Local starlets tipped for Tshwane Open honours

Pretoria better not disappoint after Sunshine tour director Selwyn Nathan nailed his colours to the mast in their support at the launch of the Tshwane open in Waterkloof on Tuesday.

Pretorians who have already signed up for the golf tournament from 11 to 14 February are George Coetzee, Brandon Stone and Zander Lombard.

“I hope Coetzee could do it for a second time in a row, but if he does not make it, there are other local young men flying the flag for Pretoria and Gauteng. Point is, I hope a local player can once again win the Tshwane Open,” responded Nathan after he was asked for his preference to win the Open.

The 2016 Tshwane Open will showcase one of the most exciting new eras in South African golf when the quartet of Stone, Haydn Porteous, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Lombard tee it up at Pretoria country club.

The R18.5 million tournament will be another opportunity for the new young stars of the game to showcase their skills in a major European Tour-Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned event.

The four golfers have dominated the European Tour early in the new year. Stone won the SA Open and Porteous took the Joburg Open in January, with Bezuidenhout and Lombard finishing as the respective runners-up.

The Tshwane Open field will also include defending champion and another Pretoria-boy, Coetzee and former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

After reminiscing about the success of the tournament over the first three editions since 2013, Nozipho Tyobeka-Makeke, MMC for sports, arts, recreation and culture in the Tshwane metro announced that an agreement had been reached to keep the Tshwane Open part of the Sunshine Tour series until at least 2018.

The Tshwane Open is not only one of the richest tournaments in South Africa, but has also became very popular with the players. It is also the final European Tour event played in South Africa this summer. The winner of the tournament gets direct access to the rest of the European tour via a player’s card.

“We are delighted to not only be showcasing the Tshwane metro to the world but to also be the platform for our top young professionals to keep developing themselves on an international stage,” mayor, councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, said at the launch, Pretoria country club in Waterkloof.

“We want our youth to be able to aspire to what these young golfers are achieving, and their success of late could be the spark many of our young golfers need to also go on to achieve greater things one day.”

Nathan said the Tshwane Open has been a perfect model of the value a professional golf tournament can bring to a city and its tourism objectives.

“We are very proud of and grateful for our association with the Tshwane metro and the faith it has shown in the Sunshine Tour to help it meet its objectives. The fact that we can celebrate this year’s Tshwane Open with such a wealth of new young talent is proof that such an investment into South African golf does indeed help to develop the tremendous talent we have in this country,” he said.

“The 2015 Tshwane Open was a tremendous success and we are proud to again host such a prestigious tournament, and to be partnering the Tshwane metro in this regard and as the club of choice for the residents of the greater Pretoria,” said Nicky Bloem, deputy chairperson of the Pretoria country club.