Nedbank Golf Challenge
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The Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual golf tournament played over the Gary Player Country Club Course in Sun City, South Africa. It was inaugurated in 1981 and has had several previous names. Like most high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it takes place between the conclusion of the PGA Tour and European Tour official schedules in early November, and Christmas. It usually attracts many of the world's highest ranked players.
The tournament is a twelve man invitational stroke play event. It was known as "The Million Dollar Challenge" in the early years. When it was first played in 1981 the purse was US$1 million, with a winner's share of $500,000. In 1987 the event was played on a "winner takes all" basis, with the winner claiming the whole of the million dollar purse. This was designed to overcome any qualms the world's top golfers might have about competing in South Africa during the apartheid era, and it was successful in doing this in many cases. In 1988 the winner's prize was again $1 million, but additional prizes were introduced.
From 2000 to 2002 the first prize was $2 million, which as of 2007 remains the largest tournament prize in the history of golf, but the following year the winner's share of the total prize fund was reduced from more than half to around 30%. The standard winner's share on the PGA Tour is 18% and on the European Tour it is 16.67%. In 2006 the winner received $1.2 million out of a total purse of $4.385 million, so the prize distribution is now not far from the normal pattern for a professional tournament, once allowance is made for the small size of the field.
In 2006, the tournament carried Official World Golf Ranking points for the first time since 1999.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Winners
| Year | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Trevor Immelman |  South Africa |
| 2006 | Jim Furyk |  United States |
| 2005 | Jim Furyk | United States |
| 2004 | Retief Goosen | South Africa |
| 2003 | Sergio García |  Spain |
| 2002 | Ernie Els | South Africa |
| 2001 | Sergio García | Spain |
| 2000 | Ernie Els | South Africa |
| 1999 | Ernie Els | South Africa |
| 1998 | Nick Price |  Zimbabwe |
| 1997 | Nick Price | Zimbabwe |
| 1996 | Colin Montgomerie |  Scotland |
| 1995 | Corey Pavin | United States |
| 1994 | Nick Faldo |  England |
| 1993 | Nick Price | Zimbabwe |
| 1992 | David Frost |  South Africa |
| 1991 | Bernhard Langer |  Germany |
| 1990 | David Frost | South Africa |
| 1989 | David Frost | South Africa |
| 1988 | Fulton Allem | South Africa |
| 1987 | Ian Woosnam |  Wales |
| 1986 | Mark McNulty | Zimbabwe |
| 1985 | Bernhard Langer | West Germany |
| 1984 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain |
| 1983 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain |
| 1982 | Raymond Floyd | United States |
| 1981 | Johnny Miller | United States |
As of 2007, the leading money winner in the event is Ernie Els with winnings of $7,971,000.[2]
[edit] 2007 Field
[edit] Selection Criteria
The field for the 27th edition of the event, being played from 29 November to 2 December 2007, was announced on 9 October 2007 and the following selection criteria was applied:
- Defending champion - Jim Furyk
- Sunshine Tour Order of Merit Winner - Charl Schwartzel
- 10 places according to the Official World Golf Rankings as of Monday, 13 August 2007[3]
| Player | Country | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Furyk | United States |
Withdrawn due to recent injury |
| Ernie Els | South Africa |
|
| Adam Scott |  Australia |
|
| Pádraig Harrington |  Ireland |
|
| Rory Sabbatini | South Africa |
|
| Sergio García | Spain |
Withdrawn due to personal reasons |
| Justin Rose | England |
|
| Geoff Ogilvy | Australia |
|
| Luke Donald | England |
|
| Henrik Stenson |  Sweden |
|
| Retief Goosen | South Africa |
|
| Charl Schwartzel | South Africa |
|
| Trevor Immelman | South Africa |
Late entrant (replaces García) |
| Niclas Fasth | Sweden |
Late entrant (replaces Furyk) |
The three newcomers to the event this year are 2006 U.S. Open Champion, Geoff Ogilvy, Johannesburg-born Justin Rose and local favourite, Rory Sabbatini.
