South African Masters

This article is about the golf tournament. For the darts tournament, see South African Masters (darts).

The South African Masters was one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It was last played in 2011. Before its discontinuation, it had a prize fund of 1.2 million rand and was held at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club on the KwaZulu-Natal border, South Africa.

Nashua Masters

Tournament information
Location	Eastern Cape, South Africa
Established	1923
Course(s)	Wild Coast Sun Country Club
Par	70
Length	6,351 yards (5,807 m)
Tour(s)	Sunshine Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	R 1,200,000
Month played	November
Final year	2011
Tournament record score
Aggregate	263 Darren Fichardt (2009)
To par	−19 Desvonde Botes (1999)
Score	12 and 11 Bobby Locke (1939) 12 and 11 Philip Ritson (1953)
Final champion
Shaun Norris
Location map
Wild Coast Sun CC Location in South Africa Show map of South Africa Wild Coast Sun CC Location in Eastern Cape Show map of Eastern Cape

History

The tournament had its roots in the South African Professional Match Play Championship, the running of which was taken over by the PGA of South Africa in 1957. Under the sponsorship of Dunlop the event transitioned into a 72-hole stroke play event in 1960.^[1][2]

The first edition of the new Dunlop Masters, at Houghton Golf Club in 1960, was won by Gary Player with an aggregate score of 266, a record that stood for 44 years. Player's total was equalled in 1970 by John Fourie, the only amateur to claim the title. Andrew McLardy posted 264 at the Wild Coast resort in 2004 and Darren Fichardt holds the record of 263 set on the par-70 course in 2009.

The South African Masters, along with the South African Open and the South African PGA Championship formed the Triple Crown. Winning all three titles in the same season was a feat only achieved by Gary Player and Ernie Els.^[3]

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Ref.
Nashua Masters
2011	Shaun Norris	271	−9	1 stroke	Tyrone Mordt
2010	Warren Abery (2)	267	−13	2 strokes	Oliver Bekker Branden Grace Alex Haindl
2009	Darren Fichardt	263	−17	1 stroke	Marc Cayeux
2008	Marc Cayeux	268	−12	2 strokes	Bradford Vaughan
2007	Jean Hugo	269	−11	Playoff	Titch Moore
2006	Warren Abery	265	−15	2 strokes	Doug McGuigan
2005	Richard Sterne	269	−11	1 stroke	Titch Moore Grant Muller
2004	Andrew McLardy	264	−16	3 strokes	Desvonde Botes
2003: No tournament
2002 (Nov)	Hennie Otto	279	−1	1 stroke	Ciaran McMonagle Gavin McNeill Mark McNulty Roger Wessels
2002 (Feb)	Justin Rose	265	−15	1 stroke	Titch Moore
Nashua Nedtel Cellular Masters
2001	Mark McNulty (5)	274	−6	1 stroke	Retief Goosen Des Terblanche
South African Masters
2000: No tournament
1999	Desvonde Botes	269	−19	1 stroke	Dean van Staden
1998: No tournament
San Lameer South African Masters
1997	Mark McNulty (4)	276	−12	4 strokes	Adilson da Silva
1996	Wayne Westner	280	−8	3 strokes	Patrick Moore Warren Schutte Chris Williams
Telkom South African Masters
1995	Scott Dunlap	279	−9	Playoff	Mark McNulty
1994	Chris Davison	281	−7	2 strokes	Bruce Vaughan
EVS South African Masters
1993	Tony Johnstone (2)	275	−13	1 stroke	Roger Wessels
1992	Ernie Els	275	−13	1 stroke	Chris Williams
1991: No tournament
Twee Jonge Gezellen Masters
1990	Fulton Allem	276	−12	2 strokes	Ian Palmer
1989	Hugh Baiocchi	281	−7	1 stroke	Tertius Claassens Ernie Els Rick Hartmann	[4]
Safmarine South African Masters
1988	John Bland	275	−13	3 strokes	Tony Johnstone	[5]
1987	David Frost	273	−15	3 strokes	Denis Durnian	[6]
1986	Mark McNulty (3)	270	−18	4 strokes	Fulton Allem	[7]
1985	Mark McNulty (2)	278	−10	4 strokes	Fulton Allem Frank Edmonds David Frost	[8]
1984	Tony Johnstone	277	−11	1 stroke	Fulton Allem
1983: No tournament
SAB South African Masters
1982	Mark McNulty	275	−13	2 strokes	Denis Watson
1981	Nick Price	281	−7	4 strokes	Mark McNulty
1980: No tournament
1979	Gary Player (11)	270	−18	6 strokes	John O'Leary	[9]
Kronenbrau Masters
1978	Dale Hayes	275	−13	Playoff	Tienie Britz	[10]
1977: No tournament
Dunlop South African Masters
1976 (Nov)	Gary Player (10)	270	−10	4 strokes	Hugh Baiocchi Simon Hobday	[11][12]
1976 (Feb)	Gary Player (9)	268	−12	1 stroke	Cobie Legrange	[13]
1975	John Fourie (2)	199[a]	−11	1 stroke	Vin Baker Allan Henning
1974	Gary Player (8)	270	−10	Playoff	Bobby Cole	[14][15]
1973: No tournament
1972 (Dec)	Gary Player (7)	268	−12	1 stroke	Harold Henning	[16][17]
1972 (Jan)	Gary Player (6)	267	−17	3 strokes	Bobby Cole	[18]
1971	Gary Player (5)	269	−11	2 strokes	Harold Henning
1970	John Fourie (a)	266	−14	6 strokes	Gary Player
1969	Bobby Cole	280	−16	6 strokes	Tienie Britz Bob Tuohy	[19][20]
1968	Allan Henning	278		6 strokes	Graham Henning Hugh Inggs Cobie Legrange Trevor Wilkes Terry Westbrook
1967	Gary Player (4)	279		2 strokes	Cobie Legrange
1966	Cedric Amm	276		4 strokes	Trevor Wilkes	[21]
1965	Denis Hutchinson (3)	281
1964	Gary Player (3)	285
1963	Bruce Keyter	291		3 strokes	Hugh Inggs Eric Moore Terry Westbrook	[22]
1962	Denis Hutchinson (2)	280
1961	Denis Hutchinson	276			Bob Charles
1960	Gary Player (2)	266		17 strokes	Retief Waltman
Dunlop South African Professional Match Play
1959	Gary Player	3 and 1			Harold Henning
1958	Dai Rees	3 and 2			Ken Bousfield
1957	John Jacobs	2 and 1			Gary Player
South African Professional Match Play Championship
1956	Ken Redford	2 and 1			Gary Player	[23]
1955	Bobby Locke (7)	7 and 6			Brian Ellmore
1954	Jock Verwey (3)	11 and 9			AN Thomas
1953	Philip Ritson	12 and 11			AJ Bullock
1952	Sid Brews (6)	7 and 6			Philip Ritson
1951	Bobby Locke (6)	4 and 3			Harry Bradshaw
1950	Bobby Locke (5)	9 and 8			MS Hart
1949	Jock Verwey (2)	5 and 4			GS van Niekerk
1948	Jock Verwey	5 and 4			James Ockenden Jr.
1947	Sandy Guthrie	5 and 4			James Ockenden Jr.
1946	Bobby Locke (4)	10 and 9			Sid Brews
1941–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1940	Bobby Locke (3)	11 and 9			Bert Elkin
1939	Bobby Locke (2)	12 and 11			M Goldsmith
1938	Bobby Locke	4 and 3			Sid Brews
1937	John Robertson	37 holes			AN Thomas
1936	Sid Brews (5)	9 and 7			John Robertson
1935	J De Beer	5 and 4			G Brews
1934	Sid Brews (4)	6 and 4			Bert Elkin
1933	Sid Brews (3)	6 and 5			AN Thomas
1932	Charles McIlvenny (4)	6 and 5			Robert Grimsdell
1931	Charles McIlvenny (3)	10 and 9			Jock Brews
1930	Arthur Tomsett	37 holes			Charles McIlvenny
1929	Charles McIlvenny (2)	8 and 7			Robert Grimsdell
1928	Sid Brews (2)	2 and 1			Jock Brews
1927	Charles McIlvenny	3 and 1			Robert Grimsdell
1926	Sid Brews	11 and 10			G Brews
1925	Jock Brews (2)	3 and 2			Robert Grimsdell
1924	Jock Brews	4 and 2			Archie Tosh
1923	Bert Elkin	4 and 3			Jimmie Johnstone

