2015 Nedbank Golf Challenge Programme

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

3-6 DECEMBER 2015

SA GOLF’S OWN BIG 3 GOLF’S NEXT

GLOBAL RIVALRY GARY PLAYER 80 YEARS YOUNG

3-6 DECEMBER 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

DANNY DEFENDS

WILLETT’S RETURN TO SUN CITY WHY THEO MANYAMA RULES

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CONTENTS

2015 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

08 Welcome to the 35th Nedbank Golf Challenge

Nurturing amateurs to be better professionals

How Africa’s Major has moved with the times

14 24 28

117 Top 5 things to try at Sun City

Welcome letters Sponsor thanks Nedbank Golf Challenge joins European Tour’s elite Final Series

There’s plenty of fun to be had at SA’s iconic resort

120 Hope beyond the fairways

Another step forward in global golf

32 38 77

The field Player profiles The Sunshine Tour keeps driving ahead

South Africa’s main tour is going from strength to strength

84 Extra-cold moments with Castle Lite Memorable play-offs in the tournament’s history

86 Two memorable years for Gary Player It’s 50 years since Gary Player’s Grand Slam of golf

110 SA’s new Elite Squad ready to develop young stars

90 SA’s other “Grand Slam” champion Theo Manyama – SA’s iconic rules officials

96 Heir Jordan

Jordan Spieth’s amazing year

100 SA’s big 3 fairway friends Oosthuizen, Schwartzel and Grace – friends on and off the course

104 Tournament of champions… and charities Another successful Telkom SuperSport Shootout

The South African Golf Development Board and South African Disabled Golf Association

126 The lay of the land

A hole-by-hole guide to the Gary Player Country Club

140 Course layout 145 Sun City rejuvenated

Exciting developments at Sun International’s iconic resorts

151 Behind the scenes

After-hours fun at Sun City for the players and their families

157 Roll of honour

Winners from the last 34 tournaments

FOR SUN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT CHAIRMAN Mike van Vuuren TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Alastair Roper SUN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS Claudia Henkel, Zoleka Skweyiya SPONSOR LIAISONS Irooshka Govindsamy, Elardus Senekal, Warren Rudolph, Sonja Holl FOR THE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP EDITOR Matthew Pearce MANAGING EDITOR Wendy Maritz ART DIRECTOR Ryan Manning FEATURES WRITER Michael Vlismas COPY EDITOR Christine Curtis EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Mark Beare, John Morkel FINANCIAL MANAGER Naeema Abrahams ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Sameegha Wolhuter ADVERTISING SALES Elna Coetzer, Nick Lumb. For sales enquiries for the 2016 Nedbank Golf Challenge programme, please call Sameegha Wolhuter on tel: 021-488-5938 or cell: 078-356-9521. TRAFFIC MANAGER Kelly Syce 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 2015. 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 2016 Nedbank Golf Challenge, phone Warren Rudolph on 011 780 7248.

6 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

WELCOME TO THE 35TH

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

O

ver the now 35-year history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the event has evolved in many ways, moving with the times to retain its relevance in a professional sports environment that offers myriad options for spectators and television viewers.

A critical factor in achieving that relevance is that, notwithstanding the excellence of the players and the golf that they produce, the event itself is a production and occasion of unquestionable quality and genuine world class.

Much has been made of South Africa’s ability – since the country’s readmission to international sport in the early 1990s – to host

8 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

major international sports events successfully, most notably World Cups in football, rugby and cricket.

Yet, in its own way, the Nedbank Golf Challenge and its predecessor, the Million Dollar Challenge, had started setting the standard for such events from the first time some of golf’s biggest names and huge personalities from the world of entertainment gathered at Sun City to play for the game’s biggest prize.

Since that first event, the prize money has always attracted attention, including the experiment of a “winner-takes-all” concept won by Ian Woosnam in 1987 and the period

when the winner received a $2 million cheque to re-establish the claim of “golf’s biggest prize” at the time.

Now, with the tournament having become – as recently as two years ago – a fully fledged co-sanctioned event between the Sunshine Tour and European Tour with an expanded field of 30 players, the purse remains more than enticing: the winner takes home $1.25 million and 30th place is worth $100 000.

As important for many of the players is the availability of official world ranking points and the opportunity for members of the European Tour to kick-start their challenge for the Race to Dubai early. >

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Next year, however, yet another tournament evolution will see players making a late bid for that Race to Dubai title, with the event forming part of the European Tour’s finals series and being the penultimate event before the curtain falls on the season in Dubai.

This announcement, involving the tours, the sponsors and the organisers, was made as this publication was going to print, and we were able to hold the process to bring you more detail on page 28.

The qualification criteria for entry into the tournament are well documented, but Nedbank and Sun International have used the four “tournament invitation” slots to superb effect for this, the 35th edition of Nedbank Golf Challenge.

While there has been a reticence in the past from US players to make the long journey southeast at this time of the year, 2015 will see invitations taken up by two American Major championship winners Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson, while the other two invitations have been offered to and accepted by multiple Sun City winner Lee Westwood, and Charl Schwartzel.

Westwood is returning from the US to take up full-time membership of the European Tour once again and will be looking to draw on his wonderful memories of back-to-back

10 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

victories here in 2010 and 2011 to re-establish his prominent place in European golf.

It is very seldom that a reigning champion does not return to defend a title here and, as early as his post-final round interview on the 18th green a year ago, Englishman Danny Willett confirmed that he would indeed be back to do so. Willett’s rounds of 65 and 66 at the weekend gave him an emphatic fourstroke victory and helped announce him as a true competitor under some of the most intense pressure.

There are two others in the field with winning memories around the Gary Player Country Club who have returned this year.

The 2008 winner, Henrik Stenson, has an astonishingly good record on this golf course, with two runner-up places (one in a suddendeath play-off a year after his win) and nothing worse than fourth in all his appearances. With that record and the fact that he is the highest-ranked player in the field, he will be the early favourite.

The other past champion to return is Martin Kaymer of Germany who has finished in the bottom half of the field in the two appearances since his 2012 victory, but who has the precise ball-striking ability necessary for success at the Gary Player Country Club.

There will be plenty of new faces inside

the ropes at this year’s event alongside the previously mentioned tournament rookies Bradley and Simpson and, while the winner being a Sun City first-timer has been unlikely in the past, it does become statistically more likely with the expanded field, as Danny Willett proved on his first visit last year.

There will also be plenty of interest for fans of local golf, at a time when South Africa will start the next PGA Tour season with more card holders than ever. Joining Louis Oosthuizen are Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel, along with Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Thomas Aiken, and Jaco van Zyl, who continues to knock ever louder on the door of a European Tour victory… Could this be his week?

And, if you are anywhere near the first tee during the course of the week, give an extra-large cheer to the legendary Gary Player, who played an integral role in putting this event firmly on the map 35 years ago and recently celebrated his 80th birthday.

Enjoy the tournament and this publication that goes with it. Thanks to your ongoing support, “Africa’s Major” is alive and well.

Matthew Pearce Editor

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2015/11/06 12:26 PM

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AT THE 2015 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE AND WELCOME TO THE 35TH EDITION OF AFRICA’S MAJOR. The Nedbank Golf Challenge is an iconic event on the South African sporting calendar and I’m delighted to announce that Nedbank has extended its sponsorship for a further three years. This extension makes the Nedbank Golf Challenge the longest-running sponsorship in the bank’s history, deserving of its place as the flagship event on the South African golf calendar.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has a strong focus on golf development for disadvantaged youngsters and people with disabilities. As founding trustees of The Sports Trust, Nedbank and Sun International continue to invest in the growth of the game of golf and raise in excess of R1 million every year through The Sports Trust Challenge. The Sports Trust Challenge is played on the Monday after the Nedbank Gold Challenge and social golfers get to play the course set up as the professionals played it in the final round of the tournament – a humbling experience indeed!

In addition to the flagship Nedbank Golf Challenge event, we also invest in golf development by supporting the Nedbank South African 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 sanctioned event on the Sunshine Tour.

Through the Nedbank Sport Affinity suite of products, our clients are able to make contributions to The Sports Trust at no cost to them. During the year we donated R450 000, on behalf of Nedbank Sport Affinity clients, to the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) towards breaking ground for a coaching centre in the Rustenburg area, not far from Sun City. The SAGDB now has coaching centres in all nine provinces in the country.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge presents a unique platform for us to appreciate our valued clients, while at the same time working with Sun International to showcase South Africa as a sporting and tourist destination, as well as inspiring future generations of South African golfers.

Thanks to Brandon Foot and Alvin Naicker at SuperSport, our broadcasting partner; and to Graeme Stephens, Alastair Roper and the team at Sun International for their partnership in this event and the effort that has gone into making this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge one to remember.

Thanks for joining us. I trust you will have a fantastic time at Africa’s Major.

Mike Brown Nedbank Chief Executive

14 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

14352

MAKING

TRANSFORMATION HAPPEN Nedbank is proud to announce over R8bn of value created for more than 500 000 beneficiaries in benchmark BEE deal In 2005 we launched the Nedbank Eyethu Share scheme transaction and a decade later, more than R8bn in value has been created and strong commercial enterprises built. Our partners, The Women Investment Portfolio Holdings Limited (WIPHOLD) Consortium and the Brimstone-Mtha-we-Mpumelelo Consortium, brought valuable business to Nedbank. Amongst others, we’re particularly proud of the disposal and unbundling by Brimstone through the R14bn listing of Life Healthcare and the WIPHOLD-led R1.6bn transaction with a Chinese consortium, Jidong, to build a cement plant in Limpopo. Nedbank also provided funding for the Scaw Metals empowerment transaction, which was led by Izingwe, a participant in the Brimstone Consortium.

The Imbizo programme, in partnership with WIPHOLD, was a commercial innovation that has contributed to Nedbank’s entry level banking strategy and was aimed at igniting economic activity across underprivileged communities in South Africa. WIPHOLD, Brimstone and Izingwe, together with Nedbank and Old Mutual, have jointly committed R300m to address entrepreneur development, commercialisation of smallscale agriculture, stimulation of township economies and housing development. The journey continues.

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IT IS WITH TREMENDOUS PRIDE THAT I WELCOME YOU TO THE 2015 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE. Every year our team strives to take an event that has consistently raised the bar in world golf and make it an even better experience – for the fans as much as the players.

That was the aim when this global showpiece launched in 1981, and it remains the aim to this day.

As one of the flagship tournaments on the Sunshine and European Tours, we are proud to deliver an event that excels in its superior levels of organisational excellence, hospitality and entertainment.

With more than 65 000 visitors over the four days of the tournament and as many as 22 000 people attending the final two rounds alone, we remain committed to providing a golf and entertainment experience unlike any other in the game.

What’s more, a global television audience of more than 1.4 billion is able to watch not only 30 of the best golfers in the world, but also take in the delights of Sun City and the beauty of South Africa.

Sun City is one of South Africa’s most recognised tourism icons and we are extremely proud to be the vehicle to showcase this wonderful country to the world.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge remains a very important part of South Africa and Sun City’s proud history of hosting major international events.

However, we cannot do this alone, and it is through the support of our longstanding partners and sponsors that we are able to produce the high-quality product golf fans have come to expect.

With this comes the need for constant innovation. The Nedbank Golf Challenge has always remained at the forefront of changes in the world of tournament golf, and 2015 is no exception. One of the most exciting new elements this year is the addition of four tournament invitations amongst the 30-man field.

Enjoy the golf – and our hospitality.

Valli Moosa Chairman, Sun International Limited

16 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

4471 Nedbank Challenge Heat.indd 1

2015/11/03 1:22 PM

THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE HAS GROWN TO BECOME ONE OF GOLF’S MOST RECOGNISABLE EVENTS AND A TOURNAMENT THE LEADING PLAYERS IN THE WORLD COUNT AMONG THEIR FAVOURITES. It is always gratifying to hear throughout the year and in the build-up to the event how those players who have been here before look forward to returning, and how those who haven’t speak of their excitement at seeing what their fellow professionals refer to as one of the best weeks of the golf year.

With this comes an unrivalled fan and hospitality experience, and we are delighted to welcome you back to Sun City for what is going to be another memorable Nedbank Golf Challenge.

There is so much more to Sun City than the golf itself, and if you are a regular attendee you should notice some big changes at the resort. Try out the exciting new facilities at the Valley of the Waves or the new dining options at the main casino – including our unique “Legends” restaurant.

We are extremely proud of our association with the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the role we play in showcasing this special event to the world.

So please, enjoy the golf and everything that Sun City has to offer in what is indeed one of the most special sporting weeks of the year.

Graeme Stephens Chief Executive, Sun International Limited

18 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE HAS PROVIDED RIVETING ACTION FOR 35 YEARS – NOT JUST FOR GOLF FANS BUT FOR A SPORTS-MAD SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC – AND THE SUNSHINE TOUR IS THRILLED TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB AT SUN CITY AS A NEW CHAPTER IN A GREAT GOLF TOURNAMENT’S ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY UNFOLDS. With a field of 30 great golfers from all corners of the globe, a prize fund of $6.5-million, and The European Tour as a co-sanctioning partner with the Sunshine Tour, the stage is set for the kind of action that has produced a parade of champions. These include some of the very best players the world has seen – and many who have flown the South African flag proudly all over the world.

With the commitment of partners such as Nedbank and Sun International, and the decades of experience they bring to staging this tournament, we feel safe in assuring fans and players alike that their experience will be as good as it gets.

We put on so many events with The European Tour, and that makes our collaboration feel easy. But that shouldn’t hide the fact that we are grateful for our partnership, and this tournament is the jewel in the crown of the great events we stage in South Africa with our friends.

As usual, there is no shortage of fine players in the field to entertain the crowds. We hope that the players, like so many of the great names who have played this tournament before them, enjoy their experiences as much as they did, and feel moved to spread the South African golfing gospel as they spend the new year travelling to other places all over the world.

Selwyn Nathan Executive Director, Sunshine Tour

20 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

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2014/07/02 4:13 PM

IT IS WITH AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION THAT WE WELCOME YOU TO THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE, THE SECOND EVENT OF THE 2016 RACE TO DUBAI AND ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR. Since 1981 this wonderful, lucrative tournament has attracted the biggest and best names in the game, and we are delighted and proud that it is part of The European Tour International Schedule for the third season running.

Such luminaries as Ernie Els, Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo and Martin Kaymer have won this prestigious tournament, and the latest champion, Englishman Danny Willett, went on to have a tremendous season after triumphing last year.

In the Gary Player Country Club – named, of course, after one of the brightest stars ever to have played the game – we have one of the finest venues in the world: a true gem in this vibrant resort of Sun City.

We warmly thank the club’s staff and members for welcoming us this week and for providing the cream of The European and Sunshine Tours with such a superb course.

We are very grateful for the continued and much-valued support of sponsors Nedbank and Sun International, whose input is instrumental in making this event a huge success year in, year out.

We also offer our sincere thanks to our co-sanctioning partners, the Sunshine Tour, with whom we have long enjoyed a strong and fruitful relationship.

Last but not least: thank you to all the volunteers, members of the media and spectators for their support – we hope you enjoy a brilliant week of golf.

This is the last European Tour action we will see this calendar year so, on behalf of the entire staff at The European Tour, I want to wish you and your families all the best for the holiday season and look forward to seeing you in 2016.

Keith Pelley Chief Executive, The European Tour

22 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

SP0NSORS

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.

24 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

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2013 Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson

2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge winner Danny Willett

2015 WGC-HSBC champion Russell Knox

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE JOINS

EUROPEAN TOUR’S

ELITE FINAL SERIES “AFRICA’S MAJOR” WILL TAKE UP A NEW POSITION AS ONE OF THE PREMIER EVENTS IN WORLD GOLF.

T

he Nedbank Golf Challenge has taken another major step forward in global golf with an extended three-year sponsorship from Nedbank, an increase in prize money, and a premier place on the European Tour’s elite Final Series of the Race to Dubai.

This is another important step in the evolution of “Africa’s Major”, with Alastair Roper, Sun International’s Tournament

Director of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, announcing that Nedbank had renewed their sponsorship and with the option to extend for another three years.

In 2016, the total prize money for the Nedbank Golf Challenge will be increased to $7 million.

The tournament will strengthen its standing as one of the premier events in world golf when it takes up a new position

as one of the flagship tournaments on the European Tour’s elite Final Series.

Together with the other Final Series tournaments, it will now form part of one of the richest season finales in world golf.

From 2016, the Nedbank Golf Challenge will be played at Sun City the week before the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship. The field will also be increased from 30 to 72 players. > NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

29

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

“We are very excited about this new era in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the extension of our partnership with Nedbank and what this means for South African golf as the home of one of the biggest tournaments in world golf,” Graeme Stephens, Sun International’s Chief Executive, said.

In 2016, the Nedbank Golf Challenge will move from its traditional date in December to its new date of finishing on Sunday 13 November, the week before the final tournament on the Race to Dubai.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge is the longest-running sponsorship in the bank’s history and is deserving of its place as the flagship event on the South African golf calendar. The tournament enables us to inspire local golfers and showcase South Africa and South African golf to the world.

Through ongoing innovation the tournament has evolved into one of the premier golf tournaments in world golf and we are proud to announce the renewal of our sponsorship.

The announcement marks a significant next chapter as we move into perhaps the most exciting time in the history of this event with the Nedbank Golf Challenge now positioned the week before the final tournament on the

30 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

Race to Dubai,” said Mike Brown, Nedbank Chief Executive.

The field of 72 players will be made up of 64 players from the Race to Dubai, the previous year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge champion, the winner of the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit the previous season, and then six tournament invitations drawn from the Official World Golf Rankings.

“This is another major milestone in our very strong relationship with the European Tour and once again positions the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the Sunshine Tour at the forefront of world golf,” said Selwyn Nathan, Executive Director of the Sunshine Tour.

“With the Nedbank Golf Challenge now forming part of the European Tour’s Final Series and us occupying the premier spot the week before the DP World Tour Championship, we believe we will secure an extremely strong field of players.”

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy for The European Tour, said: “We have enjoyed a superb relationship with the Sunshine Tour for many years and today’s significant announcement is another perfect example of that.

“The addition of such a prestigious

Victor Dubuisson of France leaves the 18th green victorious in the Turkish Airlines Open this year.

tournament as the Nedbank Golf Challenge to our Final Series in 2016 will not only enhance the Series, but also increase the excitement and anticipation of golf fans across the world.

“On behalf of The European Tour, I want to place on record our sincere thanks to sponsors Nedbank, our hosts Sun International and the Sunshine Tour itself, not only for embracing the date switch, but also for supporting the eligibility changes and the field size. This announcement would not have been possible without their co-operation on that score, and such vision and commitment to the global game should be applauded.”

