Randpark Golf Club sees the world’s best at Joburg Open
RANDPARK – India's Shubankar Sharma wins the Joburg Open with a 23-under par 69.
All the rain in the world could not keep the history-making Joburg Open from being a phenomenal success.
The first tri-sanctioned tournament on South African soil – by the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour and European Tour – the event saw a whopping 240 golfers from around the world descend on the Firethorn and Bushwillow courses at Randpark Golf Club from 7 and 11 December.
Throughout persistent drizzle and rain, spectators came to enjoy the hospitality of the club and witness the best golf around.
The event was meant to finish on 10 December, but lightning meant some rounds had to be postponed.
“We had 60mm of rainfall but the greenkeepers and staff did a great job of keeping the courses in a playable condition,” the club’s general manager, Francois Swart, said.
“Overall the tournament was a big success. There were plenty spectators. The standard of golf was excellent, and the players had fun and complimented us on how well the event was organised.”
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Swart likened the Joburg Open, which Randpark held for the first time, to a wedding.
“We planned for months for the tournament and then like the day of a wedding it came and went so quickly.”
Going into a fifth day, the tournament was won by India’s Shubankar Sharma with a superb 23-under par 69 to give him his first European Tour title.
It was a three-shot victory over South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen, and six shots better than South Africa’s Shaun Norris and Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen.
Sharma won more than R2.6m and prize money was given all the way down to 70th place, with R33 000 the lowest amount.
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