After a dramatic season opener in the South African bushveld the European Challenge Tour heads to the Mother City for the RAM Cape Town Open. Here are five key facts before the players tee off at Royal Cape Golf Club and King David Mowbray Golf Club.
Rich history
This week’s tournament may mark the first time the Challenge Tour has visited the Mother City, but the RAM Cape Town Open has been contested on the Sunshine Tour for almost a decade. Three-time European Tour winner Brandon Stone and Welshman Rhys Enoch are just two former winners of the event, which has previously been played solely over Royal Cape. The 2019 D+D REAL Slovakia Open champion Enoch holds the previous tournament record at 19 under par, although a new scoring record is likely to be set this season, with the tournament played over two venues for the first time.
The format
Akin to the season opening Limpopo Championship, the RAM Cape Town Open will be played across two courses over the opening two days, Royal Cape Golf Club and King David Mowbray Golf Club, before the top 60 and ties contest the title at Royal Cape over the weekend. There is set to be intense competition to make it to the final two days, with 204-players from the Challenge Tour and The Sunshine Tour teeing it up on Thursday.
South African prowess
Local spectators will be looking for another strong performance from the South African stars, after home grown players filled the top five spots at last week’s Limpopo Championship. There is certainly a strong South African showing in Cape Town with Brandon Stone, a Rolex Series winner at the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, European Tour players Zander Lombard and Justin Walters, last week’s champion JC Ritchie and nine-time Sunshine Tour winner Jaco Ahlers featuring this week.
Pro-Am stars
South African Rugby World Cup star François Pienaar is among the stars from the world of sport teeing it up in the tournament Pro-Am on Tuesday. Pienaar, who in one of sport’s most iconic moments received the Rugby World Cup trophy from Nelson Mandela shortly after the end of apartheid, will play alongside Stone at Royal Cape. Meanwhile, Paul Harris and Vernon Philander are among several former international cricketers set to take to the fairways.
Royal Cape
Co-host venue Royal Cape is the oldest golf club in South Africa, established in 1885. The venue, which sits in the shadow of Table Mountain, has staged ten South African Opens, including the 1965 edition of the event, which was won by nine-time major winner champion Gary Player. Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman and Mark McNulty have also triumphed at the venue.
