3 January 2007

South Africa's standing in the international golf rankings is set to rise a notch or two in January with the launch of the inaugural Joburg Open.

A public sector partnership with the City of Johannesburg, the Gauteng Economic Development Agency and a number of commercial sponsors, including Mesana Technologies and Eskom, along with promoter, easygolf Worldwide, have rallied round the first staging of the €1-million event, to be hosted at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club from 11 to 14 January.

Joint venture
Their support of the tournament, a joint venture between the Sunshine Tour and the European Tour, is set to add to the profile of a world-class event.

"We want everyone in the city to feel that the Joburg Open belongs to them," Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo said last year.

"The tournament will showcase the city and its people to sports lovers throughout the world. We hope that what they see is a dynamic, multi-cultural community and a sophisticated destination that is ideal for events such as this."

Broaden the appeal of the game
The Joburg Open will be different from other local tournaments in a number of respects, one of which is the determination of all the parties to use it as a catalyst to broaden the appeal of the game.

As one of the richest tournaments on the Sunshine Tour calendar, the Joburg Open will also be one of the largest.

With a total field size of 200 professionals - 100 each from the two Tours - both the East and West courses at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington will be played over the first two rounds, with the field moving to the West Course after the halfway cut, set at 70, plus ties.

A key objective of the tournament is to raise funds for the establishment of a development driving range near Diepsloot, north of Sandton. The range will offer schoolchildren and other members of the community regular coaching sessions. Those who show talent and persist with their training will receive free second-hand equipment and, eventually, club membership.

Educational facility
An educational facility will also, in subsequent years, provide young black matriculants with SETA training in golf club management. The range will be managed by easyGolf, and the land provided by the City of Johannesburg.

"We want the Joburg Open to be a celebration of the city and all its people," said Plutsick.

"We want it to be an open, exciting event that gets all sorts of people involved in golf for the first time, whether it's as enthusiastic spectators, new players, or those who find a career in some aspect of the game."

Source: Sunshine Tour

	The Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, one of SA's most prestigious courses, boasts two 18-hole championship courses. The East Course - whose 10th and 11th holes are reputed to be the two longest back-to-back par fours in the world - has hosted the South African Open seven times (Photo: Golf in Südafrika)

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	Sunshine Tour  City of Johannesburg Website  PGA European Tour

Golf courses in South Africa Our climate is ideal for spending time out on the fairways, and when it comes to courses, golfers here are blessed for choice.