE 419m / PAR 4 / STROKE 10

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uphill all the way to the green on this short hole with a long, relatively narrow putting surface and some wicked slopes, especially near the back. The most important thing is to leave a putt from under the hole, as anything above will be difficult to stop.

DISTANCE 200m / PAR 3 / STROKE 14

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

147

HOLE BY HOLE

13th

There’s a surreal feeling at this hole – being the furthest from the clubhouse, there are seldom many spectators. Four is always a good score as there is danger left and right off the tee, and a green full of slopes and subtleties. A back-right pin position is toughest, with a gaping bunker protecting the front.

DISTANCE 406m / PAR 4 / STROKE 2

The infamous ‘love grass’ strategically scattered throughout the massive bunker that surrounds the green creates doubt in going for the green in two. Even for those laying up, the approach has to be absolutely precise with the green no more than 10 paces deep in places. Considered a real birdie opportunity.

15th

148

14th

DISTANCE 550m / PAR 5 / STROKE 8

The real challenge lies in the tee shot: you need a miracle not to make bogey if you find the left-hand fairway bunker that is in the range of a three-wood off the tee. The bunker front right of the green is one of the deepest on the course, so to be shooting for a right-pin position, hitting the fairway off the tee is imperative.

DISTANCE 411m / PAR 4 / STROKE 6

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

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HOLE BY HOLE

16th

The pressure of the home stretch can cause the odd wayward tee shot on the otherwise least intimidating of the four par-threes. The hole has the advantage of being versatile due to its variety of tee positions and the ridge running across the middle of the green to create two distinct tiers.

DISTANCE 193m / PAR 3 / STROKE 18

From the back tee it is a carry of more than 200 metres just to reach the fairway. The real risk, however, is with the approach shot: even with a good drive from the back tee, the players are left with a medium-iron shot to a green positioned in the famous Sun City lake, with a deep bunker to the right protecting against a bale-out.

18th

17th

DISTANCE 437m / PAR 4 / STROKE 12

Most players will opt for a fairway wood or hybrid off the tee to ensure the best possible position in the fairway; the further left in the fairway, the better on this 90-degree dogleg left. A pin position anywhere on the left is relatively accessible, but the traditional Sunday back right brings a gaping bunker into play and there is absolutely no margin for error with the approach.

DISTANCE 459m / PAR 4 / STROKE 4

Graphics: Courtesy Plus 4. (Contact Alan Hoffman at 082 254 0017 or email alan@plus4.co.za)

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

151

COURSE LAYOUT

152

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

CO U R S E L AYO U T

SKYBOXES

1 FedEx / 2 Nashua / 3 Boschendal / 4 Continental Outdoor Media / 5 Deloitte

1 THE CHALLENGE CLUB FOR PUBLIC HOSPITALITY

HOSPITALITY

1 Nedbank Pavilion / 2 Transnet / 3 Oasys Hospitality / 4 Nestlé / 5 SuperSport 6 PriceWaterhouseCoopers / 7 Broadlink / 8 Telkom / 9 Nedbank Green 10 Sun International Hospitality / 11 Old Mutual / 12 MVG 19th Hole / 13 Bidvest

EXPO CENTRE

ENTER THROUGH EXPO CENTRE INFORMATION PARCEL DROP-OFF

SUN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING MERCHANDISING REFRESHMENTS

ON-COURSE FACILITIES PRACTICE GREEN MEDICAL EMERGENCIES PRACTICE RANGE

THE COURSE HOLE

METRES

PAR

403

520

411

195

449

388

206

450

545

500

419

200

406

550

431

193

437

459

7 162

TOTAL

VIP PARKING ON-COURSE LEADERBOARDS

ON-COURSE BIG SCREENS CELLPHONE HOT SPOTS

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY FOR SPECTATORS

If the siren sounds, put down your umbrella and seek shelter immediately.

