Ernie Els and Webb Simpson are the first two Major Champions to confirm their places in the field for the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which will be played at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from December 3-6.
The winners of five Majors between them join defending champion Danny Willett of England, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and South Africa’s Thomas Aiken as the first five players confirmed for the tournament. Both Els and Simpson qualified for this year’s event through the new eligibility criteria that allows for four invitations.
Els is the most successful golfer in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and will be making a record 19th appearance in the tournament.
Since his debut in 1992, when he finished in third place, Els has become an icon of the Nedbank Golf Challenge with his victories in 1999, 2000 and 2002. He has also earned the most prize money of any golfer in the history of the tournament.
This year, Els will be seeking to become the first four-time winner in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge. His three victories currently equal those of Nick Price and David Frost.
Simpson, meanwhile, will be making his debut at Sun City. The winner of the 2012 US Open Championship and a further three US PGA Tour titles finished 48th in the final FedEx Cup standings this year, following a season of six top ten finishes on the PGA Tour.
The American enjoyed a breakthrough season on the PGA Tour in 2011, winning twice. He claimed his first Major at the Olympic Club the following year, and his most recent US PGA Tour title was a convincing six-stroke victory in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in 2013. He has played on two Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams, and will be looking to become the first American winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge since Jim Furyk won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.
Alastair Roper, Sun International’s Tournament Director for the Nedbank Golf Challenge, said: “I’m delighted to confirm both Ernie and Webb in our field. Ernie is one of the greatest ambassadors of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and always a firm favourite with the Sun City fans. His victory in 1999 with a tournament record of 25 under par stands as one of the finest performances we’ve ever seen in this tournament.
“To have Webb in our field is also a major endorsement of the enduring appeal of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in global golf, and particularly in the United States. Our first two champions, Johnny Miller and Raymond Floyd, were American, and Webb will continue a proud history of the top American players competing at Sun City.”
The field for the US$6.5 million tournament will once again feature 30 of the world’s best players competing for a first prize of $1.25 million, in a tournament co-sanctioned by The European and Sunshine Tours.
