DID YOU KNOW – JOBURG OPEN
• Defending champion, Richard Sterne will try and become the second player to make a successful defence of the Joburg Open. The first player to achieve the feat was Charl Schwartzel in 2010-2011.
• Richard’s Sterne’s winning total of 260 (-27) not only created a new tournament record but was the lowest winning score and in relation to par during the 2013 season.
• Should he prevail again, he would join Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman , Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel as South Africans to win the same South African event in back-to-back years.
• Should Sterne claim his seventh European Tour title at the 2014 Joburg Open it would mean his last five European Tour victories would have arrived on home soil.
• There have already been two successful European Tour defences this season by South Africans. They were by Charl Schwartzel (2013-2014 Alfred Dunhill Championship) and Louis Oosthuizen (2013-2014 Volvo Golf Champions).
• Charl Schwartzel will attempt to continue with his outstanding record in European Tour events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour. He has played in 34 tournaments, making 28 cuts, winning six times, runner-up six times and been placed in the top ten on 20 occasions overall.
• Schwartzel has played in all seven previous Joburg Opens and won the event in 2010 and 2011. He was also runner-up in 2013 and tied fourth in 2009. Overall the 2011 Masters Tournament Champion is 91 under par for the event.
• Of the 56 events co-sanctioned between The European Tour and Sunshine Tour, South African players have accounted for 34 of the titles.
• South Africa have won every year on The European Tour since 1991; 24 consecutive seasons.
• The Joburg Open has the largest field of the season, with 2010 players.