ALSO AVOID THE FOLLOWING: • Grandstands • Telephone poles • Hilltops/high places • Metal or wire fences • Wearing metal-spiked golf shoes • Bodies of water • Open fields • Tall or isolated trees • Golf carts

BETTING WORLD MERCHANDISING SKYBOX SHUTTLE PICK-UP POINTS SPUR STAGE – HOSPITALITY VILLAGE GRANDSTANDS WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY GRANDSTAND PUBLIC/DISABLED WC FACILITIES REFRESHMENT STATIONS WATER POINTS CROSSOVERS TENNIS COURT

ATMs: AT EXPO CENTRE, ADJACENT TO THE MERCHANDISING MARQUEE, THE SUN CITY HOTEL AND THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

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S U N I N T E R N AT I O N A L

What’s new at

SUN

INTERNATIONAL

AS PART OF SUN INTERNATIONAL’S ONGOING DRIVE TO OFFER A COMPLETE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE, SUN CITY NOW BOASTS TWO NEW RESTAURANTS, A NEW LOUNGE AND BAR AND AN UPGRADE OF THE POPULAR VACATION CLUB, WHILE THE MASLOW HOTEL CONTINUES TO GARNER ACCLAIM

154

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

FAR LEFT: The Palace of the Lost City is renowned for its attention to detail, luxurious furnishings and finishings and welcoming atmosphere – inside and out LEFT: Surrounded by tranquil tropical gardens, the five-star Cascades Hotel is as popular now as it was when Sun City opened its doors 30 years ago

Enjoy a refreshing cocktail, beer, whisky or glass of wine at Luma restaurant at the Cascades Hotel. Light meals, including tapas, salads, wraps and sandwiches are also served. Guests at Plume, a new restaurant at The Palace of the Lost City, can enjoy fusion cuisine in a modern, chic AfroFrench setting.

A NEW PLUME FOR THE PALACE The Palace of the Lost City, opened on 14 November 1992, has always been luxurious in every facet of its fabulous design. Adorned with exquisite mosaics, frescoes, hand-painted ceilings and works of art you would find nowhere else in the world, and surrounded by lush botanical gardens, trickling streams and hidden walking trails, The Palace set a new benchmark in luxury from the minute it opened its doors. The Palace of the Lost City attracts a distinguished market, both local and international, with its five-star deluxe hotel and service. As such, it also caters for diverse cuisine preferences and cultures when it comes to dining options. It now offers a new restaurant, Plume, conceived under the watchful eye of executive chef Nicholas Froneman and food and beverage manager Crawford Day.

Froneman is a board member of the South Africa Chefs Association, holds a Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Blazon and has had extensive restaurant experience both in South Africa and in Singapore, Egypt and Tanzania. Plume is a modern Afro-chic restaurant with Afro-French fusion cuisine that both reflects our heritage and takes inspiration from French modern cooking with techniques and presentation like sous-vide and elements of molecular cuisine. At the helm in Plume is chef Riaan van Eyk, who has worked with Michelin Star chefs and gained experience abroad working at family-owned establishments. Van Eyk says guests can look forward to a fine-dining experience, with an emphasis on ‘fun dining’ at the same time. “We’ve also incorporated a champagne bar. Our overall design centres around couples’ dining, and we have a small menu with a choice of five starters, five mains and five deserts. The part I really enjoy is coming to each table to talk through my menu with our customers.” Plume’s signature dishes are Riaan’s Lobster Starter, his Rabbit Terrine Starter and his Smoky Sirloin Steak with Thrice-cooked Fries. Plume is an integrated space with a bar, lounge and restaurant all in one that can cater for 28 diners. The open space features vibrant colours and rich textures. The design finishes include pebbled walls, special paint effects and large arched antique mirrors. The carefully selected wine list offers interesting choices that complement the cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. Plume is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 18h30 to 22h30. The restaurant does offer selected Halaal-friendly items but it is not Halaal-certified. Vegetarian options are available on request. Regrettably, no children under the age of 12 will be permitted. LOVIN’ LUMA AT THE CASCADES At the Cascades Hotel, the chic Luma bar and lounge is a rendezvous point, a place to sip a cocktail and relax. Enjoy the excellent view from the deck while indulging in classic

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

155

S U N I N T E R N AT I O N A L

ABOVE and BELOW: Artist’s impressions of two- and three-bedroom self-catering units available for timeshare at Sun City.

cocktails, whiskies, wines or beers, as well as a sumptuous menu featuring tapas, platters, salads, baskets, burgers, toasted sandwiches, wraps and desserts. A FAMILY FAVOURITE: DISCOVER SUN CITY TIMESHARE Discover a lifetime of memories with Sun International’s exciting relaunch of timeshare at Sun City. The two- and three-bedroom units feature luxury home comforts and balconies with built-in braai facilities. Visit our stand in the Expo Marquee to arrange a viewing of our show units. For information, go to our sales office in the Entertainment Centre, call 011 780 7900 or email sales.svc@suninternational.com.

