THE City of Johannesburg is gearing up to host the milestone 10th edition of the world renowned co-sanctioned Joburg Open golf tournament at the Royal Kensington and Johannesburg Golf Club from January 14 to 17.
The Joburg Open is a 72-hole stroke play championship co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Sunshine Tour. More than 200 golfers from across the world will tee off for the first round, with the top 70 scorers at the halfway mark, qualifying for the final two rounds. The first two days of the tournament will be played on both the east and west courses at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, with the final two rounds played solely on the east course.
Inform Alberton resident, Keith Horne, will once again show his finesse in the sport when he will tee-off on Thursday. He has just completed a very successful South African Open at the Glendower Golf Course.
“The Tournament has come a long way since 2006 – growing in leaps and bounds, to the prestigious golf event that has claimed its space on the global golf arena. We count amongst other achievements – the Joburg Open being the first tournament to be hosted by a city in South Africa, and the only tournament in South Africa where the top-three placers get direct entry into The Open – the world’s most prestigious tournament,” said the acting executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Clr Mally Mokoena.
Through the years the tournament has seen a growing number of South African professional golfers participate, including rising stars in local golf such as Thabo Maseko, Makheta Mazibuko and Musiwalo Nethunzwi. South African golfers won the Joburg Open six times in the first nine years, and it has helped launch the careers of some of the greatest names in local golf including Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and George Coetzee.
As part of the tournament, there will be other activities which will include the official Pro-Am which will be played on Tuesday, January 12, and the coaching clinic at the Royal Kensington and Johannesburg Golf Club on Wednesday, January 13, which is part of the Joburg Open Legacy Project.
The tournament has a prize purse of Euro 1.3-million (approximately R21,9-million), which is shared amongst all the players who make the halfway cut – with the winner walking away with the sought-after trophy, and more than Euro 200 000.