Since the inaugural Nedbank Golf Challenge in 1981, Sun City has hosted some of the most iconic players in the history of the game.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge has grown to become one of golf’s most recognisable events and a tournament the leading players in the world speak of with admiration. We are extremely proud of our association with the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the role we play in showcasing this special event to the world,” said Stephens.

THE FIELD

WE WELCOME THE FIELD TO SUN CITY AND THE GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB FOR THE 35TH NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE.

Thomas Aiken (SOUTH AFRICA)

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THAILAND)

Steven Bowditch (AUSTRALIA)

Keegan Bradley (UNITED STATES)

Victor Dubuisson (FRANCE)

Ross Fisher (ENGLAND)

Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENGLAND)

Branden Grace (SOUTH AFRICA)

Emiliano Grillo (ARGENTINA)

Byeong Hun An (SOUTH KOREA)

Thongchai Jaidee (THAILAND)

Martin Kaymer (GERMANY)

Søren Kjeldsen (DENMARK)

Russell Knox (SCOTLAND)

Marc Leishman (AUSTRALIA)

32 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Marc Shane Leishman Lowry (IRELAND) (AUSTRALIA)

Kevin Na (UNITED STATES)

Charl Scwhartzel

Louis Oosthuizen (SOUTH AFRICA)

Scott Piercy (UNITED STATES)

Webb Simpson (UNITED STATES)

Henrik Stenson (SWEDEN)

Robert Streb (UNITED STATES)

Andy Sullivan (ENGLAND)

Jaco van Zyl (SOUTH AFRICA)

Lee Westwood (ENGLAND)

Bernd Wiesberger (AUSTRIA)

Danny Willett (ENGLAND)

Chris Wood (ENGLAND)

AUTOGRAPHS 34 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

(SOUTH AFRICA)

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Compatriots Danny Willett and Luke Donald share a lighter moment during the heat of battle.

BIOGRAPHY Born: 3 October 1987 Turned pro: 2008 Family: Wife – Nicole Special interests: Football, music, pool. Career highlights: Claimed the biggest victory of his career in the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge for one of his three wins on the European Tour. As an amateur, won the English Amateur, Australian Amateur and Spanish Amateur and was ranked world number one in 2008. 2015 highlights: Won the Omega European Masters with a second round of 62. Finished third in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship.

Challenged for The Open and eventually finished tied-sixth for his best result in a Major.

2015 Majors: The Masters – T38. US Open – MC. The Open – T6. PGA Championship – T54 NGC record: Second appearance; 2014 – 1st.

38 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

P L AY E R P R O F IL E

DANNY WILLETT

W

hen Danny Willett came through 36 holes of this year’s Open only one shot off the lead he received a text message from his mother saying, “Well done. You’ve made the cut.”

Even his own British media seemed surprised at his performance at St Andrews. But anybody who saw him win the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge would have expected nothing less from the Englishman.

His 66 on the final day at Sun City to win by four strokes was as composed a final round as has been seen in the history of “Africa’s Major”.

It was quite easily the biggest victory of Willett’s career, surpassing his then only other European Tour win in the 2012 BMW International Open.

It also set up an incredible start to the European Tour’s 2015 season, which included a finish of fourth in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek and then a third win in the Omega European Masters.

In fact, his win in the Nedbank Golf Challenge has sparked a season Willett wouldn’t have dreamed about before as he challenged Rory McIlroy for the top spot on the Race to Dubai rankings.

It’s been an incredible rise that has at times felt a bit surreal, for even Willett, and that really hit home when he stepped onto the first tee at Augusta National for his first appearance in the Masters this year.

Willett recalled how he used to play golf on a little par-three course that was in the middle of a sheep field.

“You skip it forward 17 years and you’ve got an invite to the Masters. It’s just a bit crazy, really,” he said in April.

In an interview with Golf World he showed he hasn’t lost touch with where he came from when he declared that it sometimes still surprises him how he has earned “ridiculous amounts of money for someone my age”. It’s a perspective born of a very humble upbringing where his parents had to mortgage their home to pay for his golf.

It developed an independence in him that he says helped him adapt to life at a US college far easier than most golfers his age.

“I was used to doing stuff for myself. There were six of us in the house at home – four lads – so my

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mum couldn’t do everything for us. We had to get on with it. Dinner wasn’t waiting for us every night when we got in, so we all took a turn in the kitchen,” he told Golf World.

Willett hardly burst out of nowhere, though. The son of an English vicar and a maths teacher was introduced to golf by his two elder brothers and had a distinguished amateur career, including victories in the English Amateur, Australian Amateur and Spanish Amateur as well as being ranked the number-one amateur in the world in 2008.

He turned professional later that year and qualified for the European Tour at his first attempt through the qualifying school, heightening the expectation that he was indeed golf’s next major talent. In 2009 he had eight top-10s and comfortably retained his card, and by 2010 he had broken into the top 100 on the world rankings.

In 2012 he made his European Tour breakthrough with a victory in the BMW International Open on the European Tour.

Then he suffered with a back injury in 2013 and 2014.

“My back set me back about 18 months or so during my third year on tour. It’s an

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ongoing thing and is sometimes not great.

When it’s cold I struggle. And golf is not the best sport you can play with a bad back. I have to watch myself. I can practise as much as I want most of the time. But I have to make sure I move correctly and do all the stretches both before and after. I have to stay loose. So it’s something I have to work around.”Despite this, in 2015 Willett has been at his best.

His golf at Sun City in December 2014 earned him a new fan in legendary cricketer Geoff Boycott.

“I have watched Willett before, winning the Nedbank in Sun City. He played out of his skin. It was a big tournament to win against some of the world’s best players and it gave him a lot of confidence,” he said as Willett was challenging for The Open this year.

His Sun City triumph saw Willett join two of the greats of English golf to have won at the Gary Player Country Club – Sir Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood.

“Those are some pretty good names to be next to. You see all those names on the walk to the ninth green, and you realise how many great players have been here. Words can’t describe it,” said Willett.

After-action jubilation for the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge champ.

As any golf prodigy, he was well aware of the early expectations of him to dominate from the very start of his professional career.

But he takes a very balanced view to this and the setback caused by his injury.

“I know I could maybe have been where I am now a couple of years earlier. But that’s life. I take positives from it. It has been difficult and frustrating – especially mentally.

It was hard sitting at home watching guys I know I can beat doing well at tournaments.

I would rather have been playing. So although waiting for my body to get better was hard, getting my head round it all was worse. But those were the cards I was dealt so I just had to get on with it.”

He returns to Sun City as a man well capable of defending his title in an event he took an instant liking to.

After his win last year, Willett paid tribute to a world-class tournament that since 1981 has set its own benchmark in tournament golf.

“I don’t care how good your PGA Tour event is, it’s not going to match up to a week like this.”

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P L AY E R P R O F IL E

BIOGRAPHY Born: 16 July 1983 Turned pro: 2002 Family: Wife – Kate Special interests: All sports, movies.

Career highlights: Won three times on the Sunshine Tour in 2004. He continued to win regularly on his home circuit before making his international breakthrough with a victory in the 2011 Open de España on the European Tour. Finished tiedeighth in the 2009 Open and tiedseventh in the 2012 Open. Has won 11 times as a professional.

2015 highlights: Another consistent season for him on the European Tour with a top finish of fourth in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

2015 Majors: The Masters – DNP. US Open – T25. The Open – 80.

PGA Championship – DNP NGC record: Debut

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THOMAS AIKEN

homas Aiken’s dramatic chase to win the 2014 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit has earned him a debut appearance in this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Aiken went into the final tournament of the 2014 season trailing Order of Merit leader Danie van Tonder. But a top-five finish in the South African Open saw him overtake Van Tonder and claim the prize that secured him a place in a tournament he has watched since he was seven years old.

“Winning the Order of Merit is something I’ve been looking forward to since I started playing on the Sunshine Tour in 2002. I’ve been close before and it’s nice to finally get it under the belt,” said Aiken, well aware of the rewards he would reap from his achievement.

“Winning the money list is obviously a feat because this is one of the five main Tours in the world. But it also comes with substantial perks that can make your career – I’m into The Open, the Memorial, three World Golf Championship events and the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which I’ve dreamed about playing in since I was a kid in the early ’90s.”

Aiken does indeed have fond memories of Sun City that stretch beyond the Nedbank Golf Challenge. It was here that he made his

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professional debut in 2002, playing in the Dimension Data Pro-Am. And he has never forgotten this.

After winning the 2014 Africa Open for this third European Tour title, Aiken made the decision not to skip the following week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am and enjoy the fruits of his labours. “They gave me my first professional invite in 2002. I haven’t missed one since,” he said of his decision to play.

Following a stellar amateur career, Aiken at first struggled to make an impact as a professional.

After time spent on the European Challenge tour, he returned to the Sunshine Tour in 2004 and immediately felt more relaxed being at home again. It showed in his three victories that year.

In 2011 he broke through on the European Tour with a win in the Open de España. In 2013 he added the Avantha Masters, and then came perhaps the sweetest of all of his European Tour victories when he won the African Open in East London in 2014.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” he said. “I’ve won overseas but there is nothing like winning in front of your home crowd. It’s so nice to finally get one for you guys and thank you for all your support of my career.”

Thomas Aiken and his wife/caddie Kate during the first round of the Portugal Masters at Oceanico Victoria Golf Club in Portugal.

Aiken’s commitment to South African golf includes his support of a junior tournament on the popular Glacier Junior Series, and he speaks passionately about this being the factory for the future talent of the game in this country.

“Players such as myself, Charl [Schwartzel] and Louis [Oosthuizen] were very fortunate when we were young in that we had a great junior programme in place and could compete against each other on a regular basis. Without competition you can’t improve, and you need that experience under pressure to become a better golfer. Playing in those junior events, we could push each other to the next level.

“It’s important for our juniors to have a platform where they can compete and it’s vital for our golf so that we can keep producing top golfers on the international stage. It’s great to be able to give back to a system that played such a big part in my success as a golfer.”

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KEEGAN BRADLEY

eegan Bradley announced himself to the golf world in the best way possible, by winning a Major in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.

With his victory in the 2011 PGA Championship, Bradley joined Ben Curtis, Willie Park Sr and Francis Ouimet as the only golfers to have won a Major on their debut.

It came only three months after he won the Byron Nelson Championship for his maiden PGA Tour victory, and it was no surprise that Bradley was named the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

Then, in 2012, he beat the experienced Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

If that kind of start to a professional career caught a few golf fans off guard, it was nothing compared to what may be the most surprising element of all regarding Bradley – the fact that he had an entirely normal childhood.

Bradley did not come to professional golf from the “10 000 hours” school of young sports stars. Nor did he sacrifice any of the normal things of boyhood for a path into professional sport. He didn’t specialise in golf at an early age, even though he came from a strong golf family – his father, Mark, was a teaching professional and his aunt, Pat Bradley, was a highly successful campaigner on the LPGA Tour in the ’70s and ’80s.

Growing up in Vermont, Bradley had a very balanced approach to his golf. In the summer he would play golf and in the winter when it

BIOGRAPHY Born: 7 June 1986 Turned pro: 2008 Special interests: Sports Career highlights: Winner of the 2011 PGA Championship.

Played in two Ryder Cups and one Presidents Cup. 2015 highlights: Four top-fives on the PGA Tour this season.

Won the CVS Health Charity Classic, an unofficial tournament on the PGA Tour.

2015 Majors: The Masters – T22. US Open – T27. The Open – MC. PGA Championship – T61 NGC record: Debut

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snowed he would happily pack the clubs away and ski competitively.

He was not a child prodigy in the modern sense and didn’t get much attention from the big-name colleges either. And the fact that he and his father spent several months living in a trailer park in Massachusetts, where he slept on a kitchen table covered with cushions, adds to the fact that Bradley was destined not to follow the traditional path of a professional golfer and first learn the ropes at the Majors before winning. He even has his own craft beer called “Keegan Bradley’s New England Style Lager”. And he won’t think twice about warming up for the Masters with a friendly basketball game with the legendary Michael Jordan instead of pounding balls on the range, as he did this year.

Bradley doesn’t shy away from any elements of his childhood either. In fact, he is proud to talk about his trailer-park days and even keeps a photograph of that trailer in a drawer at home as a reminder of what he says was an unbelievable childhood.

Perhaps it’s the kind of balance his childhood instilled in him that enabled him to overcome a triple bogey on the 15th hole of the

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2011 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. That dropped him to five shots behind leader Jason Dufner. Yet Bradley responded with birdies at 16 and 17. Dufner’s three consecutive bogeys saw them tied for the lead after the regulation 72 holes. And Bradley took his chance, winning the three-hole play-off with a birdie and two pars.

It also earned him the title of becoming the first golfer to win a Major with a long putter.

The transition from the long putter to the short one has been a trying time for Bradley, with 2015 yielding no victories apart from his win in the CVS Health Charity Classic, an unofficial tournament on the PGA Tour.

“It’s definitely not my best season,” Bradley said when he hosted his Keegan Bradley 2015 Charity Golf Classic at Woodstock Country Club in August. “There’s stuff I’ve had to get through with the putter, and I think it’s almost a transitional year for me. Hopefully, this year will be kind of a stepping stone to next year and feeling more comfortable with everything.”

A run of four top-five finishes on the PGA Tour this season certainly suggests Bradley is laying the foundation for a solid season to come.

Sharing a laugh with Ernie Els and Jason Dufner during the Els for Autism pro-am at the Old Palm Country Club earlier this year in Florida.

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BRANDEN GRACE

randen Grace returns to the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the second time but as a vastly more experienced player than when he made his debut in 2013.

That year, Grace secured his place in the revamped Nedbank Golf Challenge tournament by winning the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit during a spectacular 2012 season. He won five times around the world in 2012, with four of those wins coming on the European Tour.

That historic season saw him become the first player in European Tour history to win his first four tournaments in the same year. At the time even Padraig Harrington, when asked who he’d most like to play with in world golf, answered, “Branden Grace. I’d love to know what makes him tick.”

Making it to Sun City was just one of the many rewards Grace enjoyed. “I grew up watching this 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,” he said.

This year he comes back as a golfer now being touted as South Africa’s next Major champion.

Grace has had another big year, starting off with his victory in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in January. But it’s in the Majors where he has truly made the greatest strides. He finished tied-fourth in the US Open and third in the PGA Championship. Add his tied-ninth in the World Golf Championship – Cadillac Match Play and tied-seventh in the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, and Grace has indeed taken the next step up in his career. And it’s been a process in which he has learnt from his experiences and applied these lessons very effectively.

Most notably during 2013 and 2014, when his form didn’t quite match the expectation his 2012 season had created.

“I’ve realised that sometimes it’s okay to go back a few steps before you can go forwards,” said Grace. He felt the same when he lost his European Tour card in 2011 and suddenly found himself back on the European Challenge Tour and facing an uncertain future.

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“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 great. Taking a step back was good for me. I kept believing in myself and kept trying.”

His patience has paid off this year, especially in the Majors, where he says he’s learnt from his good friend Louis Oosthuizen that it’s all about biding your time at this level of the game.

“You never know when it will be your week.

I always think of Louis ... . He never really had Major highlights until the Open at St Andrews.

When that happens you just have to take it with both hands.”

Grace also says the experience of the past few years has given him a more realistic view of what he can achieve in the game and when.

“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. 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.”

BIOGRAPHY Born: 20 May 1988 Turned pro: 2007 Family: Engaged Special interests: Movies, hunting, reading.

Career highlights: In 2012 he won four times on the European Tour and five times worldwide. That same year he scored a European Tour record-equalling 60 at Kingsbarns in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Has won nine times as a professional.

2015 highlights: Started the year strong with a one-stroke victory in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on the European Tour in January. Had a watershed year in the Majors and established himself on the PGA Tour.

He further cemented his status as a world-class player with a dominant performance at the Presidents Cup in South Korea in October. He partnered Louis Oosthuizen to 4 wins in 4 matches, then won his singles game to become the first International player to have a perfect 5-0 week.

2015 Majors: The Masters – MC. US Open – T4. The Open – T20.

PGA Championship – 3.

NGC record: Second appearance; 2013 – T20.

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BYEONG HUN AN

ou could say that South Korea’s latest golf prodigy comes from a family who have never really taken their eye off the ball.

Byeong Hun An’s parents, mother Jiao Zhimin and father Ahn Jae-hyung, represented China and South Korea respectively in table tennis at the Olympic Games.

An says he opted for golf because he felt he was too slow and not athletic enough for table tennis.

Spotting their son’s golf talent, his parents sent An to the David Leadbetter Academy in Florida. He flourished and made his breakthrough when he won the 2009 US Amateur Championship with a crushing 7&5 victory over Ben Martin in the 36-hole final at the age of 17, making him the youngest winner in the history of the championship.

In 2011, An turned professional and took the advice of his friend Peter Uihlein’s father, Wally, to start his career on the European Tour. He worked his way through the Challenge Tour and in 2014 became the first

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Korean winner on the Tour with his victory in the Rolex Trophy.

That win lifted him to third on the final rankings that year and earned him a place on the European Tour for 2015.

Yet An chose one of the biggest stages of all to really make his presence felt. At the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, he shot rounds of 67 and 65 on the weekend to win by six strokes and with a tournament record of 21 under par.

An was obviously delighted to have joined an illustrious list of winners of this event. “I looked at their names and a lot of good names up there, famous names. It’s great to be on that trophy with my name on it,” he told the media.

As talented as he is, An brings a healthy dose of realism to his career. When asked why he thought it had taken him so long to claim a big victory such as this, his answer was brutally honest. “I wasn’t good enough. That’s probably the main thing to it. I played the Challenge Tour the last three years and it

BIOGRAPHY Born: 17 September 1991 Turned pro: 2011 Special interests: Football Career highlights: In 2009, at the age of 17, became the youngest winner of the US Amateur Championship.

Also was the first Korean to win on the Challenge Tour when he claimed the 2014 Rolex Trophy.

2015 highlights: Won the BMW PGA Championship by a commanding six strokes to become the first Asian winner of the European Tour’s flagship event.

2015 Majors: The Masters – DNP. US Open – MC. The Open – MC. PGA Championship – MC NGC record: Debut

definitely got me prepared for this big event on the main tour. I was trying to be patient.

I wasn’t in a rush or anything. I was still young. Seems like everything is working the way I wanted.”

An’s BMW PGA Championship victory opened up several doors in world golf for him, including a place in the Open Championship for the next three years. And, of course, it’s earned him a debut appearance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

The Sun City tournament has a proud history of Asian golfers competing at the Gary Player Country Club but it has yet to produce its first Asian winner.

An also has another goal, namely gold for Korea at the 2016 Rio Olympics. His father was a bronze medallist at the Olympics, and his mother won bronze and silver. And he wants to go one better than his parents, whom he says are still his greatest role models.

