The prestigious Investec South African Women’s Open will add to the illustrious championship history of Erinvale Country & Golf Estate when this historic tournament is played at one of the top-three ranked golf courses in the Western Cape from 25-28 April.
A quality field of Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour professionals will challenge for one of South African women’s golf’s most iconic titles on the fairways of an Erinvale course that has witnessed some of the most significant moments in the South African game.
Erinvale has twice hosted the men’s Investec South African Open in 2003 and 2004, both of which were won by Trevor Immelman.
Erinvale also played host to the first Men’s World Cup of Golf to be hosted in South Africa in 1996, and which was won by the team of Ernie Els and Wayne Westner.
The addition of the Investec South African Women’s Open to this list is a true showcase of the growth of this championship from a R250 000 tournament in 2018 to a now €320 000 event with well-established international status on the Ladies European Tour schedule.
“Women's sport and golf in particular is experiencing an incredible surge of growth, and we are proud to be a long-standing title sponsor of the Investec South African Women’s Open,” says Peta Dixon, head of sponsorships at Investec.
“We remain committed to the elevation of women’s golf as it grows from strength to strength, and supporting homegrown female talent in the game. This tournament, and other flagship events we headline sponsor, including both Investec South African Opens, provide platforms for talented athletes to showcase their skills and inspire the next generation of golfers. We are excited to witness the incredible competition and celebrate the achievements of these remarkable women.”
South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace heads to Erinvale in search of a record sixth Investec South African Women’s Open title and headlines a field including five former Investec South African Women’s Open champions with herself, England’s Alice Hewson, India’s Diksha Dagar, Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord, and South Africa’s Tandi McCallum.
Ladies European Tour No 1 Bronte Law adds to a field that also includes a strong South African challenge in Danielle du Toit, Casandra Alexandra, Nicole Garcia, Stacy Bregman, Cara Gorlei and Zethu Myeki as well as rising star Kiera Floyd and top GolfRSA amateurs Kyra van Kan, Bobbi Brown and Ellandri van Heerden.
In a perfect expression of how Extraordinary takes Drive in the women’s game, this year’s tournament will also feature a significant R1 million prize for the first professional to score a hole-in-one on the par-three 12th hole in either the third or fourth round.
Legendary South African women’s professional Sally Little will also form part of a strong drive to grow the game at this year’s tournament as young golfers from disadvantaged backgrounds will be exposed to the elite golf.
Little’s own Sally Little Centre for Excellence will join with young children from The Imibala Trust who will also be able to experience the tournament and share in the excellence and inspiration of women in sport giving back to their communities.
Entrance is free for spectators, with free parking at Lourensford Wine Estate.
The tournament will also be televised live on SuperSport 213 from Thursday to Sunday.