DID YOU KNOW – ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP
• The championship has a history of producing debut winners. Since the first playing in 2000, eight have entered the winners circle for the first time on The European Tour. They are: Anthony Wall (2000), Adam Scott (2001), Justin Rose (2002), Mark Foster (2003), Marcel Siem (2004), Charl Schwartzel (2005), Alvaro Quiros (2007) and Garth Mulroy (Nov 2011).
• Charl Schwartzel will be looking to follow Pablo Martin Benavides (2010-2011 (Dec 10) and become only the second player to make a successful defence of the title. The former Masters Tournament Champion is looking to make a successful defence for the second time on The European Tour. The first was the Joburg Open in 2010-2011. No South African player in European Tour history has won two different events in back-to-back years.
• The 2003 Championship witnessed, for only the second time in European Tour history a six-man play-off. Mark Foster was the player who prevailed, beating Anders Hansen, Trevor Immelman, Paul Lawrie, Doug McGuigan and Bradford Vaughan. The first time this occurred was the 1990 Vino Verde Atlantic Open.
• European Tour history was made in the 2007 tournament, when Alvaro Quiros became the first player to win a European Tour event in his first event as a full Member, having graduated from the 2006 European Tour Qualifying School.
• Charl Schwartzel will looking to collect his third Alfred Dunhill Championship crown, having first prevailed in 2005 and again in the 2013 season. His record in the event is outstanding. He has played in the tournament ten times, eight of these being at Leopard Creek, where he was the first winner in 2005. He has also been placed second on a further four occasions; in the 2006 season, 2007, 2010 and 2011.
• In the 2010 season Pablo Martin Benavides made European Tour history by becoming the first player to win as an amateur and a professional. This event was his debut win in the paid ranks. His amateur victory was at the 2007Open de Portugal.