156

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

THE MASLOW The Maslow, situated in the heart of the business hub of Sandton, is excelling in offering business travellers some of the best accommodation and corporate facilities in the area. And now the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa has awarded The Maslow hotel a four-star grading. “We are delighted to be ranked officially as a four-star hotel. From the start of our original investment, our aim was to provide a modern four-star hotel that would offer excellent service and value for money in an area that is customarily expensive,” says Johan Scheepers, general manager. “The decision not to compete in the fivestar hospitality market in this precinct was a strategic calculation on our part. As this was our first business hotel in Sandton, we did extensive research into the market would yield, and a four-star grading was the result of our findings. We also wanted to attract government business and to this end have adopted a group-wide government-rate strategy.” The Maslow’s 281 guest rooms and suites are furnished with style and functionality front of mind. Decorated in a restful, neutral palette, the interiors induce a sense of simplicity and comfort – the essence is that of a home away from home. Each room has been designed to meet the needs of the business traveller and provides for the best sleep and the best shower in Sandton. Guests stay connected with free and unlimited Wi-Fi connectivity, an iPod- and iPhone docking station, 40-inch flat-screen television with high-definition news, sport and entertainment channels as well as Movies on Demand, and a large uncluttered desk with a comfortable swivel chair and practical lighting. The Maslow also offers 12 meeting rooms and a conference centre able to host 650 delegates; as well as the Wayfarer lounge and an Africology Spa. Food equals comfort, and Lacuna Bistro is

Enjoy the deck and swimming pool at The Maslow in Sandton. BELOW: The Maslow is the perfect hotel for business travellers. BOTTOM: Lacuna Bistro offers a range of healthy breakfasts, lunch and dinners and is fast becoming the eatery of choice in Sandton.

proving to be the perfect dining spot in Sandton. Guests can sample celebrated naturalist chef Dallas Orr’s tasty health breakfasts, express lunches or à la carte dinners, indoors or outdoors. FESTIVE FUN AT THE MASLOW Something new at The Maslow this summer will be the fabulous gourmet braais with cool cocktails and live music at Lacuna Urban Bistro and Bar every Sunday. The Maslow is also offering an exciting programme for end-of-year functions, including excellent catering and special accommodation options – R 999 per room per night, including breakfast, and valid for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. (This offer is subject to availability and valid until the 31 December 2013.)

I T TA S T E S A S G O O D A S I T LO O K S

Meet Circolo. Circolo has made a 180째 turn from the future to come back with the art of expert coffee-making. Its quirky roundness and avant-garde design aim for one target: a large circle of truly great tasting beverages for you to savour. Bullseye.

COFFEE IS NOT JUST BLACK

2 1

1. Watching the golf in comfort, from a skybox behind the 17th green. 2. Comedian Barry Hilton catches out Nick price. 3. The Beach Party is always a favourite with players and guests. 4. Lee Westwood and Dillon van der Vyver from Reach for a Dream light up the Christmas tree at Sun City.

BEHIND the

SCENES 5

THE PLAYERS – AND THEIR FAMILIES – ARE TREATED TO A VARIETY OF POST-GAME ACTIVITIES

5. Dale Hayes welcomes Joost van der Westhuizen onto the first tee. 6. Miss South Africa finalists at The Sports Trust prizegiving. 7. Rob Abrams (The Pro Shop), James du Preez (PWC) and wellpublished golf-course photographer Grant Leversha.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

159

8. Rising South African talents Musiwalo Nethunzwi, Sipho Bujela and Jacquin Hess with Gary Player. 9. Charl and Rosalind Schwartzel with Louis and Nel-Mare Oosthuizen. 10. The ninth green is a hugely popular vantage point for NGC spectators.

