30-10-2013: Joburg Open top players to play in the The Open
Joburg Open 2014’s top three leading players will automatically qualify to play at The Open Championship, taking place at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) from 13-20 July 2014.
The Sunshine Tour, the custodians of golf in the country, were approached by the Royal and Ancient (R&A) the custodians of golf rules globally and the owners of the British Open Championship commonly known as The Open, to have one tournament in South Africa forming part of The Open Qualifying Series.
As part of the series fourteen (14) events will be hosted in nine (9) countries over five (5) continents. South Africa, through the Joburg Open is the only country in Africa included. The winner of the Joburg Open will automatically qualify to play in The Open. The Open, first hosted in 1860, is one of the four (4) Major Golf Tournaments in the world.
The Qualifying Series will commence with the Emirates Australian Open which runs from 28 November - 1 December, 2013. Qualifying places will also be available at the Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour, The Open Qualifying Series – Thailand and the Joburg Open, South Africa.
The Joburg Open is one of the 'jewels in the City’s crown' because of the manner in which it promotes the City of Johannesburg as a destination of choice for tourists, business and investments.
The announcement that the top three players at Joburg Open 2014 automatically qualifies to play at a prestigious Golfing tournament, marks yet another key milestone in the story of the evolution of golf in the City of Johannesburg.
In a short space of seven years, the Joburg Open has become a firm favourite on the global golfing calendar. Next year’s tournament will again provide the spectators with opportunities to see both top-ranked and exciting new talent in action and setting the pace for the rest of the year.
The association of the Joburg Open and The Open will strengthen the position of the City of Johannesburg as a World Class Sporting destination. It will make the Joburg Open an even greater success than it has been in the past seven (7) years and the branding at Joburg Open will provide a global link of The Open to the Joburg Open through media coverage (print and electronic media).
Having the winner, the second and third position players from the Joburg Open play in The Open will improve the quality of the field of players and the elevate the status of the Joburg Open tournament.
Ends
Issued by the City of Johannesburg.
For more information:
Nthatisi Modingoane
Deputy Director: Media Relations
City of Johannesburg
011 407 7354
082 467 9228
