DID YOU KNOW – SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP HOSTED BY THE CITY OF EKURHULENI
• The South African Open Championship has a rich history and is the second oldest National Open Championship in the world, dating back to 1893, (that year it was played as an exhibition where it was first played in Port Elizabeth). Only The Open Championship, which started in 1860 is older.
• The tournament first became part of The European Tour International Schedule in 1997. Defending champion, Morten Ørum Madsen will try to become only the second player following Trevor Immelman (2003-04) to make a successful defence of the title, since the event was co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour.
• Morten Ørum Madsen will attempt to become the first European to win the South African Open Championship twice. No non South African has ever won the title in consecutive seasons.
• Ernie Els will be looking to win his national title for the sixth time, the last being in 2011 season (played in December 2010).Should he win again he would move into fourth in the list of most prolific winners of the event. Gary Player has 13, Bobby Locke nine and Sid Brews has eight. Els is currently level with George Fotheringham on five.
• Glendower Golf Club staged the Championship the first time the event was co-sanctioned with The European Tour in 1997 and won by Vijay Singh.
• Since the South Africa Open Championship became part of The European Tour in 1997, South Africans have won the event 12 of the 18 times since being co-sanctioned. This represents the most number of victories in a single European Tour event for South Africa.