11 160

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

11. Louis Oosthuizen is a fan favourite wherever he plays. 12. Sam Hackner (Investec) and a dapper-looking Lee Westwood. 13. Louis Martin, Chubby Chandler and Sunshine Tour Executive Director Selwyn Nathan.

IS NOT A BEAUTY AD THIS IS YOUR CHALLENGE TO SKIN HEALTH Dermalogica is about helping you achieve your best skin. So we’re not filling this ad with golf stars, fancy packaging or ‘hole in one’ promises. Because we believe in smart skin care, with proven results. Take the skin health challenge. Tee off your best skin. Dermalogica skin.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

15 14

18 20

19 162

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

14. Eyes on the prize – Bernhard Langer and caddie try not to get distracted. 15. Jim Kelly, Gary Player and Ken Brown in the SuperSport studio. 16. Been there, got the... NGC-branded merchandise. 17. Fireworks and lasers beneath an African sky. 18. Popular local group, Mango Groove. 19. The full 2012 field – 12 players and eight seniors. 20. Tom Watson entertains Bill and Jay Haas during the Welcome Dinner interviews.

ABI, your loyal partner

in business and the community Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI), the soft drink division of The South African Breweries Limited, is a leading soft drink business in the international SABMiller plc group of companies, and remains one of the largest producers and distributors of The Coca-Cola Company brands in South Africa. ABI is a specialist sales and distribution organisation and sells a wide variety of soft drinks and water brands including Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Stoney, Appletiser, Powerade, PowerPlay, Fuze, Bonaqua and ValprĂŠ. At ABI, we are committed to partnering with our customers to grow their businesses, investing in our communities, as well as the environment. To achieve this, ABI employs over 3600 employees, and has operations across Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, North West and parts of the Free State. For any queries, contact our Customer Interaction Centre 0860 000224. www.abi.co.za ABI is the soft drink division of SAB (Pty) Ltd.

ROLL OF HONOUR

ROLL of HONOUR 2012

M Kaymer C Schwartzel B Haas L Oosthuizen L Westwood P Lawrie F Molinari C Pettersson P Hanson N Colsaerts J Rose G Mulroy

72 72 70 71 71 71 72 72 72 70 73 75

69 71 73 72 73 69 71 75 73 78 79 73

70 70 71 69 70 75 78 74 73 74 69 75

69 69 71 74 73 74 69 69 73 71 74 74

L Westwood R Karlsson J Dufner G McDowell K Kyung-Tae C Schwartzel L Donald M Kaymer S Dyson A Hansen F Molinari D Clarke

68 69 70 70 70 68 70 70 70 72 72 74

70 69 68 67 70 74 71 68 70 69 77 69

62 69 70 70 70 68 70 70 75 77 73 76

73 68 69 70 70 72 72 76 72 70 73 78

L Westwood T Clark R Goosen M-A Jiménez E Els R Fisher R Allenby P Harrington A Hansen J Rose E Molinari L Oosthuizen

68 73 72 69 71 67 70 66 72 70 71 71

64 67 70 69 68 68 70 72 70 72 67 73

71 68 70 71 71 73 73 72 68 72 73 72

R Allenby 68 70 68 H Stenson 70 68 70 Allenby won after a play-off T Clark 69 72 68 R Fisher 73 69 66 R Goosen 69 68 67 A Cabrera 71 67 68 N Watney 73 73 63 L Donald 72 71 68 R Karlsson 70 72 71 H Mahan 70 71 72 R Sterne 72 75 70 R McIlroy Withdrawn

THERE HAVE BEEN 21 DIFFERENT WINNERS OF THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE FROM 10 COUNTRIES. WHO WILL LIFT THE CRYSTAL TROPHY ON SUNDAY?

280 282 285 286 287 289 290 290 291 293 295 297

$1 250 000 $660 000 $400 000 $400 000 $330 000 $310 000 $300 000 $290 000 $280 000 $270 000 $260 000 $250 000

273 275 277 277 280 282 283 284 287 288 295 297

$1 250 000 $660 000 $400 000 $400 000 $330 000 $310 000 $300 000 $290 000 $280 000 $270 000 $260 000 $250 000

68 71 68 71 73 75 72 75 76 72 76 74

271 279 280 280 283 283 285 285 286 286 287 290

$1 250 000 $660 000 $400 000 $400 000 $320 000 $320 000 $295 000 $295 000 $275 000 $275 000 $260 000 $250 000