Notes

1. Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

References

1. Vlismas, Michael (2012). The Extraordinary Book of South African Golf. Penguin Random House South Africa. ISBN 978-0143529729.
2. The Golfer's Handbook. 1963. p. 255.
3. "History of the South African Masters sponsored by Nashua". Sunshine Tour. 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
4. "Hugh Baiocchi". The Daily Telegraph. 18 December 1989. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
5. McCormack, Mark H. (1989). Mark McCormack's World of Professional Golf 1989. Collins Willow. pp. 251, 475–476. ISBN 000218284X.
6. McCormack, Mark H. (1988). Ebel World of Professional Golf 1988. Collins Willow. pp. 230–231, 446. ISBN 0002182831.
7. McCormack, Mark H. (1987). Ebel World of Professional Golf 1987. Collins Willow. pp. 225–226, 451–452. ISBN 0002182572.
8. "Sports briefs from home and abroad | Golf". Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. 16 December 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 9 December 2022 – via Google News Archive.
9. "IN BRIEF Player wins". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 4 December 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
10. McCormack, Mark H. (1979). Dunhill Golf Yearbook 1979. Springwood Books. pp. 224, 375. ISBN 0385149409 – via Google Books.
11. "Player wins tenth Masters". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 8 November 1976. p. 11. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
12. "Golf SOUTH AFRICAN MASTERS GOLF TITLE AT JOHANNESBURG". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 9 November 1976. p. 17. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
13. "PLAYER'S TITLE BY A STROKE". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
14. "Player wins". The Glasgow Herald. 28 January 1974.
15. "GARY PLAYER WINS MASTERS". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 29 January 1974. p. 16. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
16. "O'Leary deposes Player". The Herald. Glasgow. 2 December 1972.
17. "Golf - Johannesburg". The Times. 4 December 1972. p. 12.
18. "Player retains Masters' title". The Herald. Glasgow. 24 January 1972.
19. "Cole wins Masters". Retrieved 2 March 2021 – via National Library Board Singapore.
20. "Cole wins Masters tourney". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 28 January 1969. p. 15. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
21. "Third place to Jacklin". The Observer. 13 February 1966. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Masters Win To Keyter". The Canberra Times. Vol. 37, no. 10433. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 January 1963. p. 16. Retrieved 17 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
23. "South African title". The Glasgow Herald. 6 April 1956. p. 4.

External links

• Sunshine Tour - official site