Joburg Open

Last updated

Joburg Open
Joburg Open logo.png
Tournament information
Location Johannesburg, South Africa
Established2007
CourseHoughton Golf Club
Par70
Length7,153 yards (6,541 m)
Tour(s) European Tour
Asian Tour
Sunshine Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund R  20,500,000
Month playedMarch
Tournament record score
Aggregate260 Richard Sterne (2013)
To par−27 as above
Current champion
Flag of Scotland.svg Calum Hill
Location map
South Africa relief location map.svg
Icona golf.svg
Houghton GC
Location in South Africa
South Africa Gauteng relief location map.svg
Icona golf.svg
Houghton GC
Location in Gauteng

The Joburg Open is a men's professional golf tournament that is held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is an event on the Southern Africa-based Sunshine Tour and co-sanctioned by the European Tour, which attracts a larger prize fund and stronger fields. It is one of several tournaments in South Africa on the European Tour's international schedule, and until 2017 was one of the events where high-finishing players earned entry into The Open Championship if not already exempt.

Contents

History

The event was founded in 2007 and was played at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club in Johannesburg, South Africa until 2017. The tournament was contested over both the West and East courses for the first two rounds, enabling a large field of 210 competitors, with the final two rounds being played over the East course following a cut to the top 65 and ties. [1]

Originally contested in January or February, the tournament moved to December in late 2017 and became a tri-sanctioned event with the Asian Tour joining the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour in sanctioning the event; the number of players in the field increased from 210 to 240. The December 2017 event was part of the 2018 European Tour.

Having not been held in 2018 or 2019, in October 2020 it was announced that the tournament would be revived in November 2020, when it would be played at Randpark Golf Club. [2] The 2021 event was shortened due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in place in the UK from South Africa. Originally the event was shortened to 54 holes to allow international players to travel back home in time. [3] However, the following day rain and the threat of lightning shortened the event even further to 36 holes. Thriston Lawrence was the eventual winner. [4]

The tournament was then hosted at Houghton Golf Club in November 2022 and November 2023, as part of the DP World Tour's Opening Swing for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In the 2025 season, the tournament remained at Houghton Golf Club but shifted to March 2025 as part of the DP World Tour's International Swing. The event was held the week after the South African Open Championship, to minimize international travel and attract a stronger field by allowing golfers to remain in South Africa for both weeks. [5]

Winners

YearTours [a] WinnerScoreTo parMargin of victoryRunner(s)-upVenue
2025 AFR, EUR Flag of Scotland.svg Calum Hill 266−14Playoff Flag of South Africa.svg Jacques Kruyswijk
Flag of South Africa.svg Shaun Norris
Houghton Golf Club
2024: No tournament
2023 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Dean Burmester 262−183 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Darren Fichardt Houghton Golf Club
2022 AFR, EUR Flag of England.svg Dan Bradbury 263−213 strokes Flag of Finland.svg Sami Välimäki Houghton Golf Club
2021 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Thriston Lawrence 130 [b] −124 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Zander Lombard Randpark Golf Club
2020 AFR, EUR Flag of Denmark.svg Joachim B. Hansen 265−192 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Wilco Nienaber Randpark Golf Club
2018–19: No tournament
2017
(Dec)
AFR, ASA, EUR Flag of India.svg Shubhankar Sharma 264−233 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Erik van Rooyen Randpark Golf Club
2017
(Feb)
AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Darren Fichardt 200 [c] −151 stroke Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Stuart Manley
Flag of England.svg Paul Waring
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2016 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Haydn Porteous 269−182 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Zander Lombard Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2015 AFR, EUR Flag of England.svg Andy Sullivan 270−172 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Wallie Coetsee
Flag of England.svg David Howell
Flag of Ireland.svg Kevin Phelan
Flag of South Africa.svg Jaco van Zyl
Flag of England.svg Anthony Wall
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2014 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg George Coetzee 268−193 strokes Flag of England.svg Tyrrell Hatton
Flag of South Korea.svg Jin Jeong
Flag of South Africa.svg Justin Walters
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2013 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Richard Sterne (2)260−277 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Charl Schwartzel Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2012 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Branden Grace 270−171 stroke Flag of England.svg Jamie Elson Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2011 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Charl Schwartzel (2)265−194 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Garth Mulroy Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2010 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Charl Schwartzel 261−236 strokes Ulster Banner.svg Darren Clarke
Flag of South Africa.svg Keith Horne
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC
2009 AFR, EUR Flag of Denmark.svg Anders Hansen 269−151 stroke Flag of South Africa.svg Andrew McLardy Royal Johannesburg Club, East Course
2008 AFR, EUR Flag of South Africa.svg Richard Sterne 271−13Playoff Flag of Sweden.svg Magnus A. Carlsson
Flag of South Africa.svg Garth Mulroy
Royal Johannesburg Club, East Course
2007 AFR, EUR Flag of Argentina.svg Ariel Cañete 266−192 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Andrew McLardy Royal Johannesburg Club, East Course

Notes

  1. AFR − Sunshine Tour; ASA − Asian Tour; EUR − European Tour.
  2. Shortened to 36 holes due to bad weather and impending COVID-19 related travel restrictions. [6]
  3. Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

References

  1. "Kingston seeks title double in South Africa". PGA European Tour. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  2. Jackson, Keith (20 October 2020). "Joburg Open returns to European Tour schedule in November". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. "Reduced Joburg Open continues on Saturday". The Sunday Times. 27 November 2021.
  4. "Lawrence wins maiden title at shortened Joburg Open". European Tour. 27 November 2021.
  5. https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/schedule/
  6. "Joberg Open: Thriston Lawrence wins 36-hole event amid increasing Covid-19 concerns". BBC Sport. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.