Top players return to home soil for SA Open
107th edition of the BMW South African Open at the Glendower Golf Club.
SOUTH Africa’s top golf players will return to play on home soil in the 2018 South African Open Championship.The 107th edition of the BMW South African Open will take place from January 11 to 14 at the Glendower Golf Club.
This event will boast the top names in the golfing circles in the country with Ernie Els leading the strong contingent of double US Open champion Retief Goosen, 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, 2016 champion Brandon Stone and European Tour winners Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Haydn Porteous, Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt and Dylan Frittelli.
Els is the player host of the R15-million championship which is hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni. The BMW South African Open Championship will be the first 72-hole tournament of the 2018 calendar year on the European Tour.
“Els might have some of the overseas-bound players in his pocket, but at this stage, it is unknown who they are. They must still complete the American circuit, but we are positive we might have a name which will draw the spectators,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour.
“In the beginning of the year we had the biggest crowd ever attending the SA Open as we had one of the world’s best players, Rory McIlroy. We will announce some of the world’s top players closer to the time,” Nathan said.
It will also be the last open hosted by Glendower Golf Club on the contractual side. “This is the last one at Glendower, but still we have already planned ahead and will make an announcement on this side.”
Els, who have recorded five SA Open titles and his compatriots will give a stern warning to any of the golfers on the European tour in January as the last four of the six editions were won by foreign players.
“BMW has a long history of involvement with the sport of golf. Golf, like our other major sporting sponsorships, has an inherent synergy with the BMW brand. We are pleased to be entering into the third year of the BMW South African Open Championship proudly hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni,” said Alexander Baraka, general manager, brand management BMW, marketing services.
“The tournament has always featured prominently in the careers of South Africa’s greatest golfers. It is the common thread running through all of their careers. To have such a strong local contingent going up against the European Tour’s finest professionals is a true celebration of what this championship stands for and the South African pride associated with it,” Baraka said.
“We look forward to once again welcoming the international golfers to Ekurhuleni and also placing our full support behind our South African professionals as they seek to return this historic title to its home,” said City of Ekurhuleni’s MMC for finance and economic development Clr Doctor Xhakazo.
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