“Hopefully, I’ll get one of the medals.

It would be nice if it’s a gold. It’s one better than them,” he said.

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P L AY E R P R O F IL E

SHANE LOWRY

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hane Lowry made his debut in the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge, already an accomplished professional. But after an 11th place finish in the 2014 tournament at Sun City, Lowry took a major step up in his career in 2015, when he won the WGCBridgestone Invitational, beating Bubba Watson in the process. He also went on to finish tied-ninth in the US Open in 2015.

There was never any doubt that Lowry was destined for big things in the game. He won the 2007 Irish Amateur Close Championship, establishing himself as among the greats of Irish golf who also won this title such as Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy.

He played golf for Ireland and was on two winning European Amateur Team Championship teams in 2007 and 2008.

Add to this a long list of amateur victories.

But one of his finest was beating Robert Rock in the European Tour’s Irish Open in 2009, making him only the third amateur ever to win a title on the European Tour.

Fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington put the scale of Lowry’s achievement into perspective when he said, “You only have to

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look at the fact it is such a rarity for an amateur to win, such a rarity for an Irish player to win the Irish Open... It is a big deal.”

Lowry decided to turn professional after this triumph. It was a tough transition in which he missed his first three cuts as a professional. A third place in the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan was his only other highlight of the 2009 season.

Lowry made his Major Championship debut in the 2010 Open thanks to an incredible 62 in qualifying at Sunningdale.

He went on to finish 37th in The Open.

In 2012, Lowry showed signs of heading towards another breakthrough when he finished tied-second in the Lyoness Open on the European Tour in July. And in October the win came when he took the Portugal Masters for his second European Tour.

Lowry showed more consistency in a 2013 season. This was highlighted by his third-place finish in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and in 2014 he caught the headlines when he finished second behind good friend McIlroy in the BMW PGA Championship.

BIOGRAPHY Born: 2 April 1987 Turned pro: 2009 Special interests: Gaelic football, hurling, rugby Career highlights: Won his first European Tour title in 2009 and while still an amateur in The Irish Open.

Won the Portugal Masters in 2012.

Broke into the top 50 on the world rankings with a strong 2014 season where he twice finished runner-up.

2015 highlights: Claimed the biggest victory of his career in the WGCBridgestone Invitational, beating Bubba Watson.

2015 Majors: The Masters – MC. US Open – T9. The Open – MC. PGA Championship – MC NGC record: Second appearance; 2014 – 11.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Lowry said afterwards. “If ever there is a thin line between winning and losing, I have just discovered it.”

This season was one of his finest as he went on to claim a tied-ninth finish in the Open, tied-second in the Wales Open, tied-sixth in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, tied-ninth in the Volvo World Match Play, and fifth in the DP World Tour Championship Dubai.

His debut in the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge set the tone for a breakthrough season as he finished tied-sixth in the BMW PGA Championship and tied-ninth in the US Open before his WGC victory made him a PGA Tour winner.

“Hopefully I’ve got a long career ahead of me. I’ve got a good exemption in Europe, a good exemption on the PGA Tour as well. So the future looks okay as of now,” Lowry told the media after his win.

“I think the Irish Open got my career kick-started. It was great for me. But I think this is getting the next stage of my career kick-started. I feel I’ve been playing good golf for the last couple of years. I’ve been in and around the top 50 and trying to get into events and trying to compete and missed a couple of big cuts by a shot or two this year, which is a bit disappointing. I was never too far away. So, yeah, I think this is going to give me the confidence to drive on and win more events and hopefully the flood gates will open.”

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LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN

midst all the talk of a possible Grand Slam by Jordan Spieth in the Majors this year, there was another Slam also being spoken of. That was the “RunnerUp Slam” of Louis Oosthuizen.

Twice this year Oosthuizen came desperately close to adding to his Major tally.

The first was at Chambers Bay in the US Open. Oosthuizen produced an incredible comeback from an opening 77 to eventually finish tied-second just one shot behind winner Spieth.

His final round of 67 included five consecutive birdies on the back nine of a golf course that had dismantled some of the best swings in the game. If he had gone on to win he would’ve become the first player since Sam Parks Jr in 1935 to shoot such a high opening score and win the US Open.

It was a comeback that impressed his fellow professionals.

“It was pretty crazy to think that after what he shot the first day, he was going to have a chance to win the golf tournament,” said Rickie Fowler. “Louis, he’s a very impressive player. I love watching him play. I love watching him hit balls. It’s a very simple golf swing, and he’s also fun to be around.”

Even playing partner Tiger Woods was impressed with Oosthuizen’s play at the US Open. “They [the putts] were going in from all different distances. He was making every single par putt from 10 feet in, so it kept the momentum of the round going, and it kept building and kept building.”

A month later Oosthuizen came close again.

At his beloved St Andrews, where he won the 2010 Open, the South African added to the

drama of an incredible final round when he made par on 17 and then birdie on 18 to join a play-off with Zach Johnson and Marc Leishman.

Oosthuizen and Johnson both made birdie at the first play-off hole, while Leishman bogeyed. Johnson birdied the second play-off hole as well to take a one-stroke lead over Oosthuizen, who parred the hole. Leishman fell out with his bogey here.

Then, on the 18th, the final play-off hole, Oosthuizen missed a 10-footer for birdie, leaving Johnson as the winner.

As frustrating as it was to lose out in both Majors, Oosthuizen took a lot from his fight-back in the US Open and his performance in the Open.

“Any play-off defeat is disappointing and at St Andrews especially – it’s a place where I always feel like I am going to do well,” Oosthuizen said after an emotionally draining Open. “It would have been great to defend at the same course where I’d won before. Not many people have done that so I was really

BIOGRAPHY Born: 19 October 1982 Turned pro: 2002 Family: Wife – Nel-Mare; children – Jana, Sophia, 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 12 tournaments, including back-to-back Volvo Golf Champions titles in 2013 and 2014.

2015 highlights: Finished runner-up in both the US Open and The Open.

Finished tied 5th in the WGCCadillac Match Play and 6th in the Cadillac Championship.

2015 Majors: The Masters – T19.

US Open – T2. The Open – T2.

PGA Championship – T30 NGC record: Fifth appearance; 2010 – 12, 2012 – 4, 2013 – T14, 2014 – T7.

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motivated to get a win that week. But no regrets over how I played that week. I played well. Zach just played a bit better.”

It was while being injury-free at key points during this year that Oosthuizen was able to play some of his best golf again. That has largely been his frustration over the past few years, as much for his fans as for Oosthuizen

“

I love watching him hit balls. It’s a very simple golf swing, and he’s also fun to be around.

Rickie Fowler

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Tiger Woods, Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen sharing a joke during the Open Championship at St Andrews. himself, because when he’s fit there is a general consensus that he is easily one of the best in the game.

His close friends saw this first-hand when Oosthuizen shot a round of 57 at Mossel Bay Golf Club in 2002.

South Africans saw it when he won the 2008 Telkom PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg by 14 shots with a score of 28-under-par 260, including 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.

The world saw it, too, when he won the 2010 Open Championship in St Andrews by a crushing seven strokes. It was a performance that had even his playing partner and

challenger, Paul Casey, in awe. “I just think Louis played some absolutely special stuff.

From where I was standing, he didn’t put a foot wrong,” Casey said.

After he came close to adding the Masters in 2012 before losing to Bubba Watson in a play-off, Oosthuizen said that hurt more than his play-off defeat to Johnson in the Open this year, simply because he felt he played some of his best golf that week at Augusta National Golf Club.

He returns to Sun City as one of the leading figures in a generation of young South African golfers making their mark worldwide and hoping to improve on his best finish in the Nedbank Golf Challenge of fourth in 2012.

Oosthuizen may not have won a Major this year but he did gain something very important from the experience – confidence: “I just needed to prove to myself that when I get in that situation again that I can handle it and I can still hit good shots.”

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P L AY E R P R O F IL E

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BIOGRAPHY Born: 31 August 1984 Turned pro: 2002 Family: Wife – Rosalind.

Child – Olivia.

Special interests: Hunting, cars, flying.

Career highlights: Won his first Major at the Masters in 2011. Has won 12 times as a professional.

Won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit three years in succession in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

2015 highlights: Lost a play-off for the South African Open. Finished seventh in the US Open, and had solid finishes of tied ninth in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play and tied third in the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour.

2015 Majors: The Masters – T38.

US Open – 7. The Open – T68.

PGA Championship – T37.

NGC record: Seventh appearance; 2006 – 5, 2007 – 10, 2011 – 6, 2012 – 2, 2013 – 6, 2014 – T14.

CHARL SCHWARTZEL

erspective should be an attribute that comes quite easily to a helicopter pilot.

But at the sharp end of world golf, where results on the fairways are incorrectly perceived as a reflection of a man’s character and every detail is dissected, perspective requires just as much hard work to maintain as a golf swing.

Charl Schwartzel has spent much of his career trying to remember that in this game, it’s all about perspective.

There was a time a few years ago when he travelled alone into the Namibian desert to try and get some perspective.

He travelled to the town of Otjiwarongo, where he spent two weeks alone to do some soul searching.

“I had a lot of alone time there. It works for me. It’s the best place for me to clear my head.

There’s nothing there to distract me. Sitting there in nature is probably the best place to think

about things,” he said of that time in his life.

Then, one day on that trip, Schwartzel walked into the local hardware store and asked the owner for a carpet offcut.

“What do you want a two-foot square piece of carpet for?” the owner asked.

“To hit golf balls off,” said Schwartzel.

He stood in the desert hitting balls, and slowly the perspective returned.

Two years after that moment, he became a Major champion with his victory in the Masters.

Over the past two years, Schwartzel has required a similar perspective on his career.

“Obviously there have been no wins, and everybody wants to see wins. I want to see wins,” he said of the questions about when he would return to those lofty heights of Major glory.

“From a South African point of view it’s not great,” Schwartzel added of the growing questions about when the next Major victory will come for South Africa. >

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Rory McIlroy competes against Charl Schwartzel in the Turkish Airlines “Gourmet Golf Challenge” prior to the start of the Turkish Airlines Open.

“We’re certainly not opening champagne now. I know a lot of the guys are frustrated by it. I know Louis [Oosthuizen] is. He’s had his injuries. But you know, the skill is still there. It just needs to kick in and we’ll be flying again.”

And Schwartzel understands a lot more about his own journey in this game.

“Having a child (in 2014) and my wife going through a really tough time with the birth where things didn’t go as planned puts things into perspective for me. It was quite stressful, to say the least. So with those changes I don’t think I can be too disappointed with the way I’ve played. I’ve been consistent enough and there’s lots of space for improvement. I honestly don’t think it’s that far away from being really good again. You just can’t push it in this game.”

It perhaps goes unnoticed just how much of a change it is for a largely shy boy from Vereeniging to move to Florida, set up a new home base there and become a father all in a very short space of time, and how this would take a natural settling down period.

“We like it in America. From a family point

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of view, and in the job I’m in, that is the ultimate place to be. I would love to live in Africa still, but America is definitely second best for me. The travelling is a bit easier and I get to see the family a lot. Louis and Ernie live close to me, and Nick Price. It’s a lot like life in South Africa. We braai regularly together and play lots of golf together.”

Fatherhood and the birth of daughter Olivia has also been an adjustment for Schwartzel, but one he has thoroughly enjoyed making.

“It’s been magic. Louis has had three girls, and you know, Louis was always telling me how good it is. I love kids. Even before we had Olivia I always enjoyed playing with Louis’ kids. But it’s true what they say, you never know until you have your own. It’s been like that for me. I suppose you need to ask my wife how involved I am. I’ve got a great wife. She gets up most of the time. If she needs help I get up. If I get asked I’ll do it, but if I don’t get asked, then look, I’ll be honest, I’m going to turn around and sleep.”

Schwartzel also still finds time to indulge his other passion in life – flying.

“I’ve got my fixed-wing licence but I’m doing more helicopter flying at the moment.

It’s just a hobby for me. I do it mainly when I’m in South Africa, which is where I come to shut down and do things I like. Whenever I get a chance to come home I like to go to the bush and do all of the fun stuff.”

Schwartzel is back at Sun City making his seventh appearance in a Nedbank Golf Challenge he would desperately like to win.

He finished second in 2012, coming so close to realising the dream he had when as a boy he watched Ernie Els on the putting green at the Gary Player Country Club, and even nipped under the ropes to steal one of his practice balls.

But as Schwartzel has come to learn, you can indeed not push anything in this game.

“I don’t want to expect anything.

Expectation is not a good thing. I just play,” he once 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.”

But Schwartzel admits that as a young golfer, he naturally thought of the day he would challenge for and win a Major.

Speaking after this year’s US Open, where he finished seventh, and of playing junior golf together with the country’s other young stars such as Oosthuizen and Branden Grace, Schwartzel said, “Those are sort of dreams.

As a junior you maybe talk about it, you putt against each other as juniors on the putting green. You say we’re playing at the Masters and this is for that. I think that’s for all the kids. All the dreams don’t always come true, but these seem to have.”

In the mind of Schwartzel, perspective has given him a new set of dreams to chase.

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P L AY E R P R O F IL E

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WEBB SIMPSON

ebb Simpson will forever have a unique place in the history of golf as the last player to win the US Open with a belly putter.

Simpson’s preferred putter for the 2012 US Open is on the banned list from 2016.

So Simpson, who had in any case begun the process of transition to a traditional putter, decided to retire this one in style. He snapped it in half and it now occupies a place in his trophy case.

“It won the US Open so it’s staying with me,” he told reporters ahead of this year’s US Open.

Simpson’s performance in that 2012 US Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco ranks as one of the most impressive comebacks in the history of the championship.

He came into the Major with finishes of tied 14th in the 2011 US Open and tied 16th in the Open in the same year as his best performances in Majors.

It was only with a 68 in the third round that Simpson pushed into the top 10 on the US Open leaderboard that year.

When he made two bogeys in his first five holes on Sunday, Simpson didn’t look to be challenging for his maiden Major victory.

He then went on a run of four birdies in his next five holes and closed with a 68, which was enough to see him edge out both Graeme McDowell and Michael Thompson by one stroke for the title.

While that was easily the biggest moment of Simpson’s career so far, he had long already started to impress.

Coming from a family of six children in Raleigh, North Carolina, Simpson went through his amateur career as a three-time All American and played on the winning Walker Cup team in 2007.

On his first trip to the PGA Tour’s Qualifying School in 2008, Simpson finished tied 7th and secured his playing privileges for 2009. Four top-10s that year saw him retain his card, and while 2010 was uneventful he did enough again to retain his card.

In 2011 he twice came close to a maiden PGA Tour title, first losing the Transitions Championship by a stroke when he bogeyed the final hole, and then losing a play-off to Bubba Watson for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The latter came after Simpson incurred a one-stroke penalty as he was about to tap in for par on the 15th green and

BIOGRAPHY Born: 8 August 1985 Turned pro: 2008 Family: Wife – Dowd; children – James, Willow Grace, Wyndham Rose Special interests: Sports Career highlights: Won the 2012 US Open. Winner of four PGA Tour titles.

2015 highlights: Finished 48th on the FedEx Cup standings following a PGA Tour season featuring six top-10s, including tied second in the Wells Fargo Championship.

2015 Majors: The Masters – T28.

US Open – T46. The Open – T40.

PGA Championship – T54 NGC record: Debut

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dropped him into the play-off with Watson.

In August of that year, however, Simpson made no mistakes. With a final round of 67 he won the Wyndham Championship in his home state. He and his wife Dowd named their daughter Wyndham Rose after the tournament, and it’s an event that is still close to his heart.

A month later he won again in the Deutsche Bank Championship, and he capped off a watershed 2011, when he lost to Ben Crane in a play-off for the McGladrey Classic, all of which meant that Simpson was hardly an unknown entity when he teed it up at The Olympic Club for the 2012 US Open. But his humility shone through when he said in his interview with the media, “I just gained all the respect for the guys who have won multiple Majors, because it’s so hard to do. The level of pressure is so much greater than a regular event. One of my thoughts on the back nine was I don’t know how Tiger [Woods] has won 14 of these things, because the pressure… I couldn’t feel my legs most of the back nine. It grew my respect for Tiger all the more.”

Then in 2013 he claimed his fourth PGA Tour title when he won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open by six strokes.

A Christian who has his own annual junior golf tournament, Simpson has a lighter side to him that has endeared him to his many fans.

In April this year he snuck into the Olympic Club while in San Francisco and

Simpson tees off on the 14th hole during the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

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decided to recreate the chip and putt he had made to win the US Open there.

Simpson seems to attract a few practical jokes.

At the US Open this year, somebody from the United States Golf Association had fun with his locker name and put a different one up each day. These ranged from “Webbron James” to “Spud Webb”, “Charlotte’s Webb”, “Webbazon.com”, “Webb Street Journal”, “Floyd Maywebber” and “The World Wide Webb”.

He even met his wife Dowd by way of a practical joke, and this from his own father.

According to Mr Simpson Sr, he offered Dowd $100 to take Webb on a date and joked with her that his son wanted to be seen around campus with an older girl.

Dowd was up for the challenge and one date became marriage.

And of course, who could forget the man in the crazy peacock outfit who crashed Simpson’s victory speech at the 2012 US Open?

Perhaps it’s a combination of his firm faith and good sense of humour that even Simpson’s wife says makes for the perfect temperament on the golf course.

“Webb has the perfect disposition for golf. He can shake off one hole and move on to the next. He can shake off one tournament and move on to the next,” she told golf writer Tim Rosaforte.

Simpson himself has an unshakeable belief in his own ability. “I always believed in myself

and knew I had it in me to be a great PGA Tour player. But it took me a while to win in college and I thought it might take me a little while to win on Tour.”

He says he learnt his famous Southern charm from his father, Sam. “I grew up watching Dad with Mom, opening her door.

It was always, ‘Yes, ma’am’ and ‘No, ma’am’.”

Despite the criticism he often receives for it, Simpson stays true to his faith, even embroidering Titus 3:3-7 on the back of his golf cap. “Why bring God into it? Well, He’s in it for me,” he told Golf Digest when he was asked about his public displays of faith.

On the website for his junior golf tournament, The Webb Simpson Challenge, the words on the homepage echo Simpson’s own approach to the game and his career: Glorifying God through the game of golf.

Simpson also gives a lot of credit to his father. “I think my dad just always instilled in me to work as hard as I can. But don’t take it too far to where you don’t enjoy the game. He did such a wonderful job of kind of pushing me but reminding me it’s just a game. If I want to do something he’d be proud of me.

It’s not the end all, be all. At the end of the day it’s just my job. I would tell the kids, enjoy, work hard. If it’s for you, great – if not, find something else you love.”

