Nedbank Golf Challenge

Nedbank Golf Challenge
Tournament information
Location Sun City, South Africa
Established 1981
Course(s) Gary Player CC
Par 72
Length 7,831 yards (7,161 m)
Tour(s) European Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund US$7,000,000
Month played November
Tournament record score
Aggregate 263 Ernie Els (1999)
To par −25 Ernie Els (1999)
Current champion
Sweden Alexander Norén
Gary Player
C.C.
Location in South Africa

The Nedbank Golf Challenge, previously known as the Million Dollar Challenge, is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. Originally it was not an official money event for any of the major tours, but it became an official tournament for the Sunshine Tour and European Tour in 2013. Like many high-profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf, it takes place between the conclusion of the PGA Tour in early November, and Christmas. It usually attracts many of the world's highest ranked players.

The tournament was a 12-player invitational stroke play event, with the field being made up of defending champion, the Sunshine Tour order of merit winner, the four major winners and then completed with the top players in the Official World Golf Rankings following the U.S. PGA Championship. In 2006, the tournament carried World Rankings points for the first time since 1999.[1] In 2013 it was expanded to 30 players: the defending tournament champion; the top 10 PGA Tour FedEx Cup players, the top 10 European Tour Race to Dubai players; the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners; the Alfred Dunhill Championship winner; and the top 5 South African players in the World Rankings.

From 2000 to 2002 the first prize was increased to US$2 million, but the following year the winner's share of the total prize fund was reduced from more than half to around 30%. The standard winner's share on the PGA Tour is 18% and on the European Tour it is 16.67%. In 2006 the winner received $1.2 million out of a total purse of US$4.385 million, so the prize distribution is now not far from the normal pattern for a professional tournament, once allowance is made for the small size of the field. That US$2 million first prize remains the largest in professional golf, but was matched in 2011 by the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters. The 2016 event will be part of the European Tour Final Series, replacing the BMW Masters. Beginning in 2016, the field of 72 will consist mostly of the top (64) available players from the current year Race to Dubai standings. The remainder of the field will consist of the defending champion, prior years winner of the Sunshine Tour order of merit, and tournament invitations.

From 2010 to 2012, a separate tournament for senior golfers was held concurrently and called the Nedbank Champions Challenge.[2]

Winners

As a European Tour event only
YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory
Runner-upWinner's
share (US$)
2016 Alexander Norén  Sweden 274 −14 6 strokes South Korea Wang Jeung-hun 1,166,660
Co-sanctioned with the European Tour
YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (US$)
2015 Marc Leishman  Australia 269 −19 6 strokes Sweden Henrik Stenson 1,250,000
2014 Danny Willett  England 270 −18 4 strokes England Ross Fisher 1,250,000
2013 Thomas Bjørn  Denmark 268 −20 2 strokes Wales Jamie Donaldson
Spain Sergio García
1,250,000
Prior to European Tour sanctioning
Year Player CountryScoreWinner's
share (US$)
2012 Martin Kaymer  Germany 280 (−8) 1,250,000
2011 Lee Westwood (2)  England 273 (−15) 1,250,000
2010 Lee Westwood  England 271 (−17) 1,250,000
2009 Robert Allenby  Australia 277 (−11)PO 1,200,000
2008 Henrik Stenson  Sweden 267 (−21) 1,200,000
2007 Trevor Immelman  South Africa 272 (−16) 1,200,000
2006 Jim Furyk (2)  United States 276 (−12) 1,200,000
2005 Jim Furyk  United States 282 (−6)PO 1,200,000
2004 Retief Goosen  South Africa 281 (−7) 1,200,000
2003 Sergio García (2)  Spain 274 (−14)PO 1,200,000
2002 Ernie Els (3)  South Africa 267 (−21) 2,000,000
2001 Sergio García  Spain 268 (−20)PO 2,000,000
2000 Ernie Els (2)  South Africa 268 (−20)PO 2,000,000
1999 Ernie Els  South Africa 263 (−25) 1,000,000
1998 Nick Price (3)  Zimbabwe 273 (−15)PO 1,000,000
1997 Nick Price (2)  Zimbabwe 275 (−13) 1,000,000
1996 Colin Montgomerie  Scotland 274 (−14)PO 1,000,000
1995 Corey Pavin  United States 276 (−12) 1,000,000
1994 Nick Faldo  England 272 (−16) 1,000,000
1993 Nick Price  Zimbabwe 264 (−24) 1,000,000
1992 David Frost (3)  South Africa 276 (−12) 1,000,000
1991 Bernhard Langer (2)  Germany 272 (−16) 1,000,000
1990 David Frost (2)  South Africa 284 (−4) 1,000,000
1989 David Frost  South Africa 276 (−12) 1,000,000
1988 Fulton Allem  South Africa 278 (−10) 1,000,000
1987 Ian Woosnam  Wales 274 (−14) 1,000,000
1986 Mark McNulty  Zimbabwe 282 (−6) 300,000
1985 Bernhard Langer  West Germany 278 (−10) 300,000
1984 Seve Ballesteros (2)  Spain 279 (−9) 300,000
1983 Seve Ballesteros  Spain 274 (-14) 300,000
1982 Raymond Floyd  United States 280 (−8)PO 300,000
1981 Johnny Miller  United States 277 (−11)PO 500,000

As of 2009, the leading money winner in the event is Ernie Els with winnings of $7,971,000.[3]

Nedbank Champions Challenge winners

References

Coordinates: 25°20′20″S 27°06′22″E / 25.339°S 27.106°E / -25.339; 27.106

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