2022–23 Sunshine Tour
The 2022–23 Sunshine Tour was the 52nd season of the Sunshine Tour (formerly the Southern Africa Tour), the main professional golf tour in South Africa since it was formed in 1971.
Duration | 13 May 2022 – 23 April 2023 |
---|---|
Number of official events | 33 |
Most wins | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Order of Merit | ![]() |
Rookie of the Year | ![]() |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → |
Changes for 2022–23
The season marked the return of the FBC Zim Open, having not been played since 2018.[1]
In May 2022, the tour announced that the Order of Merit would be rebranded as the Luno Order of Merit, calculated using a points-based system rather than money earned.[2]
Schedule
The following table lists official events during the 2022–23 season.[3]
Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (R) |
Winner[lower-alpha 1] | OWGR points |
Other tours[lower-alpha 2] |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 May | Lombard Insurance Classic | Western Cape | 1,200,000 | ![]() |
7 | ||
22 May | FBC Zim Open | Zimbabwe | 2,000,000 | ![]() |
14 | ||
29 May | Sishen Classic | Northern Cape | 3,000,000 | ![]() |
14 | New tournament | |
3 Jun | SunBet Challenge (Sun City) | North West | 1,000,000 | ![]() |
4 | ||
12 Jun | Kit Kat Group Pro-Am | Gauteng | 1,000,000 | ![]() |
4 | Pro-Am | |
30 Jul | FNB Eswatini Nkonyeni Challenge | Eswatini | 1,000,000 | ![]() |
4 | New tournament[lower-alpha 3] | |
6 Aug | Vodacom Origins of Golf at De Zalze | Western Cape | 1,150,000 | ![]() |
4 | ||
13 Aug | Bain's Whisky Ubunye Championship | Gauteng | 1,200,000 | ![]() ![]() |
n/a | New team event | |
19 Aug | SunBet Challenge (Time Square Casino) | Gauteng | 1,000,000 | ![]() |
2.43 | ||
27 Aug | Vodacom Origins of Golf at Highland Gate | Mpumalanga | 1,150,000 | ![]() |
2.01 | ||
10 Sep | Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge | KwaZulu-Natal | 1,200,000 | ![]() |
2.32 | New tournament | |
17 Sep | Vodacom Origins of Golf at San Lameer | KwaZulu-Natal | 1,150,000 | ![]() |
2.29 | ||
23 Sep | SunBet Challenge (Wild Coast Sun) | Western Cape | 1,000,000 | ![]() |
1.97 | ||
1 Oct | Vodacom Origins of Golf at St Francis | Eastern Cape | 1,150,000 | ![]() |
1.74 | ||
9 Oct | Fortress Invitational | Gauteng | 1,500,000 | ![]() |
2.40 | New tournament | |
15 Oct | Blue Label Challenge | North West | 2,500,000 | ![]() |
2.19 | Pro-Am | |
21 Oct | SunBet Challenge (Sun Sibaya) | KwaZulu-Natal | 1,000,000 | ![]() |
1.37 | ||
30 Oct | Vodacom Origins of Golf Final | Western Cape | 1,500,000 | ![]() |
1.88 | ||
6 Nov | PGA Championship | Eastern Cape | 1,200,000 | ![]() |
2.37 | ||
27 Nov | Joburg Open | Gauteng | 17,500,000 | ![]() |
9.24 | EUR | |
4 Dec | Investec South African Open Championship | Gauteng | US$1,500,000 | ![]() |
12.12 | EUR | |
11 Dec | Alfred Dunhill Championship | Mpumalanga | €1,500,000 | ![]() |
14.59 | EUR | |
18 Dec | AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open | Mauritius | €1,000,000 | ![]() |
8.60 | EUR | |
5 Feb | Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open | Western Cape | US$350,000 | ![]() |
5.67 | CHA | |
12 Feb | Dimension Data Pro-Am | Western Cape | 7,000,000 | ![]() |
6.05 | CHA | Pro-Am |
19 Feb | SDC Open | Limpopo | US$350,000 | ![]() |
5.21 | CHA | |
26 Feb | Nelson Mandela Bay Championship | Eastern Cape | US$350,000 | ![]() |
5.25 | CHA | New tournament |
11 Mar | Mediclinic Invitational | Gauteng | 2,000,000 | ![]() |
2.34 | New tournament | |
19 Mar | SDC Championship | Eastern Cape | US$1,500,000 | ![]() |
14.81 | EUR | New tournament |
26 Mar | Jonsson Workwear Open | Gauteng | US$1,500,000 | ![]() |
13.85 | EUR | |
2 Apr | Limpopo Championship | Limpopo | 2,000,000 | ![]() |
2.51 | ||
16 Apr | Stella Artois Players Championship | Gauteng | 2,000,000 | ![]() |
2.75 | ||
23 Apr | The Tour Championship | Gauteng | 2,000,000 | ![]() |
2.88 | Tour Championship |
Unofficial events
The following events were sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official.
Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (R) |
Winner | OWGR points |
Other tours[lower-alpha 2] |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 Nov | Nedbank Golf Challenge | North West | US$6,000,000 | ![]() |
14.92 | EUR | Limited-field event |
21 Apr | Altron Vusi Ngubeni Tournament | Gauteng | 100,000 | ![]() |
n/a |
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was titled as the Luno Order of Merit and was based on tournament results during the season, calculated using a points-based system.[4][5] The top three players on the tour (not otherwise exempt) earned status to play on the 2024 European Tour (DP World Tour).[6]
Position | Player | Points | 2024 DP World Tour status |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 3,336 | Already exempt[lower-alpha 4] |
2 | ![]() | 2,327 | Earned exemption[lower-alpha 5] |
3 | ![]() | 2,318 | Already exempt[lower-alpha 4] |
4 | ![]() | 2,117 | Earned exemption[lower-alpha 5] |
5 | ![]() | 1,912 |
Awards
Award | Winner | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Rookie of the Year (Bobby Locke Trophy) | ![]() | [7][8] |
Notes
- The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of Sunshine Tour events they had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for Sunshine Tour members.
- CHA − Challenge Tour; EUR − European Tour.
- Tournament's debut delayed from 2020.
- Strydom and Lawrence were tournament winners on the 2023 European Tour (DP World Tour).
- Prinsloo, Bekker and Mostert were the leading three players on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit who were not otherwise exempt on the DP World Tour for the 2024 season, and thereby earned exemption status for that season.
References
- "FBC Sponsors 2022 Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament". FBC Bank Limited. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- "Sunshine Tour announces new Luno Order of Merit". Compleat Golfer. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- "2022/23 Tournament schedule". Sunshine Tour. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
- "2022/23 Order of Merit". Sunshine Tour. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- "Strydom to end Sunshine Tour season as a Major player". Sunshine Tour. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
Strydom goes into this week's Sunshine Tour season-ending Tour Championship at Serengeti Estates as the top-ranked golfer on the Tour's Luno Order of Merit. He cannot be caught this week so will end the season in first place.
- Butler, Lynn (20 April 2023). "'Childhood dream come true': Sunshine boy Prinsloo with DP World Tour card in his pocket". News24. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- "2022/23 Rookie of the Year". Sunshine Tour. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- Pretorius, Wade (23 April 2023). "Ahlers wins Tour Championship". The South African. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
Casey Jarvis walked off with the Rookie of the Season award for a remarkable first season on the Sunshine Tour...