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P L AY E R P R O F IL E

HENRIK STENSON BIOGRAPHY Born: 5 April 1976 Turned pro: 1998 Family: Wife – Emma; children – Lisa, Karl, Alice Special interests: Music, movies, fishing, cars Career highlights: He was the first Swede to win a World Golf Championship event when he beat Geoff Ogilvy 2&1 in the final of the 2007 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Won the 2009 Players Championship. In 2013 he became the first player to win both the FedEx Cup series and the Race to Dubai in the same season.

2015 highlights: Had another consistent season, finishing second in the BMW International Open on the European Tour. Never missed a cut on the PGA Tour this year and finished runner-up four times for a second-place finish on the final FedEx Cup standings.

2015 Majors: The Masters – T19. US Open – T27. The Open – T40.

PGA Championship – T25 NGC record: Sixth appearance; 2006 – 2, 2007 – 4, 2008 – 1, 2009 – 2, 2014 – 4.

Y

ou’ve got to hand it to Henrik Stenson. If there is one man in professional golf who has the ability to laugh in the face of danger, then it’s the tall Swede.

Asked by Golf Digest about his selfconfessed temper on the golf course, he replied, “To the 7-iron I broke during the 2011 US Open – and the clubs I undoubtedly will break in the future – I humbly apologise.”

Reflecting on how proud he is of his Viking roots, he declared, “If there had been endorsements for hatchets and spears in those days, the Vikings would’ve had their names on everything.”

Yet he’s also a man who speaks openly about things most players wouldn’t dare mention. > NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

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He’s admitted that during a particularly bad ball-striking period in 2001 he was frightened to death of hitting a spectator. He speaks of how he has respect for anybody struggling with the putting yips. And when he reflected on the millions he lost to convicted fraudster Allen Stanford, Stenson said he counts himself lucky he was in a position to make it all back, and more, while most people don’t have that opportunity.

It’s this ability to be so supremely talented with a golf club and yet also charmingly disarming that has made Stenson a worldwide favourite – and nowhere more so than in South Africa.

Stenson makes his sixth appearance in a Nedbank Golf Challenge, where he has one of the most impressive records in the history of this tournament.

Since his debut in 2006 the Swede has never finished worse than fourth in “Africa’s Major”.

His best finish of course was his victory in 2008, when he beat Kenny Perry by a crushing nine strokes. It ranks in the pantheon of great victories in this tournament, led by Nick Price’s 12-shot victory in 1993.

Stenson described his 2008 triumph at the Gary Player Country Club as “definitely one of my greatest achievements”.

But the truth is that his ability to turn around a major slump in his career probably overshadows anything else.

Stenson was at the top of his game in 2009 and then dropped to 230th in the world at the

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Fans watch Henrik Stenson during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts. start of 2012. Amidst the string of missed cuts and loss of form, Stenson also contracted a virus while on holiday in 2011 that sapped him of his energy.

“It was a big slump. They were really tough times. I was really lost with my game. I lost my confidence,” he told CNN. “The most important thing I did was to start working on the long-term planning.

When you are down and out, it’s so easy to go for short-term solutions. The quick fixes don’t work. I think you’ve got to put a plan in place and work towards it – slow but steady progress – and eventually you will get to the point where you want to get.”

Stenson reached that point in 2013. That year he finished second in The Open, third in the PGA Championship and then made history by becoming the first player to win both the FedEx Cup Series and the Race to Dubai in the same season. And he did so by winning the final tournaments on both tours, which lead him to coin this achievement as his “Double Double”.

However, it’s Stenson’s grounded personality that has won him the most fans over the years. His sense of humour is almost as legendary as his skill with a golf club. When he played in the PGA Tour’s Tour Champion-

ship this year, he did so as the only player to have finished in the top 10 in the previous three FedEx Cup tournaments, and the only player in the field to have won the FedEx Cup’s massive $10-million bonus before. So it stood to reason that he was easily one of the form players with a strong chance of victory.

When asked by the media about his chances in a field including Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, he said, “So I still have one more chance and it shouldn’t be too hard to wipe the floor with these guys this week, right? There’s no-one that’s playing great and is sky high on confidence and no-one with a bunch of Majors and no-one hits it 330 off the tee, so it shouldn’t be that hard.” He finished second that week.

It’s been another season of big earnings for Stenson but, having experienced both the highs and lows in this game, he has a unique perspective on this side of his career.

“Like someone said: ‘Money is only paper,’ right? It’s not really going to make you much more happy or extremely sad if you lose a bit.”

He has yet to win a Major but has already made for one of the most memorable moments in professional golf.

During the 2009 WGC-CA Championship at Doral, he hit his ball into a water hazard on the third hole. Deciding to play the shot, he stripped down to his underwear so as not to get his clothes dirty. It remains one of the great moments of tournament golf. And Stenson’s humour shone through as always.

“Let’s face it, I’m no Paulina Gretzky.”

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LEE WESTWOOD

n Saturday 3 December 2011, when the clouds above the Gary Player Country Club rumbled and Lee Westwood shook his fists at them with a third round of 62, there was a moment that summed up the almost artistic genius with which this Englishman plays golf.

That Saturday round was interrupted by a weather delay.

When Westwood was asked after his 62 what went through his mind at the time of the delay, his response was, “What crossed my mind when the siren sounded? I thought it was a good time for lunch. They do a great stir-fry in the Player’s Lounge.”

You could argue that where Bernhard Langer left off as the adoptive son of Nedbank Golf Challenge fans, Westwood has certainly picked up.

Westwood has established himself as one of the greats of the Nedbank Golf Challenge and will be making his 11th appearance in “Africa’s Major”.

He is one of three English champions in this BIOGRAPHY Born: 24 April 1973 Turned pro: 1993 Family: Children – Samuel Bevan, Poppy Grace Special interests: Films, snooker, cars, Nottingham Forest FC. Career highlights: In November 2010 he became world number one for the first time in his career. He was runner-up in both the Masters and Open that same year. In the 2008 Ryder Cup he equalled Arnold Palmer’s record when he went 12 matches unbeaten. In 2000 he won seven tournaments and finished top of the European Tour’s Order of Merit.

2015 highlights: Won the Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour.

2015 Majors: The Masters – T46.

US Open – T50. The Open – T49.

PGA Championship – T43 NGC record: 11th appearance; 1998 – T4, 1999 – 4, 2000 – 2, 2001 – 5, 2004 – T4, 2008 – T5, 2010 – 1, 2011 – 1, 2012 – 5, 2014 – T16.

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tournament, which also includes Sir Nick Faldo and most recently Danny Willett.

His victory at the Gary Player Country Club in 2010 was a staggering display of his worldwide dominance that year, which saw him take the world number-one ranking from Tiger Woods. Westwood demolished the field at Sun City to win by eight shots.

A year later he successfully defended his title, becoming the sixth player in the history of the tournament to do so after Seve Ballesteros (1983 and 1984), David Frost (1989 and 1990), Nick Price (1997 and 1998), Ernie Els (1999 and 2000) and Jim Furyk (2005 and 2006).

In fact, since his debut in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 1998, when he finished fourth, Westwood has only once finished outside the top five, and that was his share of 16th place in 2014.

This year Westwood returns, hoping that the great memories of Sun City will spark something in a game that hasn’t quite been at the high standard he demands, with only one victory on the Asian Tour this year to go with a handful of top 10s on the European and PGA Tours.

But his close friend and European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke believes Westwood’s results in the second half of 2015 did not reflect the standard of his game.

“Lee’s stats of late are seriously impressive,” Clarke said in September. “He’s still in the top echelon of European players.”

Westwood admits his focus has drifted in 2015, but Sun City is quite clearly the kind of venue that can change all of this for him – and South Africa remains like a second home to him.

In 2000 he won the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Sun City – one of the seven victories he claimed worldwide that year.

Westwood is no stranger to finding a way to lift himself out of a drop in form. He famously did so when he dropped to 259th in the world in 2002 and then worked his way back to an eventual spot at world number one.

He has also been a stalwart of the European Ryder Cup team on nine occasions, making some of the most valuable contributions at times when his form hasn’t been the best on the regular tours.

A major triumph still eludes him, even though he has an incredible record of consistency at this level of the game.

From 2009 through to 2013, Westwood finished in the top 10 in two of the four Majors

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every single year. His best year in the Majors was in 2010, when he finished second in the Masters and the Open Championship.

Some might suggest Westwood is comfortable enough not to dwell too much on his lack of a Major victory, but the same drive he showed in working his way back to the top of the game is still very much a part of the Englishman’s make-up.

“I suppose it would be easy to settle for all that I have gained from golf,” he said in July 2013, when he had another great chance at the Open and finished third.

“I could have an easy ride home, returning to my big house and all the advantages my career has gained for my family and me, but,

Having a bit of fun with his caddie Billy Foster during the European Masters in CransMontana, Switzerland.

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you know, I want that Major – and I’m ready to give it everything I have.

“I’ve been doing this for some time now and I’m confident that sooner or later I will get my rewards.”

This year, Westwood announced that for personal reasons he gave up his membership of the PGA Tour and will focus on the European Tour. And he does so with a very clear focus of returning to the kind of form that will earn him an automatic spot on his close friend Clarke’s European Ryder Cup team in 2016, and lift him back to the kind of form that carried him to number one in the world.

“Living in the States, my game didn’t really move in the direction I wanted it to,” he said at the British Masters in October.

“There’s no sort of magic wand you can ever wave. You just have to go back to basics and do the drills and do the work – the hard work on the range that makes you hit it straight and

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close. I’m prepared to work hard. I’m in pretty good shape. I’ve got 42-year-old niggles but the back is still in good shape, and knees and hips and shoulders are all good. It’s just down to hard work, really.”

It’s a recipe Westwood certainly knows well, having followed it at least once before in his career.

While he admits that at this stage of his life his children are his top priority ahead of his golf, it doesn’t mean Westwood doesn’t still care deeply for the game and where it is headed.

On his Facebook page this year he outlined some of his thoughts about this when he said, “[Golf ] needs to be more available to the man in the street. I’m from a working-class background and I started playing on a municipal golf course – there needs to be more municipal golf courses and golf needs to be made more available to everybody.

Obviously, golf could be made less expensive.

Lee Westwood in action during this year’s play at the Augusta National.

It needs to be quicker, with a shorter format – five hours on a Saturday or Sunday is too long to be out of the house. It needs a two-hour format. The hole maybe needs to be made bigger, made easier – it’s a tough game that can become painful at times so it needs to be made fun.”

To temper the serious side of golf, Westwood always has time for a laugh. When he was once asked a series of questions by fans, one enquired about his favourite Ryder Cup moment. The fan in question mentioned hers was spending their first anniversary in an upmarket hotel watching Westwood and co win the Ryder Cup at Medinah.

“Really?” Westwood asked incredulously.

“Watching golf in a hotel room on your anniversary?”

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outh Africa’s ability to punch above its weight in world golf has been well documented through its myriad champion golfers over the decades. But this is equally relevant in the country’s ability to run a highly successful main tour, a development tour and a ladies’ tour in challenging economic times.

It’s almost unheard of that a single economy is able to sustain three professional tours at

the level of the Sunshine Tour, the Big Easy Tour and the Sunshine Ladies Tour. Yet the value in the Sunshine Tour’s product is what Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour, believes lies at the heart of their sustained success.

“We have an affordable offer and our value proposition is fair. The value proposition and the image of golf and the way we run our

business count. As a sponsor, you can get into the game at any of the levels, from the main Sunshine Tour to our feeder tour, the Big Easy Tour, or the Sunshine Ladies Tour. And the package is unbelievable value for money. As a major corporate, advertising in any of the world markets is expensive. Here, through our relationship with European Tour Productions and the TV package we can offer, a company

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

77

SUNSHINE TOUR

gains access to huge exposure around the world. You’ve got programming that creates an opportunity where you have a host segment, so there is an enormous tourism element for our cities that host tournaments.”

It’s a belief shared by Duncan Cruickshank, marketing and communications director of the Sunshine Tour.

“I think other tours, in panic mode, have tried to discount what they’re offering and we haven’t. We know we have a good product.

We know we have good players. We have great platforms from a marketing point of view and through the television product that we offer.”

Grant Wilson, chief operating officer of the Sunshine Tour, adds another perspective when he says, “I think the secret to the Sunshine Tour’s success is to stick to your business. Everybody out there now wants to launch the 20/20 of golf. But the fact is that professional golf works best as a stroke play event over three or four rounds. We’ve stuck to that. We’ve stuck to what works best and haven’t tried to reinvent anything.”

To this, Nathan would also add the backing of one of the most powerful boards in world golf, led by Chairman Johann Rupert, who this year also became the first amateur golfer to be awarded Honorary Life Membership of the PGA of South Africa for his contribution to golf.

“Johann’s influence is enormous. Our players are very lucky to have someone like Johann, who has a life capacity. He knows about golf, business, money, legacy and tradition, and he can impart this to our young professionals. I don’t know of anywhere else in the world where you have a patron like that in golf. His influence is enormous and he puts his money where his mouth is. He’s the longestserving sponsor on our tour and on the European Tour. Why does he do it? For his love of the game and, of course, the value he gets from a business perspective. But if you look at the board of directors of South African golf, you have 10 icons of South African business sitting on that board, working for free, paying their own air tickets, going to meetings and generally contributing to the game. Why do they do it?

They’ve been successful in business and want to give back to a sport they love. We’re lucky to have that,” Nathan says.

This is not to say there aren’t major challenges brought on by a tough economic climate that puts pressure on the rand and sponsors’ support of professional golf in South Africa.

78 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

“Over the past couple of years we have lost one or two sponsors, which have put some of our events in jeopardy but we have managed to replace those sponsors,” says Cruickshank.

“For example, the PGA Championship, which we didn’t have in 2015, will be played again in 2016 with a new sponsor in Eye of Africa. With the Cape Town Open we’ve managed to retain the sponsors and managed to keep that tournament going, so that’s exciting.

“Sun International has come along with a number of new events around the country so the winter section of our tour is looking healthy. Generally, where we’ve lost sponsors or tournaments we’ve managed to replace

George Coetzee holding the trophy after winning the Tshwane Open at Pretoria Country Club in March this year.

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SUNSHINE TOUR

Johann Rupert (left) and Gerry McIlroy during the Pro-Am prior to the Irish Open in May in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

them, so that’s really pleasing from our point of view.”

BMW has been another major new sponsor, as the car manufacturer has taken over the title sponsorship of the South African Open.

“Having a multinational corporate like BMW come on board with a significant investment into a significant golf tournament in South Africa is very pleasing. It’s a multi-year deal and it’s what the SA Open has needed for some time.

“But let’s be honest, times are difficult.

The weak rand with our European Tour co-sanctioned events puts massive pressure on our sponsors, most of whom are local government. So we have to keep making sure that the product we are producing is a really strong one. Right now, even with the weak rand, the value of our worldwide television product is an unbelievable return on investment for our sponsors, including host cities. We still have a very, very strong product.”

As for the future of the Sunshine Tour, Wilson believes it is looking particularly strong.

80 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

“

Johann’s influence is enormous. Our players are very lucky to have someone like Johann, who has a life capacity. He knows about golf, business, money, legacy and tradition, and he can impart this to our young professionals.

Selwyn Nathan

“Our tour is all about consolidation and ensuring that the product we’ve got is secure for the next few years. But our long-term strategy would definitely be to look to the rest of Africa. We already have a good presence with tournaments in Zambia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. We would be silly not to be investigating other opportunities within Africa. As a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, our region is Sub-Saharan Africa. So as economies grow throughout Africa we’ve got to look to opportunities there.”

However, according to Nathan the core principles will remain the same.

“For us there is no such thing as entitlement.

We offer a deal that’s fair value and you pay accordingly. That’s good business practice. The biggest thing about our tour is the retention – keep what you have and grow a little by little.

We’ve worked very hard on this, and through this we found opportunities to create more.

If we can’t retain what we’ve got, we’re never going to grow. So we look after what we’ve got, deliver on this and keep giving good value.”

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The Big Easy of Wimbledon? Maybe not.

As a child, Ernie Els grew up playing rugby, cricket, tennis and golf. At the age of 13 he won his first big tennis championship, the Eastern Transvaal Junior Championship.

At 14 he was a scratch golfer, it was then that he decided that golf was his first love, thank goodness.

Ernie began playing events on the Sunshine Tour at the age of just 16, turned professional in 1989 and went on to win 16 Sunshine Tour titles. He won the U.S Open in 1994 and 1997, The Open Championship in 2002 and 2012. He was European Tour Order of Merit winner in 2003, and 2004.

He was European Tour Player of the year 1994, 2002 and in 2003 and Sunshine Tour of merit winner in 1991/92, and in 1994/95.

Ernie Els is a true inspiration to all South Africans and golfing fans around the world; his easy swing and smile have inspired the young South African golf professionals who ply their trade on the Sunshine Tour too.

The Sunshine Tour is a rare place where champions, current and future, perform at the highest levels. Rich in talent, the Sunshine Tour has set the stage for professional golfers who are determined to continue in the winning traditions of those who have gone before. It all begins here.

Wimbledon maybe, Wentworth definitely.

www.sunshinetour.com

SP ONS ORED F E AT URE

EXTRA-COLD

MOMENTS with THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE HAS SEEN NINE PLAY-OFFS FOR THE TITLE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT A FEW OF THE MOST MEMORABLE.

T

he Nedbank Golf Challenge has witnessed nine play-offs throughout its history, starting with the very first tournament in 1981 when Johnny Miller beat Seve Ballesteros in an epic play-off.

So, in partnership with Nedbank Golf Challenge sponsor Castle Lite, here are the top five play-offs in the history of the tournament, when a player kept extra cold to better the rest.

1

1981 JOHNNY MILLER

2 1998

NICK PRICE AND TIGER WOODS

It was the year Tiger Woods came to Sun City. Woods

AND SEVE BALLESTEROS

was the hottest property in

This was where it all started, and it did so with a

capable of melting the most

bang. The first event to launch “Africa’s Major”

ice-cool customer. But Nick

brought with it a world-class field of golf legends

Price had different ideas.

competing for the game’s first $1-million purse.

Price was already a master

After four epic days at Sun City, it all came down to

of the Gary Player Country

Miller and Ballesteros. And still they had more to

Club. In 1993 he set a

give. It took nine extra holes to separate these two,

tournament scoring record

with Miller eventually taking the title with a par at

with rounds of 67-66-66-

the ninth. And he did so by taking a strange

65. On the par-four 18th in

approach to his very first putt in that play-off.

regulation play, Woods was

Standing over a 25-footer on the first play-off hole,

faced with a chip from the

Miller decided to close his eyes just as he hit the

back of the green. He holed

putt. It went in and kept his play-off alive for a

it in spectacular fashion

further eight holes.

and fist-pumped his way

world golf and a player easily

into a play-off with Price.

