Huge blow for local golf fans as Nedbank Challenge is called off

The 2020 Nedbank Golf Challenge, which was scheduled to be held as the penultimate event on the 2020 European Tour, was cancelled on Thursday.

While professional golf recently resumed in SA with the Sunshine Tour’s Rise-Up Series, the European Tour confirmed the 40th edition of the annual Nedbank Challenge, which had been rescheduled for the first week of December at Sun City, would no longer take place.

“I am confident that the European Tour, Nedbank and Sun International would have done all in their power to try and make sure this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge could go ahead, and that this is a decision they would not have taken lightly,” said tournament host Gary Player.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge is a tournament we are all extremely proud of, and if postponing it for a year allows us to present an even better Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2021, then I fully support this.”

Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the European Tour, said: “The Nedbank Golf Challenge is a spectacular event which showcases many of the wonderful elements that South Africa brings to the world of golf. To ensure that the tournament is the best it can be for the players and all of our stakeholders, it is right that we wait until a time when we can celebrate the 40^th anniversary in a fitting manner.”

The date for the 2021 tournament would be announced in due course.

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