JOHANNESBURG: MENA Golf Tour hotshot Thriston Lawrence will be seeking to exploit some home advantage when he headlines a strong field for the South to East Challenge at Zwartkop Golf Club in Centurion, Pretoria, on June 7-9.
Co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Big Easy Tour, the event, which marks MENA Golf Tour’s first foray into the Rainbow Nation, will see leading players from both tours pit their skills against each other for a share of the R500,000 prize fund in addition to earning world ranking points.
Lawrence, a 19-year-old South African prodigy, who in 2015 became the youngest to win MENA Golf Tour’s Order of Merit title, has already racked up two top-5 finishes in three events he played this season, but will need a strong finish, if not victory, to recover lost ground after missing a couple of tournaments.
Managed by Andrew “Chubby” Chandler of ISM, the Mpumalanga-born teenager announced his arrival on the big stage by winning the Ras Al Khaimah Classic in November 2015 in a field that featured European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke, who is also the MENA Golf Tour patron.
The two-time South African amateur champion has been on a roll ever since and will be joined by five other MENA Golf Tour champions, including England’s Lee Corfield, a four-time winner, and an in-form Antonio Costa of Chile, who took the MahaSamutr Masters, sponsored by PACE Development Corporation, by six shots at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand, in May.
Other MENA Golf Tour notables in the 120-player field include Scotland’s Paul Doherty and the English duo of Scott Campbell and Luke Joy. They will be up against a strong Big Easy Tour contingent that will be looking to make inroads into new territory.
Spearheading the home challenge will be Jason Viljoen, who currently leads the Big Easy Tour Order of Merit after his second-place finish in the recent Big Easy Tour Observatory event.
Thanda Mavundla, Hennie du Plessis, Jeff Inglis and Mark Murless, who featured among the top-five at the Observatory, are also represented in the field, which includes six amateurs, including five from South Africa, and Benjamin David of England. They will test the waters on the professional circuit at Zwartkop Golf Club.
Founded in 1933, Zwartkop Country Club has hosted many significant professional events over the years, including the SA Open, the Sunshine Tour’s ICL International and a memorable exhibition game between Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player during the 60’s.
Some of the greatest names in golf to have walked the fairways includes Sam Snead, Peter Thompson and Bobby Locke to Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Nick Price and Retief Goosen.
The South to East Challenge will be decided over 54 holes of strokeplay with leading 50 professionals and ties making it to the final round after the cut to be made after round two.
An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St. Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.
Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are some of the added incentives for the MENA Golf Tour members.
Co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Big Easy Tour, the event, which marks MENA Golf Tour’s first foray into the Rainbow Nation, will see leading players from both tours pit their skills against each other for a share of the R500,000 prize fund in addition to earning world ranking points.
Lawrence, a 19-year-old South African prodigy, who in 2015 became the youngest to win MENA Golf Tour’s Order of Merit title, has already racked up two top-5 finishes in three events he played this season, but will need a strong finish, if not victory, to recover lost ground after missing a couple of tournaments.
Managed by Andrew “Chubby” Chandler of ISM, the Mpumalanga-born teenager announced his arrival on the big stage by winning the Ras Al Khaimah Classic in November 2015 in a field that featured European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke, who is also the MENA Golf Tour patron.
The two-time South African amateur champion has been on a roll ever since and will be joined by five other MENA Golf Tour champions, including England’s Lee Corfield, a four-time winner, and an in-form Antonio Costa of Chile, who took the MahaSamutr Masters, sponsored by PACE Development Corporation, by six shots at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand, in May.
Other MENA Golf Tour notables in the 120-player field include Scotland’s Paul Doherty and the English duo of Scott Campbell and Luke Joy. They will be up against a strong Big Easy Tour contingent that will be looking to make inroads into new territory.
Spearheading the home challenge will be Jason Viljoen, who currently leads the Big Easy Tour Order of Merit after his second-place finish in the recent Big Easy Tour Observatory event.
Thanda Mavundla, Hennie du Plessis, Jeff Inglis and Mark Murless, who featured among the top-five at the Observatory, are also represented in the field, which includes six amateurs, including five from South Africa, and Benjamin David of England. They will test the waters on the professional circuit at Zwartkop Golf Club.
Founded in 1933, Zwartkop Country Club has hosted many significant professional events over the years, including the SA Open, the Sunshine Tour’s ICL International and a memorable exhibition game between Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player during the 60’s.
Some of the greatest names in golf to have walked the fairways includes Sam Snead, Peter Thompson and Bobby Locke to Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Nick Price and Retief Goosen.
The South to East Challenge will be decided over 54 holes of strokeplay with leading 50 professionals and ties making it to the final round after the cut to be made after round two.
An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St. Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.
Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are some of the added incentives for the MENA Golf Tour members.