They battled it out for five extra holes, and it was on the fifth play-off hole that Price took it with a birdie.

That was only Woods’ second play-off defeat of his career at that point.

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18.

3 2000

ERNIE ELS AND LEE WESTWOOD

Keeping cool with $2 million on the line requires a whole different level of composure. But Els proved himself in this regard in 2000. The winner’s cheque had been doubled to a massive $2 million. After 72 holes, Sun City’s favourite son was tied with Westwood on 20-under-par.

Quite aptly, it only required two big play-off holes to

4 2001

SERGIO GARCÍA AND ERNIE ELS

This one should probably be remembered more for what García did just to get into

settle this one. And it was on the second, the par-four

the play-off. Ernie Els was on fire that week. He went into the final round three shots

17th, where Els took it with a nine-iron to within five feet.

clear of the field, and García was a distant six shots behind the big South African. But

He made the putt while Westwood missed his 11-footer.

he hit back with a magnificent nine-under-par 63 to catch Els. They went back to the

As cool as ice, Els banked golf’s richest first-place

par-three 16th for the first play-off hole. And García showed some more magic when

cheque, admitting afterwards, “It’s difficult to compare

he holed a 20-foot chip from the back fringe to deny Els a second successive

it to a putt to win a Major, but this was the most nervous

cheque for $2 million. An ice-cool moment for the hot-blooded Spaniard.

I have ever been. I guess money does talk.”

5 2005

JIM FURYK AND RETIEF GOOSEN, ADAM SCOTT AND DARREN CLARKE None of the Sun City faithful were begrudging towards this ice-cool moment from Furyk, who is always a true gentleman. Furyk was tied on six-under-par with Goosen, Scott and Clarke after regulation play. South African hearts lay with Goosen, but he bogeyed the first play-off hole to drop out of contention. Local support then shifted to Clarke, who came into the play-off in the hottest form in that final round. But it was Furyk who prevailed when he chipped in on 18 to take the first of his back-to-back Nedbank Golf Challenge titles.

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18.

THE BLACK KNIGHT

Two

MEMORABLE YEARS for GARY PLAYER GARY PLAYER REMAINS THE ONLY NONAMERICAN IN A SELECT GROUP OF ONLY FIVE GOLFERS TO HAVE WON THE ‘GRAND SLAM’ IN GOLF. AND HE DID SO AT THE AGE OF 29. THIS YEAR MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ACHIEVEMENT.

S

Opposite: A 29-year old Gary Player during the US Open at Bellerive where he successfully completed his career Grand Slam.

86 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

ometimes you can be in a rush to become a legend. Gary Player doesn’t deal in “sometimes”.

But that doesn’t mean that sometimes he isn’t still astonished at what took place during a crazy week in Missouri 50 years ago.

After winning the PGA Championship in 1962, Player was hunting the US Open to complete his career Grand Slam. In 1963 he drew a blank. In 1964, the same. And Player was feeling the pressure.

“By 1965 I had won three Majors. Pretty good going, you would think. But now it was no longer a case of ‘Gary Player has won three Majors’, but rather, ‘Which three Majors has Gary Player won?’

The British Open, the Masters, the PGA Championship … and you can see exactly where this was going at the time. The US Open. When will Gary Player win that one? And if I had to be completely honest, at the time it was even a case of some asking if I ever would.”

Few foreigners had won the US Open. Harry Vardon was amongst those who were non-American champions in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ted Ray also achieved the feat in 1920. But it eluded South Africa’s Bobby Locke, and he told Player how much he would’ve loved to have won it.

So Player arrived at Bellerive in a sweltering week in 1965 feeling the pressure of this one great obstacle to his Grand Slam dream.

And there was indeed a lot on the line.

There was the always-intense rivalry between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. By 1965, each of them had won three of the four Majors in the game. For Palmer, the PGA Championship was proving the elusive title. For Nicklaus, it was The Open. And for Player, the US Open.

What happened that week has almost become a part of golf folklore. Player used fibreglass shafts for the first time. He had a 16-year-old caddie on the bag. He went to a local church each day and prayed for that one thing every US Open demands – patience. And he carried a jar of honey on the course that he used for energy. >

THE BLACK KNIGHT

It all came together as Player beat Kel Nagle in a playoff. It’s that victory that capped his career Grand Slam, of which Player and world golf celebrated the 50th anniversary this year.

It remains one of golf’s most incredible achievements. Player is still the only non-American in a select group of only five golfers to have won the career Grand Slam.

Gene Sarazen did it first, followed by Ben Hogan. And then Player, at the age of 29, became the third and youngest to achieve this. He beat Nicklaus and Palmer to this achievement. His status as a truly international golfer gives the Majors an even bigger global footprint.

But the most impressive is the time span of Player’s achievement. It took Sarazen 13 years to win the Grand Slam. It took Hogan seven.

Player did it in six years. Later, Tiger Woods would do it in an astounding three years. And Nicklaus is also on this list.

For Player, it remains one of his greatest achievements.

“From a young age, when I first turned professional, winning the Grand Slam was something I always wanted to achieve. I’d read about Sarazen and Hogan having done it, and

88 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

“

I’m looking forward to leading our top young professionals on the fairways of the Rio Olympics next year.

Gary Player

Bobby Jones winning his own amateur Grand Slam. It was a great moment in my life, and I’m honoured and grateful to have achieved it.”

And this year he has been delighted to revisit all of those memories as his Grand Slam was celebrated everywhere from Augusta National to St Andrews to even Soweto Country Club. Player was invited by Soweto’s legendary golfers to celebrate his Grand Slam with a golf day in the community – one with which he has always shared a special bond.

This has indeed been a memorable year

Gary Player during the US Open in 1965. This year, Player celebrated 50 years since his record-breaking achievement. for Player. He was also asked to captain South Africa’s inaugural Olympic golf team, an honour he humbly accepted.

“I’m looking forward to leading our top young professionals on the fairways of the Rio Olympics next year. This is such a big moment for our country and for the game of golf as a whole, and I’m proud to be a part of this. Golf and the Olympic movement share the same core values, and this will be a very big opportunity to grow the game around the world. And hopefully we can earn South Africa its first Olympic gold medal for a sport that has always done this country proud.”

He also celebrated his 80th birthday in November, with a party at Sun City to coincide with his charity tournament, the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola.

Sometimes you have one of those years you’ll never forget.

For Player, both 1965 and 2015 fall into that category.

14 - 17 January 2016

Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club

Tickets available at www.ticketpro.co.za

T H E O M A N YA M A

SA’s other

‘GRAND SLAM’

CHAMPION OFFICIATING AT THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR MEANT THAT RESPECTED RULES OFFICAL THEO MANYAMA HAS ACHIEVED HIS OWN “GRAND SLAM”. HE IS THE ONLY SOUTH AFRICAN TO HAVE OFFICATED AT ALL FOUR MAJORS, SOMETHING HE SAID MADE HIM FEEL “ON TOP OF THE WORLD”.

T

here’s been a definite Grand Slam theme to this year.

First there was the 50th anniversary of Gary Player’s career Grand Slam. Then Rory McIlroy was headed into the Masters with the chance of completing his own career Grand Slam. Instead Jordan Spieth set the golf world alight with his two Major wins in the Masters and the US Open, sparking talk of a calendar year Grand Slam. Even Phil Mickelson was hunting a career Grand Slam at the US Open before Spieth intervened.

And apart from Player, South African golf celebrated another “Grand Slam” moment this year.

When renowned South African rules official Theo Manyama attended the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits,

thanks to support from the PGA of South Africa, he completed his own Grand Slam of having officiated at all of the four Majors.

It also made him the only South African rules official to achieve this.

Manyama has now officiated at 16 Masters, nine US Opens, 19 Open Championships and one PGA Championship.

He has also been a stalwart of “Africa’s Major” – the Nedbank Golf Challenge. From the inaugural tournament in 1981 to 1989, Manyama served as a marshal during the tournament. In 1990 he became a rules official at the event, and has served in that capacity at Sun City ever since.

Until this year, the only Major lacking from his impressive CV was been the PGA Championship. > NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

91

T H E O M A N YA M A

Manyama has earned the respect of many golf players during his career. Here he shares a laugh with Miguel Ángel Jiménez at the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge.

“

When I was still a professional I made a promise to my wife.

I said to her that one day I’ll stand on the tee at Augusta National Golf Club and they’ll announce, ‘This is Theo Manyama from South Africa’.

Theo Manyama

“They have invited me to officiate there but for various reasons I have been unable to go,” said Manyama.

This year, however, the PGA of South Africa decided to sponsor Manyama’s flights and the PGA of America covered all of his other costs in order for him to attend the one Major he still needed.

“I’m so grateful. I always had that concern that when I tell people what I’ve achieved, I would be missing the PGA Championship from my list. I felt like it was the one thing missing for me. But to now complete my Grand Slam … I feel on top of the world.”

Manyama has long been one of South African golf’s most recognisable officials, beginning his career as a professional and then moving into the rules of the game. As one of a pioneering group of professional golfers from Soweto, the 72-year-old couldn’t fully realise his potential because of the politics of the country.

But he has arguably made a greater impact as one of the game’s foremost rules officials than he could ever have as a player, even earning himself a place in the South African Golf Hall of Fame.

92 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

“When I was still a professional I made a promise to my wife: I said to her that one day I’ll stand on the tee at Augusta National Golf Club and they’ll announce, ‘This is Theo Manyama from South Africa’. I thought that would happen as a professional golfer, but when that day came, it was through my career as a rules official, but I was still just as proud.”

Manyama rose from the dusty streets of Soweto to become one of the most respected rules officials in the game. Apart from the Majors, he’s received invitations to officiate at most of the big tournaments, including The Players Championship and The Presidents Cup. He has also become a familiar face to the biggest names in golf, from Ernie Els to Phil Mickelson to Tiger Woods.

“At one of the first Presidents Cups where I officiated, when Tiger Woods was still new in the game, I remember going to the black-tie dinner with my wife. I had a new camera and I wanted a photo of my wife with Tiger, but I didn’t want to bother him. So I told my wife to stand close to me and then I had Tiger in the background. I lined the two of them up to take the photo. He saw this and came over to me and said, ‘Theo, would you like a photo?’

So we took a photo of the three of us together.

It was great that he recognised me in a room full of very important people.”

Manyama says he is humbled by the response he has received from South African golfers following his own “Grand Slam” achievement.

“I’ve had so many South African golfers and caddies coming up to me and congratulating me, telling me that I’ve made them proud.

Gary Player is the only South African golfer who has won the Grand Slam, and I am very proud that I am the only South African rules official with a Grand Slam in officiating. I can honestly say that is the highlight of my career.

And I truly feel like I have done my part for the great history of South African golf as well.”

Manyama plans to pass on this knowledge through the launch of his own golf academy.

The Theo Manyama Golf Academy will be based at Observatory Golf Club, and he will be offering various courses on the rules of golf.

“I’ve decided to pass on the knowledge of golf rules to those who want to learn. I’ve been teaching caddies the rules for years and I would be very proud to help more South African rules officials to step onto the global stage in the future.”

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JORDAN SPIETH

HEIR JORDAN IT’S BEEN AN AMAZING YEAR FOR JORDAN SPIETH, BUT IT’S ALSO MARKED A HEALTHY DOSE OF COMPETITION AMONG YOUNG PLAYERS IN THE GAME.

96 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

E

verybody in golf knows when was the last time we were so impressed by a single player’s dominance in one year. But let’s be honest, nobody ever thought we’d see that again so soon.

In 2000 Tiger Woods produced one of the most perfect seasons in golf when he won three Majors and nine tournaments in total, establishing himself as a force in the game many believed would never be matched.

Then in 2015 came Jordan Spieth with two Majors and five wins in total, and he quickly climbed to the top of a whole new shift in generational dominance in golf.

The young American won the first two Majors of the year, then finished tied fourth in the Open and second in the PGA Championship before winning the Tour Championship and the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup. It unleashed the kind of superlatives that previously belonged to Woods.

With his victory in the Masters, Spieth tied Woods for the best 72-hole score in the Major’s history of 18-under-par. His 26 birdies that week is a Masters record. At 21 he was the second-youngest winner of the Masters after Woods. Then Spieth became the youngest winner of the US Open since Bobby Jones in 1923 when he claimed the title at Chambers Bay. That also made the blond 22-year-old the first man to win the first two Majors of the year since, yes, Woods.

For longer than a decade, Woods’s dominance was so complete that it was assumed we would never see his like in golf again. He was younger and stronger and a more complete player than any before him. Yet what he did in raising the bar so significantly was set the stage for his opponents to become younger and stronger.

In 2014, Rory McIlroy won the last two Majors of the year – the Open and the PGA Championship. He was 25.

“No doubts, now the Northern Irishman is on the fast track to greatness. This was his fourth Major Championship win out of the last 15 played, and all at the age of just 25.

Welcome to the Rory era, and what an exciting time it is going to be,” was how British golf writer Derek Lawrenson chose to describe it in The Daily Mail at the time.

About 10 months later and the “Rory Era” was already a distant memory as The Spieth Slam took centre stage. And Spieth was only 22.

Geoff Ogilvy told Golf.com after the Masters that what he admires most about Spieth is his maturity. “His composure is Bernhard Langer-like, which is incredible for 21. That’s his X-factor.”

It’s a sentiment that was echoed by Phil Mickelson’s veteran caddie, Jim Mackay, when he told journalists at The Open, “I think he’s gifted between the ears. When I say gifted, I mean like Jack Nicklaus-gifted.

Jordan is going to do amazing things because he is such a killer between the ears.”

Spieth is also a gifted putter. “I don’t know what his stats show, but I do know that 10-30-foot range is pretty ridiculous. I want to say that 20-25 feet he’s making like almost

Above: An elated Jordan Spieth after winning the 115th US Open. Pictured here with Louis Oosthuizen and Thomas O’Toole Jr, president of the USGA. Below: Spieth with his caddie Michael Greller on the 18th green during the final round of the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

30% of putts. He’s making more than one out of four. That’s a joke… But I think what really sets him apart is the intangibles… He has the ability to just get it done,” Zach Johnson told the media during the PGA Championship when asked to define what he believes make Spieth so good.

There is no doubt that, as gifted a putter as Spieth is, it is indeed between the ears where his future dominance will rise and fall as his

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

97

JORDAN SPIETH

greatest challenges will not be golf-related.

For the 95 weeks that McIlroy was world number one and living life in the sharpest point of the spotlight, everything from his failed relationship with Caroline Wozniacki to his financial affairs and his game was put under the microscope.

Martin Kaymer spent eight weeks as the world number one and admits it almost broke him.

“The circumstances around it make it difficult,” he said. “Once you get there you know it’s something very special and you are very proud of it, but to maintain that level is very difficult because of the expectations of other people. Apparently, you’re the best player in the world. It takes some time to get used to the thought that you’re quite a big athlete in the world.

“If I reached that point again, I would say no to a lot of the things I got invited to. You “Doubt is death.” get offered a lot of nice things that you always Those are the words Jason Day would scribble on a whiteboard as he and his wanted to do in your life, or that you were coach worked through their strategy to conquer the golf world. dreaming of when you were young. Then all of When Spieth won the first two Majors of the year, it seemed the Player of the Year a sudden you have the opportunity to do all of debate was done and dusted. Then Jason Day won four tournaments in the second that, and you say, ‘Why not?’ But then you lose half of the season, one of them the PGA Championship. a lot of time for practice and your private life.

Day currently holds the world-number-one ranking, with Spieth second and Rory “Sometimes you have those moments where McIlroy third, although this has been fluctuating on a weekly basis since August. you’re not really happy, and you wonder why.

The obvious question is whether, following an era when Tiger Woods stood tall You’re playing good golf, financially you’re fine, and nobody was able to challenge him, do we finally have a meaningful rivalry your family is fine, but you’re still not happy in golf? because you don’t have time for yourself.”

Maybe it’s too early to say. Perhaps at this point we have three very interested At that point Kaymer expressed his parties. admiration for how McIlroy, then 23, was But a real rivalrly? You know, the kind like Jack and Arnold. handling being world number one. There is no Palmer had won four Majors by the time a young Nicklaus came around and, telling what the German’s thoughts would be in 1962, beat the elder statesman to win his first Major in the US Open. around an even younger Spieth dealing with this.

And then it began.

Perhaps this, more than anything Woods Palmer won the 1962 Open. Nicklaus won the 1963 Masters and PGA has done in his career, is a more Championship. Palmer won the 1964 Masters. Nicklaus won fair yardstick of just how the 1965 Masters. From Nicklaus’ first Major in 1962 to Palmer’s Unlike in the Woods era, dominant he was in the game. The last in 1964, they won six out of 12 Majors between them. today’s young players fact that for 683 weeks when his That’s the kind of rivalry golf can produce. are not awestruck. life was, more than is usual even However, it may just be that the very thing that defines this Spieth, Day and McIlroy for him, never his own as the generation of champions may be the thing that stops any see no reason why they world number one he was still potential rivalry from developing – their youth. cannot beat each other. able to perform at the highest This year the explosion of young champions around the world level on the golf course. has reached a climax.

Perhaps in 10 years’ time we’ll be Unlike in the Woods era, today’s young players are not awestruck. Spieth, Day marvelling at how Jordan Spieth did all and McIlroy see no reason why they cannot beat each other. And likewise, none of of this and more – and better than Woods. their opponents will defer to them either – not as much as players of the previous Unthinkable? generation did to Woods.

At one point, hearing a golf commentator They all believe they’re great, and that this is their time. declare, “He is in the zone and he is “Doubt is death” could well be the motto of every one of these bright young unreachable, untouchable, unreal” and having things on Tour. it not refer to Woods was unthinkable.

That may well be where golf’s current rivalry lies. Not among three players.

This year, we heard it quite often as Heir But in the question of, “Who’s next?”

Jordan took the crown from Woods.

Do we have a rivalry?

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SA’s

BIG

“

3

”

fairway friends

SA’S BIG 3

OVER THE YEARS LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN, CHARL SCHWARTZEL AND BRANDEN GRACE HAVE FORGED A FRIENDSHIP THAT HAS BEEN NURTURED BOTH ON AND OFF THE COURSE. THERE ARE MANY WINS IN STORE FOR THE TRIO, OOSTHUIZEN BELIEVES. THE ONLY QUESTION IS “WHO WILL BE NEXT?”

I

t’s one thing sharing tips on how to play the Old Course. It’s another sharing ideas around balancing fatherhood and the life of a travelling professional. Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace are three golfers who have forged a close relationship on the course and an even closer one off it. And it could make for some exciting years to come in South African golf.

Gary Player had his Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and José María Olazábal had his Seve Ballesteros.

Something equally special is busy developing between the trio of Oosthuizen, Schwartzel and Grace, and it would hardly be surprising if South Africa’s next Major victory comes from this group.

