Tommy Fleetwood will aim to complete the Nedbank Golf Challenge hat-trick when he returns to Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club from November 9 – 12, 2023.
The European Ryder Cup star last year successfully defended the trophy, which he first won in 2019, as ‘Africa’s Major’ returned to the DP World Tour International Schedule following the Covid-19 pandemic and the Englishman will launch the second defence of his title when the $6,000,000 event returns later this year.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a highlight of the South African sporting calendar since its first edition in 1981, with the Englishman among a glittering list of winners including South African golfing icon Ernie Els – a three-time winner of the event – the legendary Seve Ballesteros, and Major Champions Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman and Danny Willett.
Fleetwood has an enviable record at Gary Player Country Club, finishing in a tie for tenth in 2017, a result which helped him towards being crowned Race to Dubai Champion later that year, before defeating Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult in a play-off two years later following a sublime seven under par closing round.
The two-time Ryder Cup player then came out on top of a thrilling final day battle with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox in 2022 to win in South Africa for a second time and the 32-year-old is relishing his return in November.
Fleetwood said: “I’ve got some great memories from the Nedbank Golf Challenge and I’m really excited to get back to Sun City.
“Last year’s event was such a rollercoaster with the weather, and I wasn’t feeling great at the start of the week, so to be able to come out on top on Sunday was amazing.
“It is always special to defend any title but returning to Sun City as defending champion is a true honour. I was lucky enough to be able to do it last year and I can’t wait to do it again this year. Nobody has ever won this event three times in a row so I can’t wait to give that a go.”
Gary Player, the Tournament Host, said: “When we launched this tournament I called on the biggest names in golf to support us, which they did. I am delighted that Tommy continues to do so as well and I can’t wait to greet him on the first tee once again. He has written his name into Nedbank Golf Challenge history as a magnificent champion by becoming only the seventh golfer to win back-to-back titles at Sun City.
“He is a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf who now has the chance to stand alone in the history of this event as its first ever winner of three consecutive titles and to add to the incredible legacy of this great tournament.”
Anthony Leeming, Chief Executive Officer of Sun International, said: “The scenes around the 18th green last year as Tommy celebrated with our Gary Player Country Club course staff and the spectators were some of the most memorable we’ve seen at Sun City in this tournament. We are proud to welcome back such a great champion who has not only written his name into Nedbank Golf Challenge history with his two titles, but also into the hearts of all fans of this great event.”
Mike Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Nedbank, said: “We are delighted that Tommy is returning to defend his title and to also have a shot at history as he seeks to become the first player to win three consecutive Nedbank Golf Challenge titles. Tommy represents everything of the legacy and passion of this event, and as ‘Africa’s Major’ it is a great way to tee off our sponsorship activities for the 41st edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.”
The 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge will once again be included on the DP World Tour schedule in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International and will be the penultimate event before the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. The winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit will receive a place in the 64-player field at Gary Player Country Club.
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
About the DP World Tour
The DP World Tour is the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group, with a global schedule featuring a minimum of 39 tournaments in 26 different countries across the 2023 season.
Formerly known as the European Tour, which was established in 1972, the 2023 DP World Tour schedule includes five Rolex Series events, along with four Major Championships, one World Golf Championship event, as well as tournaments staged around the world with a minimum prize of $2million for all events solely sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
The season concludes with the final Rolex Series event, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where the winner of the Tour’s season-long competition, the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex, will be crowned.
DP World, the leading provider of global smart end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions, is the title partner of the DP World Tour, which is administered by the European Tour group.
About the European Tour group
The European Tour group is the overarching corporate brand which administers four competition brands: the DP World Tour, the Challenge Tour, the Legends Tour and, along with the PGA of America, is the Managing Partner of golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup.
Established in 1972, the European Tour group is committed to ‘Driving Golf Further’ through our guiding principles of being innovative, inclusive and global.
Innovative: We are driving innovation in golf through the creation of award-winning content, pioneering tournament formats and the use of the latest technology and inventive fan engagement. We are committed to attracting new audiences whilst respecting the tradition of our sport.
Inclusive: We are committed to include all who share a love for the game of golf. We are passionate about a closer collaboration with the women’s game, golf for the disabled and promoting the many physical and mental health benefits of playing golf.
Global: Since 1972, players from 38 different countries have won tournaments on our main Tour, while our live broadcast reaches more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. We also enjoy the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with DP World, Rolex, BMW, Emirates, Fortinet and Hilton as Official Partners.
The European Tour group has Strategic Alliances with the PGA TOUR, the Sunshine Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, while we ensure we have a positive long-term impact on the courses, countries and the communities we visit through ‘Golf for Good’, the umbrella name for the European Tour group’s commitment to ‘Driving Golf Further’ in an environmentally and socially sustainable way.
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