The Nedbank Golf Challenge this 12 months celebrates its 40th anniversary as an iconic match which since 1981 has captivated the golf world with its mixture of the best stars within the historical past of the sport, an impressive golf course, and an unrivalled leisure providing.
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The celebrations for this 12 months’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, to be performed on the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from November 10-13, will search to seize the unbelievable historical past of a match that modified world golf’s panorama on its rise to changing into a number one DP World Tour occasion and which has earned it the title of “Africa’s Major”.
Upon its debut in 1981, the Nedbank Golf Challenge was described by the world’s sports activities media as “the golfing coup of the century” because it supplied golf’s first million-dollar purse to be contested by 5 of the world’s main gamers in Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino and Johnny Miller.
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Miller was topped the inaugural champion following a playoff with a younger Seve Ballesteros, and towards the backdrop of the daring leisure providing of the brand new Sun City resort, the championship Gary Player Country Club designed by Player, and a glittering array of celebrities together with Sean Connery, Telly Savalas and James Hunt who made this the social event the match has remained.
Nedbank Golf Challenge has advanced over time
Over the subsequent many years, the Nedbank Golf Challenge would proceed to evolve in each side from its prize cash to the dimensions of its subject, whereas all the time remaining on the forefront of match golf and attracting stars of the sport from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods in addition to an array of Major champions, world quantity ones, and Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup stars.
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The subject grew from its preliminary 5 gamers to 10 after which later the 12 that it had for many of its historical past earlier than increasing to its present subject of 64 gamers.
The prize cash additionally led world requirements for the sport. From the $1 million in whole prize cash and $500 000 for the winner in 1981, to a $1 million winner-takes-all prize when Ian Woosnam received in 1987, to $2 million for the 2000 champion Ernie Els, and to its 2019 whole purse of $7.5 million with $2.5 million for the champion, Tommy Fleetwood.
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The Nedbank Golf Challenge has straddled the best eras in golf, from the dominance of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson to the emergence of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and the brand new technology of stars.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge has entrenched its standing as one of many best tournaments in world golf and the 40th taking part in of “Africa’s Major” will add to this unbelievable legacy.
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