The second of back-to-back events in South Africa brings the International Swing to a close at the Joburg Open. Here are your five things to know.
Home heroes lead the charge
For the second week in a row we have an event co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour, bringing together a mix of local heroes and global stars. Shaun Norris, Jacques Kruyswijk and last week's winner Dylan Naidoo will be leading the home charge as they look for second wins in the 2025 season and they are joined by fellow South Africans Jayden Schaper, Ryan van Velzen, Deon Germishuys, Casey Jarvis and Dylan Frittelli who have all made bright starts to the Race to Dubai. Also one to watch is Darren Fichardt, whose last win on the DP World Tour came at this event eight years ago but who finished second here last season and is enjoying a wonderful renaissance just over two months short of his 50th birthday.
Valuable Race to Dubai Rankings points on offer
Laurie Canter may well have wrapped up the International Swing title already but there is still plenty to play for down the line this week. Via the Swing, the highest-ranked player not already exempt when the Entry List is announced for the Genesis Scottish Open in late June will earn a place at the second Rolex series event of the year and with many players in the upper echelons of the Swing already guaranteed a place at The Renaissance Club, that is wide open. It could all also be all change at the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings, with John Parry guaranteed to climb to the summit with a win or solo second place.
Plenty to play for on the Sunshine Tour too.......
After this week, there are just two more events left to decide who will top the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. At the conclusion of this week's event, the leading 72 players will qualify for the first play-off tournament – the Serengeti Invitational from 20-23 March at Serengeti Estates and thereafter the top 50 will qualify to play in the season-ending DNi Tour Championship at The Club at Steyn City from 27-30 March. At the end of The Courier Guy Playoffs, the top three professionals on the final Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy not already exempt will all receive DP World Tour cards for the following season. Naidoo and Norris are in the top three but already on Tour next year, while second-placed Daniel van Tonder is well positioned already to graduate from the HotelPlanner Tour with two victories, but it could be a life-changing few weeks for the likes of Yurav Premlall and Jonathan Broomhead.
A history of firsts
A part of the DP World Tour since its inaugural edition, the Joburg Open has provided a host of first-time winners and even heralded the start of a new era. Ariel Canete won the first staging and was followed Richard Sterne, who is one of just two two-time winners along with Charl Schwartzel. Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Haydn Porteous, Shubhankar Sharma, Joachim B Hansen and Dan Bradbury all claimed their first DP World Tour wins at this event along with Thriston Lawrence, who was the first winner of the DP World Tour era in the 2022 season.
Inside the field
As well as those battling for a place at the top the respective Rankings and hero status in their home nation, there are a host of DP World Tour stars gunning for a good week. Ryggs Johnston and Johannes Veerman join the list of 2025 winners teeing it up along with former champions Sterne, Coetzee, Porteous, Fichardt, Sharma, Fichardt, Bradbury and Andy Sullivan. Sullivan is jouned by fellow Ryder Cuppers Ross Fisher, Nicolas Colsaerts and Rafa Cabrera Bello while recently tuened professional rising stars Wenyi Ding and Jacob Skov Olesen will look to further enhance their reputations.