Oosthuizen certainly believes this.

“I know there are more Majors out there for us to win,” says the most senior member of the trio, and a man who has emerged as a grounding force and inspiration in this group.

After the decades-long exploits of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, it was this humble Mossel Bay golfer who set the benchmark for the new generation when he won the 2010 Open Championship.

Schwartzel followed with a victory in the 2011 Masters.

Since their respective Majors, both have performed consistently well at this level.

Oosthuizen, despite his injury setbacks, has had four top-10s in his last 19 Majors.

Schwartzel has weighed in with three top-10s in his last 19 Majors.

This year, Oosthuizen was back to his best with two runner-up finishes in the US Open and The Open. In 2012 he came close to a Masters victory before he was beaten

by Bubba Watson in a play-off.

Grace has taken a leaf out of both of their

yardage books and this year announced himself as a future Major contender when he finished tied fourth in the US Open and third in the PGA Championship.

“I know what it feels like to be in the hunt in a Major and I definitely want my name on one of those trophies,” Grace said of this watershed year at the highest level of the game.

All three feed off of each other, and it’s a mix that could unlock a potentially great South African golf dynasty – and one strengthened by their relationship off the fairways.

They play practice rounds together, braai together, and will soon live close to each other.

“As a group we are really close,” says Oosthuizen. “Charl has just finished building his house about 300 metres down the road from me in Florida. And Branden is looking to buy close to us somewhere in Palm Beach.

So yes, we have a very good relationship.”

Grace has the benefit of learning from two players who’ve done what he wants to do next.

And as the hungry young star, he will also be a key motivating factor that could push this group to great heights over the next few years.

A look at how he and Oosthuizen performed in the 2015 Presidents Cup is the perfect example of this.

First they cruised past Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed 3&2 in the opening foursomes, and then they rolled over America’s number-one pairing, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, 4&3 in the Friday fourballs.

Oosthuizen’s influence on both Schwartzel and Grace has been only positive. When Schwartzel won the 2011 Masters, he referred to Oosthuizen’s Open victory the year before as his inspiration. More importantly, it provided the realisation that this new young breed was ready to win Majors. > NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

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When Grace won the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship during a banner year for him, he paid tribute to the calming influence of Oosthuizen on him that week.

“I stayed with Louis and his family in St Andrews that week. Every night we had dinner together, we went to functions together, and I played golf with the kids... It just really helped me relax and get ready for it. Waking up in the morning and hearing his little girls laughing, it made me feel like I had no worries in the world. And during our practice rounds, Louis showed me the correct lines off the tees on the Old Course.”

When it comes to making a breakthrough in the Majors, Grace is also happy to learn his lessons from Oosthuizen’s career.

Schwartzel and Oosthuizen during a practice round before the start of the 2015 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.

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“You never know when it will be your week.

I always think of Louis when it comes to that.

He never really had Major highlights until the Open at St Andrews. When that happens you just have to take it with both hands.”

On an entirely different level, Schwartzel has grown into fatherhood with the experience of watching his good friend Oosthuizen balance this and a career in professional golf.

“It’s been magic. Louis has had three girls, and you know, Louis was always telling me how good it is. I love kids. Even before we had Olivia I always enjoyed playing with Louis’ kids. But it’s true what they say, you never know until you have your own. It’s been like that for me.”

And for Oosthuizen, it’s these moments and this bond that keeps inspiring him as well.

“It was nice of Charl to say after his Masters win that I inspired him a bit. I know we feed off each other. I like the way Branden approaches things. He does his own thing and nothing really upsets him. He is definitely someone who will win loads more events.”

Oosthuizen is also confident that, as a group, the three of them have a lot more to prove and achieve in this game, and they believe that now is their time to do just that.

“

I think it has become more and more difficult to win tournaments with a few guys doing amazing things on the golf course. But I know there are more Majors out there for us to win.

Charl Schwartzel “I definitely think so. We’ve seen Branden coming through at the US Open this year and we all know he is a Major winner in the near future.

I think it has become more and more difficult to win tournaments with a few guys doing amazing things on the golf course. But I know there are more Majors out there for us to win.”

The trio shows respect for the South African stars that came before them, none more so than Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.

Grace was the most visible reminder of this when he spoke of his awe at competing against Els and Goosen in a play-off at The Links for the Volvo Golf Champions in 2012.

“I remember that I wasn’t really nervous in regulation play until I got to 18. When I stood over that last four- or five-foot 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. It was, literally, sign the scorecard, get out there and keep going to the play-off. I got on the tee, and there the two big men were. I said, ‘Howzit. Howzit’.

And off we went.”

And then he beat them.

“Standing on the tee with Ernie and Retief in the play-off was unbelievable. It’s one of those awesome things to know I’ve beaten two of my idols in a play-off.”

Oosthuizen speaks with a similar reverence of those who came before him, and the responsibility this group feels to step into their golf shoes going forward.

“I think all of us will always look up to Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and try and achieve what they have achieved. And I believe it’s now time for us as a group to pick up where they left off.”

SP ONS ORED F E AT URE

TOURNAMENTof CHAMPIONS... and Charities THE TELKOM SUPERSPORT SHOOTOUT TOOK PLACE IN FINE STYLE EARLIER THIS YEAR.

A

s it moved into its 12th year of existence, the Telkom SuperSport Shootout added some new elements, making for an even more enjoyable and competitive environment over the weekend of the event.

The most obvious change was the heralding of a new title sponsor in Telkom, an excellent partnership with SuperSport given the extensive collaboration between the companies at a corporate level and the continued growth of content provision over broadband platforms.

Executives from both companies were in attendance, along with clients, service providers, event sponsors from the business world, key political and government representatives and, of course, the stars of South African sport – past and present – who have always given the Shootout its competitive edge.

For the fourth consecutive year, the event was staged at the magnificent Zimbali Coastal Resort on KwaZuluNatal’s North Coast, two most significant features of which are the superb facilities at the five-star Fairmont hotel and the Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course.

While, as in previous years, there were competitions for the best individual net medal score and a betterball competition, 2015 saw the introduction of a Ryder Cup-styled team competition, pitting the skills of Team Telkom and Team SuperSport against each other.

The first nine holes of the first round were played using the greensomes format, with both members of each pair hitting a tee shot on

each hole, deciding on the better of the two and then playing foursomes (alternate shot) from there. After nine holes team points were earned based on each pair’s net score compared to that of their opponents.

From then it reverted to each player playing his own ball to contest the individual and betterball competitions, but with team points on the line as well via one betterball and two individual match-ups between the teams in each fourball.

The teams each had two captains, one “inside the ropes” and one “outside the ropes”, with chairman Jabu Mabuza and CEO Sipho Maseko doing the respective honours for Team Telkom, and Multichoice CEO Imtiaz Patel and chairman Nolo Letele for Team SuperSport.

On the Wednesday before the event, Captains Mabuza and Patel met SuperSport presenter Carol Tshabalala in a TV studio in Johannesburg to record the team selection process, in which the captains strategically picked their pairings to represent their teams.

What was immediately obvious was the increased level of competitiveness added via the team format with both captains and players engaging in a healthy amount of pre-tournament banter, most notably among the sports stars across all codes.

Incredibly, in the greensomes competition, Team Telkom won six of the last seven points available to claw themselves back from a heavy deficit to be on even terms following this new format.

They then pulled away from SuperSport over the next nine holes > NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

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of individual and betterball play to hold a commanding 15-point lead overnight, leading to some very confident predictions from their captain at the charity dinner that evening and some equally canny comments from Team SuperSport’s leadership around the importance of letting their new title sponsor win to ensure that they come back next year!

Day two was fiercely contested and, in an extraordinary turn of events, the outcome of the entire match came down to the results in the final fourball on the course, with Team Telkom taking all the points on offer to win the overall contest by just two points – 117 to 115 – and bring an excellent first edition of the team competition to a thrilling close.

The individual net competition was won by former tennis professional Kevin Ullyet, who also paired up with James du Preez of Price Waterhouse Coopers to take the betterball title.

The day before the tournament, the traditional ABSA Superskills challenge was contested by five pairings, with former Springboks Breyton Paulse and Chester Williams reclaiming the title they had relinquished the previous year. They were made to work hard for it, though, narrowly ousting former Bafana stars Shaun Bartlett and Neil Tovey in a play-off.

Among all the winners and success stories, the most significant beneficiaries of this event are the charities, all of which involve the nurturing and education of underprivileged South African children.

Past beneficiaries, the Gozololo Centre for Needy Children and the Jacob G Zuma RDP Education Trust were once again recipients of funding, while 2015 saw the addition of LIV Villages as a nominated charity, their founder Tich Smith being a past individual winner of the Shootout.

Through the generosity of sponsors and players, the overall funds raised over the years broke through the R23-million mark and Team Telkom left Zimbali with the trophy for 2015, having written an exciting new chapter in the evolution of South Africa’s “Tournament of Champions”.

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SP ONS ORED F E AT URE

SA’s new

ELITE SQUAD READY TO DEVELOP

young stars

THIS YEAR THE NATIONAL ELITE SQUAD WAS LAUNCHED IN SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF UNDER THE AUSPICES OF GOLF RSA. CEO GRANT HEPBURN HAS A CLEAR VISION FOR THE YOUNGSTERS JOINING THE RANKS – IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING TALENT IN SUCH A WAY AS TO BETTER PREPARE THEM FOR A LIFE IN PROFESSIONAL GOLF.

A

t the age of 13 many in golf were already talking about him as a superstar. He made his debut in The Open when he was only 14 years old. At 17 he won The Open for the first time. He went on to win The Open a record four consecutive times. Woods, McIlroy, Spieth, Day, Fowler – all would drool over such stats.

Young Tom Morris was golf’s original child prodigy. Youth and success in this game are hardly anything new. We thought it was crazy when Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters at the age of 21. Or when Rory McIlroy became

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world number one at 22. Or when Jordan Spieth won two Majors by the age of 22. Or when Morgan Pressel and Lydia Ko won Majors at 18. Never mind Ko winning the Canadian Open at the age of 15 and becoming world number one at 17.

And there are countless other examples.

There is no doubt that golfers are getting better younger. At the time of writing, world number one McIlroy was 26, world number two Spieth 22 and world number three Jason Day 27. The combined age of the top three golfers in the world was five years younger

than Gary Player. For goodness’ sake, at 36, world number four Bubba Watson must feel like he’s on the Champions Tour.

Yet a look at the South African junior golf circuit confirms this global trend. In the women’s game, in particular, where once there was a very distinct senior and junior national ranking in women’s golf, the two have now almost merged and the juniors occupy the top spots in the senior rankings as well. The question is, what to do with all this talent?

The launch of the National Elite Squad is the most direct answer to this question.

IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE NATIONAL ELITE SQUAD

With a generous R10-million donation from Johann Rupert, the squad was launched under the banner of the newly formed Golf RSA and under the leadership of CEO Grant Hepburn.

The squad includes players selected from the South African Golf Association rankings, Women’s Golf South Africa and the South African Golf Development Board. They will be put on a high-performance programme that will give them access to the national camps, where they will be exposed to the best experts in South African golf – from equipment and apparel through longstanding South African

amateur golf partner Titleist to top coaching and mental and nutrition advice.

There will even be advice for parents of top young golfers to assist them in making sure their children play in the right tournaments and generally to guide them through the process of better managing their children’s golf careers.

The aim of the squad is to ensure greater international success for South African amateur golf. But it has an equally important function of keeping the country’s top young golfers in the amateur ranks for longer, so better preparing them for a career as a professional.

“The vision behind the National Elite Squad is to provide the environment where our top men’s and women’s amateurs can perform on the international stage. We want to make sure we get better results at the major international amateur events,” says Hepburn.

“One of the reasons we identified as to why we are not performing better on the international stage is that our amateurs run to the professional ranks too quickly.

“If you look at the PGA Tour, the majority of the players there have come through a two- or three-year process at college before they get

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

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onto the Tour. So they leave college at about 22, 23 or 24 years of age. Our golfers are turning pro at the age of 18 or 19. Our vision is that this National Elite Squad will better prepare them for life as a professional.”

It’s a vision shared by the Sunshine Tour. “This is a very positive step for the development of South Africa’s emerging talent,” said Selwyn Nathan, chief executive of the Sunshine Tour.

“Each year we welcome the top amateurs into the professional circuit, but we watch with concern how they struggle to adjust to the paid ranks. The elements contained in the programme will deliver more developed, mature and prepared golfers to the Sunshine Tour.”

According to Hepburn, the ongoing selection of players for the squad will not be based entirely on their position on the national rankings.

“Under Golf RSA we already have a selection committee in place. We’ll obviously be looking at the top players in the country but also at the commitment a player shows.

A player may be ranked lower on the national rankings, not because of a lack of talent but rather a lack of opportunity or funding. So we’ll be looking for players whom we believe, with the right help, could make it.”

The establishment of the National Elite Squad has been a longstanding project for Hepburn, and one that he says became a reality at the perfect time.

“We had long spoken of the need for such a programme to nurture South Africa’s next generation of talent. Mr Rupert’s generosity and foresight and the funds that he contributed happened to coincide with a perfect meeting of minds in South African amateur golf to make this a reality – and it is a very exciting time for our golf at the moment.”

There is no doubt that the National Elite Squad is perfectly placed to harness the wealth of men’s and women’s golf talent in South Africa.

“There are so many good players out there now,” says the top-ranked women’s player Ivanna Samu. “It used to be that you could shoot over par and still win a women’s amateur tournament. Now you have to shoot under par to win, and many times we’ve shot some low scores and still had to go into a play-off. Women’s junior golf in South Africa is improving all the time.”

When Izel Pieters returned from college at Mississippi State to compete in the Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur Championships at Kloof

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“

One of the reasons we identified as to why we are not performing better on the international stage is that our amateurs run to the professional ranks too quickly.

Grant Hepburn, CEO of Golf RSA

Country Club this year, she’d been out of the local golf circuit for a year.

“After such a short time I can’t believe how many new young faces there are out here now,” said the 21-year-old.

And on the Glacier Junior Series, South Africa’s most popular junior golf series with 21 tournaments around the country and a National Final, the really young golfers teeing up in the B and C Divisions are often no taller than their drivers or their golf bags. Yet their appetite for the game is intense. The rush to turn professional or specialise too early on just on golf is a concern shared by some of the country’s top golf coaches.

“Often you can get burnout as a result of early specialisation,” says South African coach Doug Wood, who works with many of the country’s top men’s and women’s professionals.

“The child looks like he or she is going to be a superstar golfer at the age of 10, but by the age of 17 they’re not even playing golf any more because it’s no longer fun. I try to let the kids follow their natural growth patterns.

Some kids might be exceptional when they’re 15 and others when they’re 18. But I try to let this follow a natural progression.

“After the age of 16 you can let them specialise but, before that, let them play as many sports as they can. Other sports have such an influence on patterns for golf, whether it’s turning, balance, hand-eye coordination and more. Other sports will enhance your end outcome in golf greatly.”

Skill development and allocating the necessary time to this are two other important factors in the progression of a junior golfer and currently being debated in the United States.

Speaking to The Golf Channel, Louisiana State University coach Chuck Winstead said he was concerned with what he said is the “sprint versus marathon” approach of many junior golfers.

“It seems that more and more people are in there trying to sprint to the finish line as opposed to just developing skill, having fun with the game and continuing to allow their results to speak for themselves.”

It’s a philosophy with which Hepburn agrees.

“I think the beauty of the National Elite Squad is that we will have a team of experts to make sure that our top amateurs get the very best of what they need to succeed. It’s going to mean great things for our international amateur golf going forward and ultimately will help to ensure that we keep producing even better professional golfers.”

IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE NATIONAL ELITE SQUAD

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THINGS TO DO

Top 5 things

TO TRY AT SUN CITY PLENTY OF FUN AWAITS!

S

o let’s assume you’ve already ticked the box of attending the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. That’s a pretty obvious one when it comes to the absolute must-do activities at Sun International’s flagship resort – but that is certainly not where it ends.

Since 1979, Sun City has been offering visitors a world of activities and experiences. And there are a couple of things you have to do to make sure you’ve had the full Sun City experience. Here are our top five. >

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THINGS TO DO

DO THE IMPOSSIBLE Sun City specialises in making the impossible a reality, such as making you pack a pair of baggies and flip-flops for a trip to the North West, and ensuring that you can walk on a beach and swim in the waves at a resort in the middle of an extinct volcano! The Valley of Waves remains a special experience. Enjoying the waterslides, the Lazy River tube ride and the wave pool, or simply hanging around on the beach is one of those things you can’t miss out on.

THE MAZE The largest permanent maze in the southern hemisphere is pretty impressive. Designed to resemble ancient ruins, you’ll find yourself channelling your inner Indiana Jones before you know it. And the best part of it is that the Pilanesberg Brewery Bar, offering a wide range of local craft beers and an incredible view of the resort, awaits you at the end of the maze. An afternoon trip through the maze and then watching the sun set over the Pilanesberg mountains seem as good a way as any to end another awesome day at Sun City.

EXPLORE WITH YOUR TASTE BUDS Sun City is continually introducing new restaurants and bars, and it’s up to you to explore every one of these. The Shebeen is an incredible slice of South African culture and perfect for an evening of good food, local music and even a bit of pool.

Also, make sure to try The Brew Monkey or the Harvest Grill and Wine for something different or our very own Legends Restaurant.

THE ZIPSLIDE AND SEGWAY TOUR There are a myriad of outdoor activities at Sun City, including a feast of watersports at Waterworld. Yet we opted for these two activities for good reason, namely to prove that at Sun City you can choose your level of adrenalin. A chance to take on the world’s fastest zipslide does not come by very often. From your perch at 280m, you’ll reach speeds of up to 120km/h – bound to thrill even hard-core adrenalin addicts. For those looking for their thrills in the slightly less fast-and-furious department, however, the Segway tour is a must. It’s a great way to see parts of the resort you never knew existed.

THE JET SET If you think only world famous golfers have all the fun, then think again.

Waterworld has a brand new offering called the Jetovator. Basically, this is an accessory (a hose) that connects to a personal watercraft and allows you to zoom around the Sun City lake, but while 25 feet in the air. You can dive, do backflips and barrel rolls. Think Iron Man with a costume. And it’s perfectly safe. You’ve just nailed your top Instagram pic for the holidays.

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SPORTS TRUST

Grant Hepburn, MD of SAGDB, receiving this year’s donation cheque from funds raised from the Sports Trust Golf Challenge. He is with Hannelie Scholtz (left) from Nedbank, Nicole Turner (right) from Sun International, and the development golfers.

HOPE beyond the SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND SOUTH AFRICAN DISABLED GOLF ASSOCIATION SUPPORTED BY THE SPORTS TRUST.

