South African Open (Golf)
The South African Open Championship is one of the oldest golf championship in the world and one of the major tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. Since 1997 she has been part of the European Tour and is replaced as the flagship event of the Sunshine Tour a special status in the golf world rankings. The winner gets always a minimum of 32 points, regardless of the strength of the player field.
The first formal meeting took place in 1903, after some show competitions were held in the previous ten years. The championship was initially only played over 36 holes until it was expanded in 1908 to a 72 -hole tournament. Although previously non-white South African Open had been played, most notably as Papwa Sewgolum 1963 finished as runner-up, it was until 1972, black golfers not allowed to participate in the competition.
The South African Open is currently being held in the Glendower Golf Club in Ekurhuleni in November.
The most successful player in the tournament's history is Gary Player, the import 1956-1981 thirteen victories in four decades. Bobby Locke won nine titles.
List of winners
Before membership in the European Tour
Tournament was played until 1908 over 36 holes
Multiple winners
Eighteen men have won this tournament in 2010 to more than once.
- 9 wins Bobby Locke: 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1955
- 8 wins Sid Brews: 1925, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1949, 1952
- 5 wins George Fotheringham: 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914
- Ernie Els: 1992, 1996, 1998, 2006, 2010
- 4 wins Laurie Waters: 1903, 1904, 1907, 1920
- Jock Brews: 1921, 1923, 1926, 1928
- 2 wins A. G. Gray: 1905, 1906
- Harold Henning: 1957, 1962
- Retief Waltman: 1961, 1963
- Bobby Cole: 1974, 1980
- Wayne Westner: 1988, 1991
- Tony Johnstone: 1984, 1993 (Dec )
- David Frost: 1986, 1999
- Mark McNulty: 1987, 2001
- Trevor Immelman: 2003, 2004
- Tim Clark: 2002, 2005 (Jan )
- Retief Goosen: 1995, 2005 (Dec )