Sunshine Tour tees of new season in Africa

The Sunshine Tour tees off its 2023-24 season in Africa this week with the FBC Zimbabwe Open at the Royal Harare Golf Club.

The Tour’s new schedule will start with its African Swing in Zimbabwe and Zambia, and then also includes increased purses for the longstanding Vodacom Origins of Golf and SunBet Challenge series of tournaments.

SuperSport is once again the official broadcaster of the entire season.

The new season begins at Royal Harare Golf Club with this week’s 72-hole tournament, and then travels to Zambia for the Zanaco Masters at Lusaka Golf Club in May.

The four-tournament Vodacom Origins of Golf Series, which first teed off in 2004, will feature increased prize money of R1.5 million and then R2 million for the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final.

The four-tournament SunBet Challenge Series will also feature increased prize money of R1.25 million per event.

The Tour has announced its new schedule up to the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational in November, and will announce its main DP World Tour co-sanctioned summer tournaments at a later stage.

“We are confident we have put together another robust schedule that reflects the significant growth of the Sunshine Tour over the past few years,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“We have moved from a tournament schedule of 24 events before the Covid-19 pandemic to a schedule that is now 32 tournaments strong and with double the prize money. This new schedule gives our members maximum playing opportunities across the spectrum of our local and international events. Our Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour remains as strong as ever and provides the global pathway for South African professionals to play their way from the Sunshine Tour onto the European Challenge Tour and then ultimately the DP World Tour and beyond.

“There is no doubt that we work in challenging economic times and I’d like to thank our sponsors and partners for their continued faith in the Sunshine Tour as a product that offers unrivalled value through our broadcast partnership with SuperSport and then our international broadcast footprint in our co-sanctioned events.”