Wave of stars to swell Challenge
BORN in a homeland in an age of isolation where small, elite fields simply had to be the order of the day, the Nedbank Golf Challenge (NGC) has evolved to embrace the world.
Of course the idea of having an exclusive field has gradually eroded.
In 2013 entries were expanded from 12 to 30, but from next year 72 players will be invited which will bestow on the event the status of a proper tournament in feel and size.
It is a far cry from the nine players that were carefully assembled for the first tournament in 1981 when Johnny Miller prevailed in the dusk in a playoff, but times are changing and the tournament gradually gravitated towards the light.
The NGC will from next year occupy a premier spot on the European Tour’s elite final series of the Race to Dubai.
It will now be contested in the second week of November just a week ahead of DP World Tour Championship.
“We have enjoyed a superb relationship with the Sunshine Tour for many years and this is another perfect example of that,” said Keith Waters, chief operating officer and director of international policy for the European Tour.
“The addition of such a prestigious tournament as the NGC to our final series in 2016 will not only enhance the series itself, but will also increase the excitement and anticipation of golf fans across the world.
“I want to thank sponsors Nedbank, our hosts Sun International and the Sunshine Tour itself, not only for embracing the date switch but also for supporting the eligibility changes and the field size.”
The field of 72 players will be made up of 64 players from the Race to Dubai, the previous year’s NGC champion, the winner of the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit the previous season as well as six tournament invitations drawn from the official world rankings.
“With the NGC now forming part of the European Tour’s final series and us occupying the premier spot the week before the DP World Tour Championship, we believe we will secure an extremely strong field of players,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour.
Sponsor Nedbank has committed to a deal that will extend the bank’s involvement by three more years, while the purse for next year’s event has been raised to $7-million (R100million).
“The announcement marks a significant next chapter as we move into perhaps the most exciting time in the history of this event,” said Mike Brown, Nedbank chief executive.
This year’s tournament will be held from December 3-6.