H Stenson K Perry R Karlsson R Sabbatini S García L Westwood KJ Choi J Kingston J Rose T Immelman L Donald M-A Jiménez

63 73 72 68 72 70 72 72 73 72 72 75

71 70 68 70 70 72 67 77 73 73 74 76

65 68 67 72 72 70 73 70 72 69 71 73

68 65 72 70 70 72 74 67 72 77 75 69

267 276 279 280 284 284 286 286 290 291 292 293

$1.2 million $600 000 $400 000 $300 000 $267 500 $267 500 $245 000 $245 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000 $200 000

J Furyk H Stenson P Harrington E Els C Schwartzel R Goosen S García T Immelman C DiMarco D Howell J-M Olazábal C Montgomerie

68 71 65 70 71 71 68 73 66 73 69 70

74 69 75 72 72 75 71 74 73 76 79 76

276 278 280 281 282 286 287 287 288 291 292 298

$1.2 million $600 000 $400 000 $300 000 $275 000 $260 000 $245 000 $245 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000 $200 000

71 69

277 $1.2 million 277 $600 000

69 70 75 75 73 72 71 73 75

278 278 279 281 282 283 284 286 292

T Immelman J Rose E Els H Stenson R Sabbatini G Ogilvy L Donald A Scott N Fasth C Schwartzel S Cink R Goosen

67 68 69 72 76 69 68 67 74 74 72 74

66 65 67 65 68 73 71 71 72 74 73 71

67 67 69 72 67 70 71 72 70 68 75 75

72 73 72 72 71 71 73 76 72 74 71 78

272 273 277 281 282 283 283 286 288 290 291 298

$1.2 million $600 000 $400 000 $300 000 $275 000 $255 000 $255 000 $240 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000 $200 000

J Furyk 68 70 72 D Clarke 67 70 76 R Goosen 70 69 71 A Scott 72 69 68 Furyk won after a play-off L Donald 70 68 75 T Clark 70 72 67 C DiMarco 72 71 72 A Cabrera 71 64 74 E Els 72 70 73 K Perry 76 72 75 S García 74 70 74 S Cink 73 76 78

72 69 72 73

282 282 282 282

$1.2 million $433 000 $433 000 $433 000

70 75 73 80 75 68 74 71

283 284 288 289 290 291 292 298

$250 000 $225 000 $210 000 $195 000 $185 000 $175 000 $165 000 $155 000

2011

2010

2009

$350 000 $350 000 $275 000 $260 000 $250 000 $240 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000

Defending champion Martin Kaymer.

2008

2007

68 67 69 72 70 70 72 71 74 69 71 75

66 71 71 67 69 70 76 69 75 73 73 77

2006

2005

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

165

ROLL OF HONOUR

A thrilled Henrik Stenson, winner of the 2008 tournament

R Goosen E Els S Appleby J Furyk C DiMarco J Haas L Westwood T Hamilton N Price F Jacobson C Campbell S García

70 70 70 74 71 75 70 74 71 75 80 75

71 74 69 76 74 74 70 72 70 78 75 76

71 72 74 66 69 70 71 71 74 72 72 74

S García 68 66 70 R Goosen 70 67 68 Garcia won after a play-off V Singh 65 72 71 D Clarke 66 71 74 J Kelly 67 67 76 K Perry 65 68 73 C DiMarco 66 71 74 A Scott 66 74 74 S Appleby 67 75 70 F Funk 71 71 71 J Haas 70 72 71 T Clark 68 71 73 P Harrington 72 70 74 R Allenby 66 78 69 S Leaney 68 72 70 C Howell III 73 67 75 E Els 72 75 74 N Price 69 75 75

E Els C Montgomerie C DiMarco R Goosen J Furyk S García N Price B Estes R Allenby D Clarke P Harrington M Campbell

65 69 68 72 71 73 70 69 71 67 70 71

69 71 74 72 74 72 80 75 78 72 72 78

281 287 287 288 288 291 291 292 293 297 299 303

$1.2 million $500 000 $500 000 $275 000 $275 000 $217 500 $217 500 $195 000 $185 000 $175 000 $165 000 $155 000

