2013 Sunshine Tour
The 2013 Sunshine Tour was the 14th season of professional golf tournaments since the southern Africa based Sunshine Tour was relaunched in 2000, and the 7th since the tour switched a calendar-based season in 2007. The Sunshine Tour represents the highest level of competition for male professional golfers in the region.
The tour is based predominantly in South Africa with other events being held in neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia and Namibia.
Schedule
The table below shows the schedule of events for the 2013 Sunshine Tour season.[1] As usual, the tour consisted of two distinct parts, commonly referred to as the "Summer Swing" and the "Winter Swing". Tournaments held during the Summer Swing generally have much higher prize funds, attract stronger fields, and until 2012 were the only tournaments on the tour to carry world ranking points, with some events being co-sanctioned with the European Tour. Since the tour switched to a calendar-based season, this part of the tour has been split in two, with some events being held at the start of the year, and the remainder in November and December. Beginning in 2012, all events carry world ranking points, with the "Winter Swing" 72-hole events having a minimum of 6 points and the 54-hole events having a minimum of 4 points, compared with the 14 point minimum for the "Summer Swing" events.[2]
Prize funds shown do not count directly towards the Order of Merit. The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of official money Sunshine Tour events he had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for Sunshine Tour members.
| Dates | Tournament | Location | Prize fund | Winner | OWGR points |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23–25 Jan | Telkom PGA Pro-Am | Tshwane, Gauteng | R600,000 |  Oliver Bekker (3) |
4 | |
| 7–10 Feb | Joburg Open | Johannesburg, Gauteng | €1,300,000 | Richard Sterne (6) |
22 | Co-sanctioned with the European Tour |
| 14–17 Feb | Africa Open | East London, Eastern Cape | €1,000,000 | Darren Fichardt (13) |
20 | Co-sanctioned with the European Tour |
| 21–24 Feb | Dimension Data Pro-Am | George, Western Cape | R4,000,000 | Jaco van Zyl (11) |
14 | |
| 28 Feb – 3 Mar | Tshwane Open | Tshwane, Gauteng | €1,500,000 | Dawie van der Walt (1) |
20 | New tournament Co-sanctioned with the European Tour |
| 14–17 Mar | Telkom PGA Championship | Johannesburg, Gauteng | R3,750,000 | Jaco van Zyl (12) |
14 | |
| 21–24 Mar | Investec Cup | Rustenburg, North West | R1,000,000 | Jaco van Zyl (13) |
14 | |
| 18–21 Apr | Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open | Harare, Zimbabwe | R1,650,000 | Jake Roos (6) |
14 | |
| 1–4 May | Investec Royal Swazi Open | Swaziland | R1,000,000 | James Kingston (11) |
14 | |
| 16–19 May | Zambia Sugar Open | Zambia | R1,200,000 |  Adilson da Silva (11) |
14 | |
| 31 May – 2 Jun | Lombard Insurance Classic | Swaziland | R900,000 | Merrick Bremner (3) |
6 | |
| 5–7 Jun | Vodacom Origins of Golf (Simola) | Eastern Cape | R600,000 | Jacques Blaauw (1) |
4 | |
| 13–15 Jun | Polokwane Classic | Limpopo | R500,000 | Dean Burmester (1) |
4 | New tournament |
| 26–28 Jun | Vodacom Origins of Golf (Selborne) | Kwazulu-Natal | R600,000 | Jacques Blaauw (2) |
6 | |
| 3–5 Jul | Sun City Challenge | Sun City, North West | R600,000 | Adilson da Silva (12) |
6 | |
| 7–9 Aug | Vodacom Origins of Golf (Euphoria) | Limpopo | R600,000 | Heinrich Bruiners (1) |
6 | |
| 21–23 Aug | Vodacom Origins of Golf (Langebaan) | Western Cape | R600,000 | Jean Hugo (14) |
6 | |
| 27–29 Aug | Wild Waves Golf Challenge | Kwazulu-Natal | R600,000 | Andrew Curlewis (2) |
4 | |
| 11–13 Sep | Vodacom Origins of Golf (Parys) | Northern Cape | R600,000 | Andrew Curlewis (3) |
4 | |
| 19–21 Sep | Platinum Classic | North West | R500,000 | Neil Schietekat (1) |
4 | |
| 9–11 Oct | Vodacom Origins of Golf Final | Eastern Cape | R600,000 | J. J. Senekal (1) |
4 | |
| 18–20 Oct | BMG Classic | Johannesburg, Gauteng | R600,000 | Ulrich van den Berg (7) |
6 | |
| 31 Oct – 3 Nov | Lion of Africa Cape Town Open | Western Cape | R2,000,000 | Tjaart van der Walt (1) |
14 | |
| 5–7 Nov | Nedbank Affinity Cup | North West | R700,000 | Jacques Blaauw (3) |
4 | |
| 21–24 Nov | South African Open Championship | Johannesburg, Gauteng | €1,100,000 |  Morten Ørum Madsen (n/a) |
32 | Co-sanctioned with the European Tour |
| 28 Nov – 1 Dec | Alfred Dunhill Championship | Limpopo | €1,500,000 | Charl Schwartzel (7) |
22 | Co-sanctioned with the European Tour |
| 5–8 Dec | Nedbank Golf Challenge | North West | $6,500,000 | Thomas Bjørn (n/a) |
46 | Co-sanctioned with the European Tour |
| 11–14 Dec | Nelson Mandela Championship | Kwazulu-Natal | €1,000,000 | Dawie van der Walt (2) |
20 | Co-sanctioned with the European Tour Shortened to 54 holes |
Order of Merit
This shows the final Order of Merit leaders.
| Rank | Player | Prize money (R) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dawie van der Walt | 5,094,333 |
| 2 | Darren Fichardt | 4,518,495 |
| 3 | Jaco van Zyl | 3,027,749 |
| 4 | Hennie Otto | 2,475,830 |
| 5 | Jbe' Kruger | 2,045,405 |
Charl Schwartzel (5.7 milliion) and Richard Sterne (2.5 million) did not play the minimum number of tournaments required (eight) to be ranked.
References
- ↑ "2013 Sunshine Tour schedule". Sunshine Tour. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
- ↑ "Official World Golf Ranking Board Announces Adjustments To Ranking System". 25 July 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.