By
Sport Editor
1 minute read
06:35

Golf fans spoilt for choice

By Carl Peters

The prize pot on offer on the par-71 course there is $8,4 million.

South African golfer Hennie du Plessis. Photo: Gallo Images
South African golfer Hennie du Plessis. Photo: Gallo Images

Golfers are said to have the most scenic “offices” the world over, and the tourist-friendly “action centres” for South African players this week include Madrid, Las Vegas and Sun City.

This after Hennie du Plessis finished joint-14th in the rain-disrupted Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout ended joint-sixth in the Sanderson Farms Championship on American soil and Robin Williams was a rare black winner in the Fortress Invitational in Johannesburg.

Du Plessis now leads a strong group of players from the so-called Rainbow Nation into the Spanish Open at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid on Thursday.

ALSO READ | South African golfers on the hunt for merit and moola

The contingent includes Oliver Bekker, Thriston Lawrence, Louis de Jager, Deon Germishuys, Bryce Easton and Daniel van Tonder.

The European Tour’s Acciona-sponsored event has a prize pot of $3,25 million (R61,8 million) in the Spanish capital.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Bezuidenhout will be among five “Saffers” seeking rewards and respect in the U.S. PGA Tour’s Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in the ‘Sin City’ of Las Vegas from Thursday.

The prize pot on offer on the par-71 course there is $8,4 million.

On the domestic scene, the Sunshine Tour takes in the Blue Label Challenge at Gary Player Country Club from today until Saturday.

ALSO READ | Plenty of action to choose from across the globe for SA’s top golfers

Those who get their strokes right across all four rounds of play will share R2,7 million in prize money.

This is R700 000 more than the lowest purse that was recently put in place on the tour.