70 69

274 $1.2 million 274 $500 000

69 67 71 75 71 68 72 72 72 73 70 74 77 72 69 73

277 278 281 281 282 282 284 285 285 285 286 287 287 287 290 292

2003

$400 000 $300 000 $200 000 $165 000 $145 000 $135 000 $130 000 $125 000 $120 000 $115 000 $100 000 $95 000 $90 000 $85 000 $80 000 $75 000

2002

69 65 72 70 72 70 73 72 74 71 69 69

63 67 70 71 69 70 70 71 70 75 77 78

267 275 278 281 281 283 284 285 285 285 288 289

S García 68 71 66 E Els 67 66 66 Garcia won after a play-ff B Langer 68 67 67 M Weir 68 67 69 L Westwood 69 65 70 P Harrington 70 72 61 N Price 68 71 70 T Bjorn 71 72 68 R Goosen 68 68 74 C Montgomerie 68 69 72 D Clarke 75 68 74 J Furyk 71 67 DQ

63 69

268 $2 million 268 $300 000

69 68 71 73 70 70 71 73 76

271 272 275 276 279 281 281 282 293

166

70 74 68 68 69 70 71 73 70 72 72 71

2004

$2 million $300 000 $250 000 $212 500 $212 500 $175 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000

2001

$250 000 $225 000 $200 000 $175 000 $160 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

E Els 66 67 L Westwood 65 69 Els won after a play-off N Price 69 66 T Bjorn 70 65 J Huston 72 67 C Montgomerie 69 74 J-M Olazábal 65 75 S Appleby 70 70 M Campbell 72 68 C Franco 77 67 D Clarke 68 75 M-A Jiménez 75 69

E Els C Montgomerie D Clarke L Westwood J Furyk C Franco N Price J Huston S García J-M Olazábal M-A Jiménez P Lawrie

67 66 72 68 70 70 68 67 71 69 76 65

66 69 69 70 71 72 72 76 67 74 72 76

67 68 67 65 64 64 67 71 70 69 73 70

2000 68 66

268 $2 million 268 $350 000

67 69 71 69 70 69 70 68 68 74

269 269 274 276 277 280 280 281 284 288

$237 500 $237 500 $200 000 $175 000 $160 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000

1999

64 68 64 70 65 68 68 68 70 73 69 71

66 65 65 66 69 67 72 70 75 68 69 74

263 268 270 274 275 277 280 281 283 284 286 286

$1 million $250 000 $200 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $110 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

N Price 67 68 72 T Woods 72 68 67 Price won after a play-off J Leonard 69 68 68 M O’Meara 69 67 72 L Westwood 72 65 66 E Els 70 69 70 B Langer 69 70 74 J Parnevik 74 70 71 J Furyk 75 71 72 D Duval 72 73 71 C Montgomerie 71 74 70 T Watson 72 70 73

66 66

273 $1 million 273 $250 000

69 68 73 71 67 66 64 68 69 70

274 276 276 280 280 281 282 284 284 285

1998

$200 000 $150 000 $150 000 $105 000 $105 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

N Price E Els D Love III P Mickelson B Langer J Leonard C Montgomerie T Lehman J Parnevik M O’Meara N Faldo I Woosnam

71 69 68 67 69 74 78 74 70 76 73 74

68 70 67 68 70 72 68 74 70 71 73 73

68 70 74 69 67 67 69 69 79 69 71 72

68 67 67 73 72 68 71 69 70 75 74 73

69 71 72 69 71 74 72 72 76 75 79 73

72 67 69 73 70 76 72 78 75 72 76 77

69 72 71 70 73 71 69 69 67 74 71 72

275 276 276 277 278 281 286 286 289 291 291 292

$1 million $225 000 $225 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $105 000 $105 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

1996

C!Montgomerie 65 71 70 68 E Els 67 70 71 66 Montgomerie won after a play-off S Jones 67 71 67 70 N Price 71 76 66 71 S Stricker 68 70 69 70 I Woosnam 68 69 67 73 B Langer 69 70 69 71 M O’Meara 69 71 70 72 T Lehman 71 71 68 73 N Faldo 73 68 69 73 M Brooks 68 70 72 73 C Pavin 68 71 76 69

C Pavin N Price B Langer S Torrance T Lehman D Frost E Els N Faldo C Rocca V Singh C Montgomerie P Mickelson

1997

66 71 71 72 73 68 78 72 73 72 71 76

274 $1 million 274 $250 000 275 275 277 277 279 282 283 283 283 284

$187 500 $187 500 $137 500 $137 500 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

276 281 283 284 287 289 291 291 291 293 297 298

$1 million $250 000 $200 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $103 330 $103 330 $103 330 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

1995

don’t miss The European Tour’s

tournament of champions! Tickets are now available for the Volvo Golf Champions, returning to Durban Country Club in January 2014.

