The City of Johannesburg is ready to host the 17th edition of the biggest golfing event on its calendar: the Joburg Open International Golf Tournament.
This year, the golf showpiece is returning to the lush lawns of the Houghton Gold Club in the northern Joburg suburb of the same name and will welcome some of the best golfers from across the world between Thursday, 23 and Sunday, 26 November.
The Houghton Golf Club is one of the premier golf venues in the country, and the course has a proud history as a championship facility, having hosted no fewer than eight SA Open events.
Bongi Mokaba, the City’s director of event management and tournament promoter, expresses her elation, saying, “We are so ready for the world”.
Behind-the-scenes preparations have been in full swing, with advertising and billboards already gracing strategic road traffic points in the City, aiming to draw more spectators to this year’s edition.
Mokaba confirms that Dan Bradbury will return to Houghton to defend his title. Other past champions who confirmed their participation are Branden Grace, Joachim Hansen, and Thriston Lawrence.
The Joburg Open is co-sanctioned by the international Sunshine Tour and the DP World Tour and boasts participation from 156 golfers worldwide, making it a prestigious and acclaimed event for both local and international players.
The excitement kicks off with an invite-only Pro-Am on Tuesday, 21 November, featuring 120 players, comprising 30 professionals and 90 amateurs. The winners will be honoured during a prize-giving ceremony at the Houghton Golf Clubhouse on the same evening.
The competitive tournament commences on Thursday, 23 November. It takes place over four days, with the final held on Sunday, 26 November. The much-anticipated winner, to be crowned on Sunday, will take a lion’s share of the 1.5 million euros prize purse (equivalent to about R20.5 million), with the rest split amongst players who make the cut.
Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, the Joburg Open has seen exciting moments and has grown immensely. It has provided opportunities for young golfers through extending sponsor’s invites and contributed significantly to the City’s economy, creating job opportunities for caddies, marshals, and nomads.
The event is open to spectators. Tickets are available for purchase on the Joburg Open ticketing system link..https://quickbuy.mygolflife.co.za/sunshine-tour/2023-joburg-open
Mokaba urges Joburgers to come out in numbers to support the event.
“I want Joburgers to flood this place. Let us have a spectacular finish on the final day,” she enthuses.
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