The DP World Tour, Nedbank and Sun International have announced an extended agreement, which will see the Nedbank Golf Challenge played in honour of Gary Player for the next three years.
This year’s edition of ‘Africa’s Major’ will be the penultimate event on the 2023 Race to Dubai before the tournament returns to its traditional December date in 2024 – forming part of the 2025 Race to Dubai – where it will remain for the following two years as part of the latest agreement.
South African legend Gary Player has been associated with the event since its formation in 1981, when he was part of a five-man field for its inaugural staging, and the event will, from 2024, be officially held in honour of the nine-time major champion in recognition of his contribution to the global game, similar to events held on the PGA Tour in honour of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer with The Memorial Tournament and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
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The 2023 tournament will be held from 9-12 November at Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, and will boast a strong field including defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, his countryman and Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose, and two-time major winner Justin Thomas, alongside a host of stars of the DP World Tour.
“It is with such a deep sense of gratitude that we can look forward to the future of a tournament that we started with nothing more than a dream, and which now over four decades later is a dream shared and enjoyed by so many,” said Player.
“What Gary Player has achieved both on and off the golf course during his magnificent career is incredible and it is therefore fitting that we are able to hold one of Africa’s most celebrated tournaments in his honour,” said Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the DP World Tour. “I would like to thank Mr Player for his commitment to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which would also not be the success it is without the support of Nedbank and Sun International. It is a tournament that has been one of the highlights on the DP World Tour since it first became part of our schedule 10 years ago and we are delighted that today’s announcement will see the event continue until 2026.”
In addition to exempt DP World Tour members, the 2025 Nedbank Golf Challenge, held in December 2024, will look to incorporate leading players from the FedExCup Standings.