The increased prize fund – now $4 million – underlines the Championship’s position as one of the most prestigious tournaments on The European Tour International Schedule. Louis Oosthuizen heads an elite group of players who will battle it out for the $700,000 first prize.

louis oosthuizen defending champion

Get your tickets at www.computicket.com or by calling 08619158000. You can find out more at www.volvoingolf.com

Durban Country Club, 9-12 January 2014 volvoingolf.com

ROLL OF HONOUR

1994

N Faldo N Price E Els D Frost B Langer T Lehman S Ballesteros M McNulty C Pavin H Irwin C Montgomerie V Singh

66 71 68 73 68 71 76 72 71 72 72 80

64 66 70 67 69 69 71 69 70 70 71 73

73 70 67 71 74 70 68 68 72 74 72 76

69 68 72 66 68 69 66 73 70 72 73 78

272 275 277 277 279 279 281 282 283 288 288 307

$1 million $250 000 $187 500 $187 500 $137 500 $137 500 $110 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

N Price M McNulty B Langer F Allem N Faldo C Pavin E Els D Frost M O’Meara L Janzen P Stewart I Woosnam

67 71 72 72 67 71 76 71 74 76 75 76

66 70 69 70 73 70 69 70 71 73 75 78

66 68 70 72 72 71 69 73 70 75 72 80

65 67 68 66 69 73 73 74 75 71 73 75

264 276 279 280 281 285 287 288 290 295 295 309

$1 million $250 000 $200 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $110 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

D Frost J Cook F Couples E Els B Langer J-M Olazábal I Woosnam C Parry N Price N Faldo

70 73 74 70 73 72 75 74 72 69

69 68 70 69 69 73 73 75 67 72

68 70 73 77 74 73 75 76 DQ DQ

69 69 67 68 70 74 73 72

276 280 284 284 286 292 296 297

$1 million $300 000 $225 000 $225 000 $150 000 $140 000 $130 000 $120 000

B Langer M Calcavecchia M McNulty N Faldo F Couples J Bland I Woosnam J Daly S Elkington D Frost

68 72 66 72 71 74 73 72 67 72

65 67 71 69 71 70 68 73 74 75

67 71 71 68 74 68 78 72 79 77

72 67 74 76 71 75 74 77 78 76

D Frost J-M Olazábal B Langer S Elkington F Allem R Gamez K Green S Lyle T Armour III T Simpson

71 73 69 77 73 79 75 80 81 75

71 70 74 68 72 76 72 67 71 74

71 73 70 68 74 69 70 74 71 73

71 69 75 75 71 69 76 76 77 81

168

Nick Faldo with caddy Fanny Sunesson after sinking the winning putt during the 1994 tournament.

1993

1992

1991 272 277 282 285 287 287 293 294 298 300

$1 million $300 000 $250 000 $200 000 $145 000 $145 000 $130 000 $120 000 $110 000 $100 000

284 285 288 288 290 293 297 297 300 303

$1 million $300 000 $225 000 $225 000 $150 000 $135 000 $135 000 $120 000 $110 000 $100 000