I

t has been another big year for golf development in South Africa as The Sports Trust and its partners Sun International and Nedbank have helped to drive the future growth of South African golf.

And this growth has been seen in all areas, from the development of a new South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) chapter in the North West, to the continued rise of the

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FAIRWAYS South African Disabled Golf Association’s (SADGA) First Swing Program.

This is the true value of the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the money raised by The Sports Trust Challenge, which is played the day after the Nedbank Golf Challenge and which since 1999 has raised millions for golf development.

“The Sports Trust’s focus is to increase access to sport, particularly in schools in previously disadvantaged areas and communities,” says Anita Mathews, Executive Director of The Sports Trust.

“The Sports Trust Golf Challenge is our premier fundraiser to support golf development and other sport development programmes. This year’s beneficiaries are the South African Disabled Golf Association and South African Golf Development Board. They

both continue to increase awareness for the game of golf, bringing it to all regions in South Africa for both able and disabled golfers. This is fundamental to identifying and nurturing the talent of our future golfing heroes.

These programmes are helping to enhance education through sport and keeping children away from the social ills of society.

“We are very grateful to our partners and founding trustees, Nedbank and Sun International, for their continued commitment to sport development in our country.”

For Sun International, the greater impact of the Nedbank Golf Challenge is the development work it is able to support through The Sports Trust.

“Sun International and Sun City are closely aligned to hosting a Nedbank Golf Challenge

The South African Golf Development Board continues to increase awareness for the game of golf and identify and nurture young golfers

that ensures financial, social and ecological sustainability. This is as much a part of the future of the Nedbank Golf Challenge as it is the future of South African golf, and we are proud to play a part in this,” says Alastair Roper, Sun International Tournament Director for the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Nedbank’s commitment also extends well beyond its sponsorship of “Africa’s Major”.

“As a founding trustee of The Sports Trust we are committed to ensure that our support of golf has an impact beyond just the week of a tournament, and that through this game we help to make a difference in the communities and projects supported by The Sports Trust and its beneficiaries,” says Tobie Badenhorst, Head of Cause Marketing at Nedbank.

SAGDB EXPANDS TO NORTH WEST

The SAGDB received a timely donation of R450 000 as the organisation broke new ground in the Rustenburg area this year. A total of 14 boys and 6 girls from the Phokeng area are already a part of this chapter.

“They train once a week, and we are planning to have them start training at school

four times a week by next term,” says head coach Henri Kruger, who has high hopes for their potential.

“We would like to have players who can compete at Provincial and National level before they exit school. But we also want to develop the players’ character in totality through golf and also to spread the game of golf to young children.”

The talent is already starting to show in this new chapter, with Obakeng Leseyane (17 years old), Tetelo Matsose (15), Sizwe Kubeka (16), Lebone Choabi (16) and Nthati Masebelanga (14) amongst the standout golfers in the group.

But it is the greater effect that golf is having on these individuals that is equally impressive.

According to their teacher, Kabu Mokgethwa, “The learners have improved their level of discipline, focus and persistence in their academics, and golf has taught them the value of patience in their interaction with different people. They have started to appreciate that you need to work hard at achieving your goals...”

For Kruger, this is the platform from which he hopes to ensure that these children have a future through golf.

“Our aim is to have students continue in the golf industry after school. Not only just playing the game, but maybe teaching it or becoming golf directors or even greenkeepers. We want to teach them to love all aspects of golf because that is how we are going build this industry.”

Grant Hepburn, the MD of the SAGDB, reiterated how important the support of The Sports Trust and its partners are to this process.

“It is very satisfying for us to be able to accept this kind of donation in the North West, where we opened up operations this year. The SAGDB now has coaching centres in all nine provinces and we work in partnership with all 14 of South Africa’s golf unions. We always aimed to be a truly national programme, and working together with the SA Golf Association and its affiliated unions, we have now achieved that.

“The support we get from The Sports Trust has also been a huge part of taking us to this point. It has enabled us to build capacity and create more opportunities for the most talented and dedicated players in our coaching programmes. We are so grateful for their continued assistance and their commitment to growing the game of golf across South Africa.”

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

121

SADGA’S FIRST SWING PROGRAM CHANGING LIVES

The South African Disabled Golf Association continues to go from strength to strength as its First Swing Program and the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open continue to redefine what is possible in the minds of the South African golf public.

The First Swing Program is a series of clinics conducted at schools across South Africa for disabled children, youth and adults.

It focuses on rehabilitation and education through golf to create eye-ball coordination, body movement skills for golf, and a competitive environment to help instil a feeling of confidence in the children.

Children with physical disabilities receive golf coaching, while children with severe physical disabilities that would never be able to play a round of golf on a regular golf course are also taught the basics of golf in order to enhance muscle movement and enjoy an outdoor sport activity.

SADGA also offers a golf career guidance programme so the children are brought into contact with the career opportunities in golf.

The FSP is currently active in the Western Cape (7 schools with a combined 16 coaching sessions per week), Gauteng North (4 schools with a combined 5 coaching sessions per week), Gauteng Central (4 schools with a combined 6 coaching sessions per week), Southern Cape (2 schools with a combined 4 coaching sessions per week), Boland (7 schools with a combined 10 coaching sessions per week), Border (5 schools with a combined 6 coaching sessions per week), KwaZulu-Natal (5 schools with a combined 8 coaching sessions per week), and Bloemfontein (2 schools with a combined 4 coaching sessions per week).

A Sports Trust grant of R250 000 contributed significantly to the development

122 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

Children who may not otherwise get the chance to become involved in sports are able to participate in the non-physical aspects of golf, an important feat fo them.

of the First Swing Program in Port Elizabeth and its work at the Cheshire Homes for the Disabled, the Reubin Birin School for the Deaf, the Lonwabo School for severely disabled children, and the Cape Recife School for severely disabled children.

“Lonwabo and Reubin Birin share a hall which was an old woodwork room, and thanks to The Sports Trust we can now paint and clean up the hall and turn the modified golf environment into a more fun place to come and learn golf,” says Eugene Vorster, CEO of SADGA. Christo de Jager, who works for VW in Uitenhage, is one of the star golfers to come out of the PE region. He competes in the Les Autres division and has played for the Rest of Country (ROC) team in the Provincial Challenge and has represented the Eastern Province and Western Province. He has twice won the able-bodied division of the Uitenhage Open, has had five top-10s in the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open, and finished second in the British Disabled Golf Open.

“The FSP is so important because we encounter children who cannot take part in any other sport because of the severity of their disability, but because golf, at the stage where they take part, is not very physical, the result is that we have children that can take part in a sport for the first time – a feat that is very, very important to them.”

The long-term value of the FSP was seen at the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open held at Zwartkop Country Club in May. Charl Theron (17) from the Western Province came fifth in the overall Stroke Play Championship for 0-18 handicaps, second in the Les Autres Division and first in the Under-23 Division.

Free State player Enrique van Wyk finished first in the 54-hole overall Stableford Championship (19-36 handicaps), while Raylen de Wee won the Arm-Division in the 19-36 handicap division and claimed the runner-up spot overall.

Charles Williams from Boland also impressed in the Deaf Championship for 0-18 handicaps. The Boland golfer, who plays off an 18, took seventh overall.

“We are very excited by these results from our FSP players and extremely thankful to Nedbank for making their participation a possibility,” said Vorster.

“Thanks to Nedbank backing our flagship event for the last 10 years, we are able to bring our top FSP players to the championship and afford them the chance to play on the big stage.

“Our mandate is to make golf accessible to all disabled South Africans, and with the generous assistance of The Sports Trust we are able to do this.”

GIRLS TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE

The SAGDB is granted a fourball in The Sports Trust Challenge and last year the four golfers of Crystal Beukes, Zethu Myeki, Dylan Fredericks, and Samuel Gouma stunned the field when they finished second overall.

This year, the two women golfers who have been selected to play are Siviwe Duma from Mdantsane in East London and Cassidy Williams from Stellenbosch.

Duma has represented Border and is currently a coach at several primary schools around Mdantsane. And Williams has represented Boland and this year won the Boland Junior Championship.

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HOLE BY HOLE

THE LAY OF THE LAND 30 OF THE WORLD’S FINEST GOLFERS WILL BE COMPETING FOR TOP SPOT ON ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST CHALLENGING COURSES.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

127

HOLE BY HOLE

1st

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.

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.

2nd DISTANCE 520m PAR 5 STROKE 13

3rd

DISTANCE 411m PAR 4 STROKE 3

128 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

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.

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HOLE BY HOLE

4th

DISTANCE 195m PAR 3 STROKE 9

Most will hit a threewood 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.

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.

5th

DISTANCE 449m PAR 4 STROKE 11

6th

DISTANCE 388m PAR 4 STROKE 15

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.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

131

HOLE BY HOLE

7th

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, there’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.

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 front-right placement looks more inviting from the tee, it brings more bunkering on the right into play.

8th

DISTANCE 450m PAR 4 STROKE 1

9th

DISTANCE 545m PAR 5 STROKE 5

132 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

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 eagle‌ but some potentially big numbers as well.

Unboxing youth

entrepreneurship

Youth unemployment constitutes 73% of total unemployment in South Africa with almost 86% of these young people being unskilled, inexperienced and without a formal tertiary education.

It was in the determination to alleviate this unemployment burden on the economy, that ABI Bottling (Pty) Ltd designed an entrepreneurship programme in partnership with government called Bizniz in a Box. The programme is aimed at mobilising unemployed youth in ABI's local and traditional or township markets. This is made possible by equipping young people with entrepreneurial skills and providing them with an opportunity to become business owners.

SO HOW DOES IT WORK? The pilot saw 1 907 youth from the Free State go through the six-phased programme in 2015. The rigorous selection process that included psychometric evaluation, sales assessments and bootcamp as well as actual experience of running the spaza shop during the container immersion, ensured that the young people selected for the operational phase were well equipped and ready to go on their journey towards financial freedom and owning the container spaza shop.

This initiative is one of the ways in which ABI seeks to change the small and medium enterprise landscape and leave a lasting impact in the lives of the communities in which it trades. Other programmes include the business support development programme, Grow My Business and the 5 by 20 Women empowerment programme which is run in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.

ABI is a franchised bottler of The Coca-Cola Company

HOLE BY HOLE

10th 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.

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.

11th DISTANCE 419m PAR 4 STROKE 10

12th DISTANCE 200m PAR 3 STROKE 14

It’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.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

135

HOLE BY HOLE

13th 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.

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.

14th DISTANCE 550m PAR 5 STROKE 8

15th DISTANCE 431m PAR 4 STROKE 6

136 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

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.

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HOLE BY HOLE

16th 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 mediumiron shot to a green positioned in the famous Sun City lake, with a deep bunker to the right protecting against a bail-out.

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.

17th DISTANCE 437m PAR 4 STROKE 12

18th DISTANCE 459m PAR 4 STROKE 4

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

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.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

139

COURSE LAYOUT

140 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

1

SKYBOXES

1 SunSales 2 FedEX 3 Ricoh 4 Boschendal 5 JC Decaux 6 Vodacom 7 Deloitte 8 Telkom 9 KPMG 10 VIP Viewing Deck on 9th THE CHALLENGE CLUB FOR PUBLIC HOSPITALITY

1

HOSPITALITY

1 Nedbank Pavilion on the 9th 2 Transnet 3 GL Events South Africa Marquee 4 Nestlé 5 PriceWaterhouseCoopers 6 SuperSport 7 Old Mutual 8 Castle Lite 9 MVG Platinum 10 Sun International VIP Lounge 11 MVG 19th Hole 12 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 VIP PARKING

THE COURSE HOLE

METRES

ON-COURSE LEADERBOARDS

PAR

1

403

2

520 5

3

411

4

4

195

3

5

449

4

6

388

4

7

206

3

8

450

4

9

545

5

10

500

5

11

419

4

12

200

3

13

406

4

14

550

5

15

431

4

16

193

3

17

437

4

18

459

4

TOTAL

7 162

72

ON-COURSE BIG SCREENS

4

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

SUNBET MERCHANDISING SKYBOX SHUTTLE PICK-UP POINTS SPUR CASTLE LITE ENTERTAINMENT & COLD ZONE GRANDSTANDS WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY GRANDSTAND PUBLIC/DISABLED WC FACILITIES REFRESHMENT STATIONS WATER POINTS CROSSOVERS TENNIS COURT WELLNESS CENTRE

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

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

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broadlink Nedbank Golf ad 276x210.indd 1

2015/11/05 2:14 PM

SUN IN T ERN AT ION A L

SUN CITY

REJUVENATED WITH OVER 36 YEARS OF MEMORIES, SUN CITY SETS OUT TO REVITALISE AN ICONIC DESTINATION.

S

un International’s legendary Sun City in the North West province is undergoing an R800-million refurbishment to revitalise its iconic appeal and ensure that it retains its rightful place as South Africa’s premier lifestyle resort and one of the most exciting leisure destinations in the world.

“Sun City forms part of Africa’s largest tourism, leisure and gaming group. It has a special place in the hearts of the millions of people who visit the resort each year. Its

rejuvenation is to ensure that it stays at the cusp of experiential entertainment and leisure experiences. This substantial investment is part of our promise to give our guests a destination of unmatched experiences, to create lasting memories,” says Mike van Vuuren, the Managing Executive of Sun City.

The resort’s four hotels, the entertainment zones as well as the food and beverage outlets are being revamped. The 382 luxury self-catering apartments at the Sun Vacation Club have been upgraded already, and trusted

family restaurant brands Spur and Ocean Basket are on board to enhance the family appeal.

Holidaymakers at Sun Vacation Club also now have the convenience of a new, upmarket shop, The Pantry, where they can purchase fresh holiday essentials during their stay, without having to venture outside the resort.

The shop has a butchery and bakery, and offers fruit, vegetables and other home-cooking essentials. The Pantry also stocks a limited selection of wines and beers, and a wide assortment of non-alcoholic beverages. >

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

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SUN IN T ERN AT ION A L

ENHANCED HOSPITALITY Sun City’s Cabanas hotel has just completed a holistic refurbishment that includes a refresh of the guest rooms, reception area and restaurant. This is the first major upgrade of the hotel since 2007, when the rooms were restyled to mark the hotel’s 25th anniversary.

Along with the rejuvenation of the aesthetics of the hotel, a completely reimagined Cabanas has emerged.

“Cabanas offers guests great value and the best of all worlds, from its modernised new look, world-class facilities and contemporary rooms to its beautiful natural location. Guests can use the Cabanas as a relaxing retreat or as a base for their adventures at the resort. As the sun sets over the open spaces and rolling Clockwise from above: Guests can enjoy Mediterranean fare at Bocado; the all-new Palm Terrace at Cabanas; an artist’s impression of the refurbished Cabanas.

lawns, the night lights up at the Cabanas pool deck, with cocktails and a vibrant island atmosphere,” says van Vuuren.

The Sun City Hotel, at the heart of the resort, will soon provide an “always on” party zone, complete with night clubs, a burlesque club and restaurants. In the meantime guests can enjoy the wildly anticipated Legends restaurant, a trendy grill house that pays tribute to the icons that have graced Sun City since 1979. Take a trip down memory lane while savouring some of the best dishes the resort has to offer. This is complemented by Mugg & Bean, which also opened recently and offers the reassurance of familiarity and the generosity and warm service for which the brand is renowned. Mugg & Bean at the Sun City Hotel offers visitors a place to meet, to eat and connect at any time of the day, right at the centre of it all.

At the five-star Cascades hotel, Santorini has been reimagined as an exciting upscale

146 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

restaurant, Bocado. This restaurant offers guests one of the most beautiful settings where they can enjoy vibrant Mediterranean dishes, and foodies will get a chance to explore classic and new flavours from the region.

The Palace now offers two new and exclusive, by invitation only, ultra high-end casinos: The Palace Villa and The Palace Salon. Guests are spoilt for choice with the new-look steakhouse in The Grill Room.

There are also plans for further upgrades to Plume as well as the Tusk Bar and Lounge in the coming months.

MORE THRILLING ENTERTAINMENT Already offering an unprecedented choice of thrilling outdoor and entertainment activities in one place, Sun City has bolstered its offering for teenagers and adventurers with the recent launch of an adventure hub called Adrenalin Extreme. Adrenalin Extreme offers heartpounding, adrenalin-pumping outdoor activities

including Drift Trikes, Hovercrafts, the Accelerator and the Grizzly 4x4 Quad challenge.

Now underway is the expansion of the Valley of Waves water park to offer new exciting rides and new food offerings. Changes at the Valley of Waves include the recent opening of a microbrewery-themed gastro pub, The Brew Monkey, which offers spectacular views over the tidal pool, where guests have the choice between sitting indoors or outdoors on the deck. The menu covers a selection of hunger-busting bar tins, monkey dogs, gourmet burgers, snack boards and craft beers. The Valley of Waves also boasts a new, expansive and fresh fast-food eatery, Food Factory, with a range of affordable choices to suit every taste.

Conferencing with a difference comes in the form of the Sun Park, a multipurpose facility for hosting lifestyle events, music festivals, product launches and other experiences. Ample and versatile, Sun Park

SUN IN T ERN AT ION A L

Left: Explore Sun City with two Segway Tours. Below: Have some fun on the Drift Trike at the all-new Adrenalin Extreme.

will offer the support services of an indoor events venue with the flexibility of an outdoor space – the possibilities are endless.

The 2016 phase of upgrades to Sun City will see the ambitious reinvention of the Entertainment Centre to create an experiential journey. It will be home to arcade games, lazer tag, ten-pin bowling and other fun-filled activities for visitors of all ages. The Entertainment Centre will also house a South African Hall of Fame honouring the country’s sports people and performing artists, as well as an optimised Convention Centre on the upper level.

Until the re-engineering of the Entertainment Centre next year, visitors can explore recently added offerings such as the pop-up restaurants, Harvest Grill & Wine and Calisto’s, Smooch and the Sun City Collections store.

During the upgrade of the Entertainment Centre, conferences will be accommodated at the SunSky Village, a temporary but fully-equipped facility near Sun City’s front entrance.

The redevelopment of Sun City will reach fruition by the end of 2016.

COME MAKE MEMORIES WITH US Sun City’s holiday campaign, Summer Escape, promises the ultimate in nonstop holiday entertainment with a jam-packed line-up of artists and shows, including the outrageously

148 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

funny stage production Defending the Caveman; a concert by award-winning house band Mi Casa; Carols by Candlelight; a thumping drumming show by 1st Project; evening pool parties, and New Year’s Eve celebrations at venues across the resort.

Summer Escape kicks into high gear on 11 December 2015 and concludes on 11 January 2016.

Sun City’s vibrant bars and lounges, including Luma Bar & Lounge at Cascades hotel, Harlequins at the Sun City Hotel and Traders Sports Bar at the Entertainment Centre, will also feature free live entertainment on certain nights.

