Joburg Open to boost SA golf
28 February 2005
South African golf is on a roll. Hot on the heels of SA's successful hosting of the inaugural Women's World Cup of Golf comes the announcement by the Sunshine Tour that a third event will be co-sanctioned by the European Tour in 2006: the Joburg Open.
The new event, which will carry a purse of at least £500 000 (about R5.5-million), will significantly raise the profile of the Sunshine Tour, and give added incentive for top international players to travel to South Africa.
South African golf regularly attracts positive headlines, and it all begins at home. Not only are SA's golfers doing the business around the world, but the local administration and promotion of the game is powering along.
'Colour and vibrancy'
Sunshine Tour commissioner Johan Immelman said: "We are aiming to create an atmosphere at the event that reflects the colour and vibrancy of Johannesburg, which is fast becoming known around the
world as the driving force in African economics."
"The Joburg Open will have four days of live television coverage and reach 180 million households worldwide, which adds up to great publicity, and that's not only for golf, so we're working closely with the City of Johannesburg."
The tournament, which will be staged in the heart of Johannesburg in the second week of January, joins the Dunhill Championship and the South African Airways Open as events co-santioned by the European Tour.
"It is a great honour to invite the European Tour back to our shores for a third stop on their South African swing", Immelman said. "We are delighted to build on the strong and healthy relationship we have enjoyed with our European counterparts for many years."
'This concept has longevity'
"We are tremendously proud to have succeeded in bringing the Joburg Open to life", said Leon Plutsick, CEO for Easy Golf Worldwide, the organisation responsible for
promoting the Joburg Open.
"We see a Joburg Open as a very exciting concept which will give us an opportunity to showcase one of the great cities of Africa", Plutsick said. "We plan to tie the four-day, 72-hole event to various charities. It will form part of a week-long festival of golf and related activities.
"We have no doubt that this concept has longevity and will be a fixture for many years to come."
No doubt, the decision to move the Dunhill Championship and SAA Open to December helped to sell the new event; the move - from January to December - filled a hole in the schedule of many players.
Immelman said previously that this was the idea behind the move. He must be thrilled to see just how successful the plan has proved to be.
Tournament sponsors, dates, prize money and venue will be announced at a later date.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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