1990

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2013

D Frost S Hoch T Simpson D Pooley C Beck A Bean S Lyle F Allem S Simpson K Green

67 67 67 73 72 81 75 76 72 72

66 72 69 71 70 74 73 75 75 77

75 71 72 76 76 71 76 70 80 75

68 69 72 71 76 69 74 78 74 77

F Allem D Pooley K Green I Woosnam C Beck D Frost M McNulty B Langer

72 67 67 72 74 71 71 76

71 72 72 70 70 69 73 74

66 74 70 69 68 72 71 78

69 66 71 72 72 73 72 78

I Woosnam N Faldo D Frost C Strange J-M Olazábal F Allem B Langer L Wadkins

67 68 70 72 68 66 70 71

71 71 70 69 73 69 68 72

68 68 68 72 70 74 73 72

68 71 72 70 72 74 74 75

M McNulty L Wadkins B Langer TC Chen I Woosnam H Clark D Frost D Graham G Player

74 69 70 75 75 69 71 73 75

70 72 68 68 70 69 75 74 74

70 71 74 75 71 74 71 72 71

68 70 74 69 71 76 72 71 73

1989 276 279 280 291 294 295 298 299 301 301

$1 million $300 000 $250 000 $200 000 $150 000 $140 000 $130 000 $120 000 $105 000 $105 000

1988 278 279 280 283 284 285 287 306

$1 million $200 000 $100 000 $90 000 $80 000 $70 000 $60 000 $50 000

1987

274 $1 million 278 280 283 283 283 285 290

1986 282 285 286 287 287 288 289 290 293

$300 000 $150 000 $105 000 $81 000 $81 000 $65 000 $60 000 $56 000 $52 000

B Langer L Wadkins M O’Meara S Ballesteros L Trevino TC Chen D Graham D Watson H Green S Lyle

69 70 70 73 69 75 72 75 76 71

70 69 71 72 69 67 74 70 74 70

68 68 71 70 71 69 70 68 70 77

71 73 69 67 74 73 69 75 69 73

S Ballesteros N Faldo L Trevino R Floyd I Aoki T Kite B Crenshaw G Player G Norman D Watson

69 70 74 74 76 70 73 76 74 73

71 72 72 74 69 75 74 76 70 75

65 71 71 75 69 76 72 71 78 73

74 72 69 68 78 72 75 74 75 76

S Ballesteros F Zoeller N Faldo D Graham J Miller R Floyd L Trevino C Stadler N Price L Nelson

69 75 70 67 74 71 72 74 77 69

67 72 67 71 70 70 68 69 68 71

70 67 73 71 69 69 72 71 71 73

68 65 69 70 68 71 70 70 69 72

R Floyd 72 69 68 C Stadler 72 67 70 Floyd won after a play-off L Trevino 71 73 70 L Wadkins 70 70 68 J Miller 72 68 71 S Ballesteros 67 71 73 J Pate 67 73 66 J Nicklaus 70 71 72 G Norman 71 72 78 G Player 71 75 72

71 71

J Miller 72 68 66 S Ballesteros 69 68 69 Miller won after a play-off J Nicklaus 70 70 69 L Trevino 70 74 74 G Player 70 77 72

71 71

1985 278 280 281 282 283 284 285 288 289 291

$300 000 $150 000 $100 000 $87 000 $75 000 $65 000 $60 000 $56 000 $52 000 $50 000

279 285 286 291 292 293 294 297 297 297

$300 000 $150 000 $105 000 $85 000 $75 000 $67 000 $60 000 $52 700 $52 700 $52 700

274 279 279 279 281 281 282 284 285 285

$300 000 $127 500 $127 500 $85 500 $71 500 $71 000 $60 000 $56 000 $52 000 $50 000

1984

1983

1982

67 74 72 75 80 74 70 76

69 71 73

280 $300 000 280 $150 000 281 282 283 286 286 287 291 294

$105 000 $85 000 $75 000 $63 500 $63 500 $56 000 $52 000 $50 000

1981

277 $500 000 277 $160 000 278 $130 000 289 $110 000 292 $100 000

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POLO SANDTON, ROSEBANK, EASTGATE, MENLYN, CAVENDISH, V&A WATERFRONT

9223

MAKE

FUTURE CHAMPIONS HAPPEN

Open a Nedbank Sport Affinity account and take their dreams from long shots to reality. At Nedbank we’re dedicated to the development of sport in South Africa. That’s why we’ve established the Nedbank Sport Affinity Programme. Every time you use your Sport Affinity account, we will make a donation to The Sports Trust on your behalf. To date Nedbank has donated over R15 million towards sport development in South Africa. Together we can make our future champions’ long shots happen. To open your account visit any Nedbank branch, call 0860-DO-GOOD (364663) or visit nedbanksport.co.za.

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