The Jock is ready to bark again
On Sunday May 5 the 56th edition of the Jock Open will get under way at Mbombela Golf Club, as golfers travel from all over the country and even abroad to take part in the festive yet competitive week-long tournament.
The 56th annual Jock of the Bushveld tournament is rearing and ready to go at Mbombela Golf Club as the course readies to host just under 2 000 rounds of golf in only one week.
It’s a tale that predates the golf club itself. The story of the mighty Jock of the Bushveld, a staffy that belonged to renowned author Sir James Percy FitzPatrick, is one that has been retold countless times in many a language the world over. The story of his tenacity has endured. The same can be said of the competition named in Jock’s honour, which was held for the first time in 1968.
The brainchild of JJ van Rensburg, Rip Riphagen, Christo Basson and Ken Myers, the Jock was first played from Thursday to Sunday and consisted of two 18-hole competitions each day, with the 36-hole Lowveld Open on the Sunday. Over the years it has undergone many a revision.
Numerous changes were made to its format as the Jock consistently grew year after year. It finally reached its present format in 1973, with the Tuesdays added in 1977 and the Mondays four years later.
It has featured many a great name in the game of golf, including the legendary Bobby Locke, who took part in the first edition of the competition. Now, 56 years later, it has grown into what is considered to be the largest amateur golf tournament of its kind in the world.
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Because of this, the Jock is renowned the world over, with some 800 golfers taking part and playing roughly 2 000 rounds of golf over the course of seven days. Golfers travel from anywhere and everywhere to take part in the competition.
A special component of this year’s Jock, held from May 5 to 11, will be a daily supplement publication that is produced and printed by Lowveld Media and is then distributed at Mbombela Golf Club every day, starting from the second day.
It will include photos and results from the previous day’s play. With Subaru as the main sponsor, the week-long tournament is set to be great for all involved, as per usual.
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It will kick off with the Jock Open on Sunday May 5, and will feature a different sponsor for each day. These are NKP Consultants, Rooikat Liquors, Belgravia & Gelston, Bains and Coca-Cola, Renasa, Hino Mbombela and SA Breweries.