Between now and June 2016, holidaymakers booking a stay at Sun City can enjoy a host of value-adds as part of the Sun City Super Stay Promotion. The longer the stay, the more value guests receive. Sun City Super Stay packages include great rates on accommodation (including breakfast) at Sun City hotels; free entry to Sun City; a food and beverage voucher (the value of which is determined by the length of stay at the resort); an activities voucher with Mankwe Gametrackers and free entry to the Valley of Waves.

To check hotel rates and make a booking, go to www.suninternational.com/sun-city/ specials/sun-city-super-stay and use the promotional code SUNFIESTA. There is always something to do at Sun City.

The Valley of Waves is renowned for its wave

pool and thrilling water slides. These include the Temple of Courage, two super-fast tube slides and two body slides.

There is also a variety of water sports, including jet-skiing, parasailing and waterskiing, available at Waterworld. In addition, the resort offers a range of sparkling pools, as well as two aviaries, jogging trails, quad-biking, archery, floodlit tennis courts, guided tours of the resort on zippy Segways, and one of the world’s longest zip slide – to mention just a few of the fun things to do at Sun City.

Children can enjoy the adventure playground, an animal farm and a kiddies’ mini car race track at Waterworld. Fun-filled, supervised workshops are hosted at Kamp Kwena twice a day. The programme varies to include loads of exciting activities for children, such as visits to the crocodile farm, musical games, arts and crafts, storytelling, adventures at The Maze of the Lost City, bumper boats and lots more.

Sun City borders the game-rich and malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park, where visitors can spot the Big Five on magnificent game drives and experience spectacular views of the reserve from hot-air balloons.

Getting to Sun City has become easier with direct flights to Pilanesberg International Airport from Cape Town or Johannesburg.

Bookings for flights to and from Sun City are available through SA Express at www.flyexpress.aero/ For more information about Sun City visit www.suninternational.com, like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/SunCitySA, or follow us on Twitter @SunCityResortSA.

1

BEHIND THE SCENES

ON AND OFF THE COURSE FUN AT SUN CITY LAST YEAR.

2

1 One of the most famous views in South African sport. 2 Mandatory crowd-pleasing. 3 Fikile Mbalula, Gary Player and Sol Kerzner.

4 Defending champion Thomas Bjørn lights the Christmas tree.

3 4 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

151

5

6

7 8 5 All eyes on the prize. 6 Schwartzel’s versus Oosthuizen’s. 7 SuperSport’s Matthew Pearce about to go live.

8 Kiradesh Aphibarnrat picks up some NGC merchandise. 9 The Beach Party never disappoints.

9

152 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

2015

10

13

11 12 10 Sunshine Tour executive director Selwyn Nathan explains the finer points to his son. 11 Now that’s a view! 12 Luxury viewing alongside the 17th green. 13 Marcel Siem holed out for an eagle two on the par-4 17th on day one to win a Volvo. 14 Tournament host Gary Player entertains TV viewers. 15 Mission control in the SuperSport truck. 16 The Boma Braai under an African sky.

14

15

154 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

16

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2015/11/05 4:18 PM

ROLL OF HONOUR THERE HAVE BEEN 23 DIFFERENT WINNERS OF THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE FROM 12 COUNTRIES. WHO WILL LIFT THE CRYSTAL TROPHY ON SUNDAY?

2014 D Willett R Fisher L Donald M Siem K Aphibarnrat M-A Jiménez J Blixt T Clark T Jaidee L Oostuizen

71 66 71 68 72 70 71 70 71 70

68 70 63 72 73 74 73 71 70 73

65 70 69 71 68 69 70 72 71 69

66 68 73 68 68 69 71 72 73 73

270 274 276 279 281 282 285 285 285 285

$1 250 000 $775 000 $433 000 $348 000 $295 000 $245 000 $172 500 $172 500 $172 500 $172 500

Danny Willett

2013 T Bjørn 67 70 66 65 268 $1 250 000 S García 66 73 66 65 270 $604 000 J Donaldson 67 66 67 70 270 $604 000 H Stenson 69 67 69 67 272 $348 000 B De Jonge 70 68 69 66 273 $295 000 C Schwartzel 68 70 71 66 275 $245 000 J Rose 73 67 69 67 276 $185 000 R Moore 71 65 67 73 276 $185 000 T Jaidee 69 70 66 72 277 $162 000 P Uihlein 70 69 70 70 279 $158 000 G Fdez-Castaño 67 72 72 69 280 $154 000 F Molinari 76 70 69 74 282 $148 000 D Fichardt 71 68 69 74 282 $148 000 R Sterne 73 73 71 66 283 $140 000 L Oosthuizen 74 69 67 73 283 $140 000 J Luiten 74 68 75 69 286 $132 000 M Kaymer 71 66 74 75 286 $132 000 DA Points 71 67 70 78 286 $132 000 L Donald 68 71 74 74 287 $126 000 V Dubuisson 73 72 71 72 288 $121 500 B Grace 75 71 69 73 288 $121 500 G Woodland 74 73 75 68 290 $115 750 M Manassero 72 74 72 72 290 $115 750 D van der Walt 77 72 73 69 291 $112 000 D Lynn 73 71 75 74 293 $107 000 T Wiratchant 71 76 70 76 293 $107 000 MO Madsen 76 71 68 78 293 $107 000 K Streelman 75 71 77 72 295 $103 000 E Els 75 71 77 77 300 $101 500 P Senior 80 68 75 81 304 $100 000

S Lowry B Todd S Gallacher C Schwartzel T Fleetwood L Westwood G Coetzee P Larrazábal B Koepka D van der Walt

72 72 71 71 286 $154 000 73 68 75 71 287 $148 000 70 73 72 72 287 $148 000 70 71 75 73 289 $140 000 74 67 74 74 289 $140 000 72 70 78 70 290 $132 000 68 74 76 72 290 $132 000 73 71 71 75 290 $132 000 70 74 75 72 291 $124 500 73 72 69 77 291 $124 500

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 69 70 69 280 $1 250 000 72 71 70 69 282 $660 000 70 73 71 71 285 $400 000 71 72 69 74 286 $400 000 71 73 70 73 287 $330 000 71 69 75 74 289 $310 000 72 71 78 69 290 $300 000 72 75 74 69 290 $290 000 72 73 73 73 291 $280 000 70 78 74 71 293 $270 000 73 79 69 74 295 $260 000 75 73 75 74 297 $250 000

68 70 62 73 273 $1 250 000 69 69 69 68 275 $660 000 70 68 70 69 277 $400 000 70 67 70 70 277 $400 000 70 70 70 70 280 $330 000 68 74 68 72 282 $310 000 70 71 70 72 283 $300 000 70 68 70 76 284 $290 000 70 70 75 72 287 $280 000 72 69 77 70 288 $270 000 72 77 73 73 295 $260 000 74 69 76 78 297 $250 000

2010 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

74 74 68 80 72 77 75 76 77 74

75 75 70 72 74 73 73 78 78 WD

71 70 76 68 73 72 71 72 76

72 73 78 73 74 73 76 72 70

292 292 292 293 293 295 295 298 301

$117 167 $117 167 $117 167 $110 750 $110 750 $110 750 $110 750 $103 000 $101 500

2009

2011 L Westwood R Karlsson J Dufner G McDowell KT Kim C Schwartzel L Donald M Kaymer S Dyson A Hansen F Molinari D Clarke

M Kaymer J Ahlers A Levy T Bjørn J Luiten K Na M Warren M Ilonen D van Tonder J Donaldson

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

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

R Allenby 68 70 68 71 277 $1.2 million H Stenson 70 68 70 69 277 $600 000 Allenby won after a play-off T Clark 69 72 68 69 278 $350 000 R Fisher 73 69 66 70 278 $350 000 R Goosen 69 68 67 75 279 $275 000 A Cabrera 71 67 68 75 281 $260 000 N Watney 73 73 63 73 282 $250 000 L Donald 72 71 68 72 283 $240 000 R Karlsson 70 72 71 71 284 $230 000 H Mahan 70 71 72 73 286 $220 000 R Sterne 72 75 70 75 292 $210 000 R McIlroy Withdrawn

2008 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

2007 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 66 67 72 272 $1.2 million 68 65 67 73 273 $600 000 69 67 69 72 277 $400 000 72 65 72 72 281 $300 000 76 68 67 71 282 $275 000 69 73 70 71 283 $255 000 68 71 71 73 283 $255 000 67 71 72 76 286 $240 000 74 72 70 72 288 $230 000 74 74 68 74 290 $220 000 72 73 75 71 291 $210 000 74 71 75 78 298 $200 000

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2015

157

ROLL OF HONOUR

2006 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

DID YOU KNOW?

68 66 68 74 276 $1.2 million 67 71 71 69 278 $600 000 69 71 65 75 280 $400 000 72 67 70 72 281 $300 000 70 69 71 72 282 $275 000 70 70 71 75 286 $260 000 72 76 68 71 287 $245 000 71 69 73 74 287 $245 000 74 75 66 73 288 $230 000 69 73 73 76 291 $220 000 71 73 69 79 292 $210 000 75 77 70 76 298 $200 000

2005 J Furyk 68 70 72 72 282 $1.2 million D Clarke 67 70 76 69 282 $433 000 R Goosen 70 69 71 72 282 $433 000 A Scott 72 69 68 73 282 $433 000 Furyk won after a play-off L Donald 70 68 75 70 283 $250 000 T Clark 70 72 67 75 284 $225 000 C DiMarco 72 71 72 73 288 $210 000 A Cabrera 71 64 74 80 289 $195 000 E Els 72 70 73 75 290 $185 000 K Perry 76 72 75 68 291 $175 000 S García 74 70 74 74 292 $165 000 S Cink 73 76 78 71 298 $155 000

2004 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 71 71 69 281 $1.2 million 70 74 72 71 287 $500 000 70 69 74 74 287 $500 000 74 76 66 72 288 $275 000 71 74 69 74 288 $275 000 75 74 70 72 291 $217 500 70 70 71 80 291 $217 500 74 72 71 75 292 $195 000 71 70 74 78 293 $185 000 75 78 72 72 297 $175 000 80 75 72 72 299 $165 000 75 76 74 78 303 $155 000

2003 S García 68 66 70 70 274 $1.2 million R Goosen 70 67 68 69 274 $500 000 García won after a play-off V Singh 65 72 71 69 277 $400 000 D Clarke 66 71 74 67 278 $300 000 J Kelly 67 67 76 71 281 $200 000 K Perry 65 68 73 75 281 $165 000 C DiMarco 66 71 74 71 282 $145 000 A Scott 66 74 74 68 282 $135 000 S Appleby 67 75 70 72 284 $130 000 F Funk 71 71 71 72 285 $125 000 J Haas 70 72 71 72 285 $120 000 T Clark 68 71 73 73 285 $115 000 P Harrington 72 70 74 70 286 $100 000 R Allenby 66 78 69 74 287 $95 000 S Leaney 68 72 70 77 287 $90 000 C Howell III 73 67 75 72 287 $85 000 E Els 72 75 74 69 290 $80 000 N Price 69 75 75 73 292 $75 000

158 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

Ernie Els holds the record for making the most appearances at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He has won the tournament 2002 three times: in 1999, E Els 70 65 69 63 267 $2 million C Montgomerie 74 69 65 67 275 $300 000 2000 and 2002, nearly C DiMarco 68 68 72 70 278 $250 000 R Goosen 68 72 70 71 281 $212 500 providing eager fans J Furyk 69 71 72 69 281 $212 500 S García 70 73 70 70 283 $175 000 with a hat-trick of N Price 71 70 73 70 284 $150 000 winning three years B Estes 73 69 72 71 285 $150 000 R Allenby 70 71 74 70 285 $150 000 in a row. Sergio Garcia D Clarke 72 67 71 75 285 $150 000 P Harrington 72 70 69 77 288 $150 000 took the title in 2001.

M Campbell 71 71 69 78 289 $150 000 2001

1998

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

66 63 268 $2 million 66 69 268 $300 000 67 69 70 61 70 68 74 72 74 DQ

69 68 71 73 70 70 71 73 76

271 272 275 276 279 281 281 282 293

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

72 67

66 273 $1 million 66 273 $250 000

68 72 66 70 74 71 72 71 70 73

69 68 73 71 67 66 64 68 69 70

274 276 276 280 280 281 282 284 284 285

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

1997

2000 E Els 66 L Westwood 65 Els won after a play-off N Price 69 T Bjørn 70 J Huston 72 C Montgomerie 69 J-M Olazábal 65 S Appleby 70 M Campbell 72 C Franco 77 D Clarke 68 M-A Jiménez 75

67 67 68 268 $2 million 69 68 66 268 $350 000 66 65 67 74 75 70 68 67 75 69

67 65 64 64 67 71 70 69 73 70

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 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

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

67 66 64 66 263 $1 million 66 69 68 65 268 $250 000 72 69 64 65 270 $200 000 68 70 70 66 274 $175 000 70 71 65 69 275 $150 000 70 72 68 67 277 $125 000 68 72 68 72 280 $110 000 67 76 68 70 281 $100 000 71 67 70 75 283 $100 000 69 74 73 68 284 $100 000 76 72 69 69 286 $100 000 65 76 71 74 286 $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 68 68 68 275 $1 million 69 70 70 67 276 $225 000 68 67 74 67 276 $225 000 67 68 69 73 277 $175 000 69 70 67 72 278 $150 000 74 72 67 68 281 $125 000 78 68 69 71 286 $105 000 74 74 69 69 286 $105 000 70 70 79 70 289 $100 000 76 71 69 75 291 $100 000 73 73 71 74 291 $100 000 74 73 72 73 292 $100 000

1996 C Montgomerie 65 71 70 E Els 67 70 71 Montgomerie won after a play-off S Jones 67 71 67 N Price 71 76 66 S Stricker 68 70 69 I Woosnam 68 69 67 B Langer 69 70 69 M O’Meara 69 71 70 T Lehman 71 71 68 N Faldo 73 68 69 M Brooks 68 70 72 C Pavin 68 71 76

68 274 $1 million 66 274 $250 000 70 71 70 73 71 72 73 73 73 69

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

ROLL OF HONOUR

1990

1995 C Pavin N Price B Langer S Torrance T Lehman D Frost E Els N Faldo C Rocca V Singh C Montgomerie P Mickelson

69 72 69 66 276 $1 million 71 67 72 71 281 $250 000 72 69 71 71 283 $200 000 69 73 70 72 284 $175 000 71 70 73 73 287 $150 000 74 76 71 68 289 $125 000 72 72 69 78 291 $103 330 72 78 69 72 291 $103 330 76 75 67 73 291 $103 330 75 72 74 72 293 $100 000 79 76 71 71 297 $100 000 73 77 72 76 298 $100 000

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

1993 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 66 66 65 264 $1 million 71 70 68 67 276 $250 000 72 69 70 68 279 $200 000 72 70 72 66 280 $175 000 67 73 72 69 281 $150 000 71 70 71 73 285 $125 000 76 69 69 73 287 $110 000 71 70 73 74 288 $100 000 74 71 70 75 290 $100 000 76 73 75 71 295 $100 000 75 75 72 73 295 $100 000 76 78 80 75 309 $100 000

1992 D Frost J Cook F Couples E Els B Langer J-M Olazábal I Woosnam C Parry N Price N Faldo

70 69 68 69 276 $1 million 73 68 70 69 280 $300 000 74 70 73 67 284 $225 000 70 69 77 68 284 $225 000 73 69 74 70 286 $150 000 72 73 73 74 292 $140 000 75 73 75 73 296 $130 000 74 75 76 72 297 $120 000 72 67 DQ 69 72 DQ

1991 B Langer M Calcavecchia M McNulty N Faldo F Couples J Bland I Woosnam J Daly S Elkington D Frost

68 65 67 72 272 $1 million 72 67 71 67 277 $300 000 66 71 71 74 282 $250 000 72 69 68 76 285 $200 000 71 71 74 71 287 $145 000 74 70 68 75 287 $145 000 73 68 78 74 293 $130 000 72 73 72 77 294 $120 000 67 74 79 78 298 $110 000 72 75 77 76 300 $100 000

160 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 5

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

1985 71 71 71 71 284 $1 million 73 70 73 69 285 $300 000 69 74 70 75 288 $225 000 77 68 68 75 288 $225 000 73 72 74 71 290 $150 000 79 76 69 69 293 $135 000 75 72 70 76 297 $135 000 80 67 74 76 297 $120 000 81 71 71 77 300 $110 000 75 74 73 81 303 $100 000

1989 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

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

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

278 279 280 283 284 285 287 306

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

67 71 68 68 274 $1 million 68 71 68 71 278 70 70 68 72 280 72 69 72 70 283 68 73 70 72 283 66 69 74 74 283 70 68 73 74 285 71 72 72 75 290

1986 M McNulty L Wadkins B Langer TC Chen I Woosnam H Clark D Frost D Graham G Player

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

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

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

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

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

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

1983

1987 I Woosnam N Faldo D Frost C Strange J-M Olazábal F Allem B Langer L Wadkins

69 70 70 73 69 75 72 75 76 71

1984

1988 F Allem D Pooley K Green I Woosnam C Beck D Frost M McNulty B Langer

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

74 70 70 68 282 $300 000 69 72 71 70 285 $150 000 70 68 74 74 286 $105 000 75 68 75 69 287 $81 000 75 70 71 71 287 $81 000 69 69 74 76 288 $65 000 71 75 71 72 289 $60 000 73 74 72 71 290 $56 000 75 74 71 73 293 $52 000

DID YOU KNOW?

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

1982 R Floyd 72 69 C Stadler 72 67 Floyd won after a play-off L Trevino 71 73 L Wadkins 70 70 J Miller 72 68 S Ballesteros 67 71 J Pate 67 73 J Nicklaus 70 71 G Norman 71 72 G Player 71 75

68 71 70 71

280 $300 000 280 $150 000

70 68 71 73 66 72 78 72

281 282 283 286 286 287 291 294

67 74 72 75 80 74 70 76

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

1981 J Miller 72 68 S Ballesteros 69 68 Miller won after a play-off J Nicklaus 70 70 L Trevino 70 74 G Player 70 77

66 71 69 71

277 $500 000 277 $160 000

69 69 278 $130 000 74 71 289 $110 000 72 73 292 $100 000

Sergio Garcia won the Nedbank Golf Challenge twice, both times in a playoff – the first was against Ernie Els in 2001 and two years later against Retief Goosen.

14293

MAKING

RENEWABLE ENERGY HAPPEN

30 PROJECTS

R88 BILLION IN VALUE

For your energy funding solutions contact Sakkie Leimecke at sakkiel@nedbank.co.za or Mike Peo at mikepe@nedbank.co.za.

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