| Location | Johannesburg, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Establishment | 2007 |
| Course | Houghton Golf Club |
| Par | 70 |
| Yardage | 7,153 yards (6,541 m) |
| Tour | European Tour Asian Tour Sunshine Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Purse | R20,500,000 |
| Month played | March |
| Aggregate | 260 Richard Sterne (2013) |
| To-par | −27 as above |
| Current champion | Dan Bradbury |
| Coordinates | 26.164°S 28.07°E |
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.
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
Notes
- ^ AFR − Sunshine Tour; ASA − Asian Tour; EUR − European Tour.
- ^ Shortened to 36 holes due to bad weather and impending COVID-19 related travel restrictions.[6]
- ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
References
- ^ "Kingston seeks title double in South Africa". PGA European Tour. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ^ Jackson, Keith (20 October 2020). "Joburg Open returns to European Tour schedule in November". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Reduced Joburg Open continues on Saturday". The Sunday Times. 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Lawrence wins maiden title at shortened Joburg Open". European Tour. 27 November 2021.
- ^ https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/schedule/
- ^ "Joberg Open: Thriston Lawrence wins 36-hole event amid increasing Covid-19 concerns". BBC Sport. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.