TSHWANE  – The 2016 Tshwane Open will showcase one of the most exciting new eras in South African golf when the quartet of Brandon Stone, Haydn Porteous, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Zander Lombard tee it up at Pretoria Country Club from 11-14 February.

The R18.5 million tournament will be another opportunity for the new young stars of the game to showcase their skills in a major European Tour-Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned event.

The four golfers have dominated the European Tour early in the new year. Stone won the South African Open and Porteous took the Joburg Open in January, with Bezuidenhout and Lombard finishing as the respective runners-up in both.

The Tshwane Open field will also include defending champion George Coetzee and former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

“We are delighted to not only be showcasing the City of Tshwane to the world but to also be the platform for our top young professionals to keep developing themselves on an international stage,” Executive Mayor, Councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, said at the official media launch of the 2016 Tshwane Open at Pretoria Country Club on Tuesday.

“From the very start of the Tshwane Open our aim was to not only showcase our city to a greater international audience and promote our tourism potential, but to also be a source of inspiration for the youth of this city.

“We want our youth to be able to aspire to what these young golfers are achieving, and their success of late could be the spark many of our young golfers need to also go on to greater things one day.”

The Tshwane Open is the final European Tour event played in South Africa this summer and one of the richest on the Sunshine Tour.

“The Tshwane Open has been a perfect model of the value that a professional golf tournament can have for a city and its tourism objectives,” said Selwyn Nathan, the Executive Director of the Sunshine Tour.

“We are very proud of and grateful for our association with the City of Tshwane and the faith they have shown in the Sunshine Tour to help them meet their objectives. The fact that we can celebrate this year’s Tshwane Open with such a wealth of new young talent is proof that such an investment into South African golf does indeed help to develop the tremendous talent we have in this country.”

The Tshwane Open has also been progressive in terms of its theme, “It’s more than just golf”, launching a highly successful Night Market at the 2015 tournament and which is the first of its kind at a major South African golf tournament.

This year the Night Market will again take place from Friday to Sunday at Pretoria Country Club, and from 13:00 to 21:00. A Tshwane Open ticket to the golf will also be valid for the Night Market. Alternatively, those wishing to just visit the Night Market will be able to purchase tickets at a cost of R50 per person. These tickets will only be available after 16:30 and after the day’s play.

Tickets to the golf will cost R50 on Thursday and Friday and R100 on Saturday and Sunday, with pensioners and children under-16 gaining free entry.

This will be the second year that Pretoria Country Club hosts the Tshwane Open, which is also the biggest tournament the club has hosted since it first opened its doors in 1910.

“The 2015 Tshwane Open was a tremendous success and we are proud to again host such a prestigious tournament and to be partnering the City of Tshwane in this regard and as the club of choice for the residents of the greater Pretoria area,” said David Avery, Chairman of Pretoria Country Club.

Issued by:

MICHAEL VLISMAS MEDIA

Michael Vlismas
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For further information:

CITY OF TSHWANE:

Lindela Mashigo
Director of Media Relations, Communications, Marketing and Events
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SUNSHINE TOUR:
Mike Green
Communications Manager
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PRETORIA COUNTRY CLUB:
Elsa Carstens
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