South African PGA Championship

The South African PGA Championship is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It is generally played in February, depending on the Tour Schedule, with a prize fund of 2 million rand, and is currently held at Eye of Africa Signature Golf Estate in the Johannesburg suburb of Eikenhof.

PGA Championship
Tournament information
LocationSt Francis Bay, South Africa
Established1965
Course(s)St Francis Links
Par72
Length7,167 yards (6,554 m)
Tour(s)Sunshine Tour
European Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundR1,200,000
Month playedNovember
Tournament record score
Aggregate259 David Frost (1994)
To par−28 Louis Oosthuizen (2008)
Current champion
Dean Burmester
Location Map
St Francis Links
Location in South Africa
St Francis Links
Location in the Eastern Cape

The current South African PGA Championship was founded in 1965, largely thanks to Gary Player and Brian Henning. The inaugural event was held in February 1965 and was won by Harold Henning who beat Player by 3 strokes.[1]

New sponsors in 1972 gave the championship a home at The Wanderers Golf Club where it remained until 1995,[2] when it became the first tournament in South Africa to be co-sanctioned by the European Tour. The following year Alfred Dunhill took over from Lexington as title sponsors, breaking a 23-year association with the PGA.

Following the 1999 event, Dunhill decided to end their association with the South African PGA and create their own tournament, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which also replaced the PGA Championship on the European calendar. As a result, there was no PGA Championship held in 2000, but the tournament returned to the Sunshine Tour the following year with a new sponsor. It is one of the richest sole-sanctioned events on the Sunshine Tour.

The South African PGA Championship, along with the South African Open and the South African Masters formed the Triple Crown of South African golf. Winning all three titles in the same season is a feat only achieved by Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els.[3]

Winners
YearTour(s)[lower-alpha 1]WinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up
PGA Championship
2021AFR Dean Burmester271−172 strokes Pieter Moolman
Eye of Africa PGA Championship
2020AFR Darren Fichardt268−20Playoff Matías Calderón
2019AFR Louis de Jager276−12Playoff Trevor Fisher Jnr
2018AFR Matías Calderón271−171 stroke Combrinck Smit
2017AFR Erik van Rooyen272−16Playoff Dylan Frittelli
Makhetha Mazibuko
2016AFR Jaco van Zyl (3)268−20Playoff Dean Burmester
Telkom Business PGA Championship
2015: No tournament
2014AFR Titch Moore273−15Playoff Ulrich van den Berg
Telkom PGA Championship
2013AFR Jaco van Zyl (2)268−201 stroke Dylan Frittelli
2012AFR Keith Horne269−193 strokes Jaco Ahlers
Darren Fichardt
Alex Haindl
2011AFR George Coetzee261−272 strokes Neil Schietekat
2010AFR Michiel Bothma (2)268−201 stroke George Coetzee
2009AFR Jaco van Zyl270−181 stroke Graham DeLaet
Trevor Fisher Jnr
2008AFR Louis Oosthuizen (2)260−2814 strokes Hennie Otto
2007AFR Louis Oosthuizen266−221 stroke Richard Sterne
2006AFR Grégory Bourdy267−216 strokes Thomas Aiken
2005AFR Warren Abery273−151 stroke Charl Schwartzel
Jaco van Zyl
2004AFR Warrick Druian267−215 strokes Michiel Bothma
Mark Murless
2003: No tournament
2002
(Dec)		AFR Michiel Bothma273−15Playoff Mark Murless
2002
(Jan)		AFR Chris Williams (2)271−172 strokes Hennie Otto
South African PGA Championship
2001AFR Deane Pappas269−193 strokes Don Gammon
2000: No tournament
Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship
1999AFR, EUR Ernie Els (3)273−154 strokes Richard Kaplan
1998AFR, EUR Tony Johnstone (2)271−172 strokes Ernie Els
1997AFR, EUR Nick Price269−19Playoff David Frost
1996AFR, EUR Sven Strüver202[lower-alpha 2]−143 strokes Ernie Els
David Feherty
Lexington South African PGA Championship
1995AFR, EUR Ernie Els (2)271−92 strokes Roger Wessels
Lexington PGA Championship
1994AFR David Frost259−217 strokes Nick Price
1993AFR Mark McNulty265−151 stroke John Bland
David Frost
Nick Price
Wayne Westner
1992AFR Ernie Els271−91 stroke Ian Palmer
Kevin Stone
Wayne Westner
1991AFR Roger Wessels271−9Playoff Mark James
Hugh Royer III
1990AFR Fulton Allem (2)266−14 Chris Davison
1989AFR Tony Johnstone269 Chris Williams
1988AFR David Feherty267−131 stroke Eamonn Darcy
1987AFR Fulton Allem268 Hugh Baiocchi
1986AFR Bobby Cole265 David Frost
Teddy Webber
1985AFR Chris Williams272−81 stroke Mark McNulty
Jay Townsend
Denis Watson
1984AFR Gavan Levenson271−93 strokes Nick Price
1983AFR Corey Pavin270−101 stroke Nick Price
1982AFR Gary Player (3)272−83 strokes Gordon Brand Jnr
Mark McNulty
Bob Rogers
1981: No tournament
1980AFR Hugh Baiocchi268 Mark McNulty
Gary Player
1979AFR Gary Player (2)203[lower-alpha 2]−71 stroke Bobby Cole
Harold Henning
Nick Price
Denis Watson
1978AFR Hale Irwin275−91 stroke Hugh Baiocchi
Mark McNulty
Robbie Stewart
1977AFR John Bland275 Gary Player
Sportsman Lager PGA Championship
1976AFR Dale Hayes (3)266 Gary Player
Beck's PGA Championship
1975AFR Dale Hayes (2)266 Allan Henning
1974AFR Dale Hayes271
1973AFR Tom Weiskopf273−73 strokes Vin Baker
Luyt Lager PGA Championship
1972AFR Harold Henning (4)279
South African PGA Championship
1971
(Nov)		AFR Tienie Britz (2)280Playoff
1971
(Feb)		 Tienie Britz277
1970 Denis Hutchinson278
1969 Gary Player272
1968: No tournament
1967 Harold Henning (3)275
1966 Harold Henning (2)272
1965 Harold Henning281
  1. AFR − Sunshine Tour; EUR − European Tour.
  2. Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

References
  1. "Golf". The Herald. Glasgow. 22 February 1965. p. 4. Retrieved 20 November 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  2. "The Lexington PGA". The Wanderers Golf Club. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  3. "History of the South African Masters sponsored by Nashua". Sunshine Tour. 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
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