November 14, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi
JOBURG'S first citizen, Amos Masondo, has endorsed the Joburg Open 2008 Golf Tournament, two months before tee off.
The four-day sporting event will field 204 players from across the world who will tough it out on the greens of the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club from 9 to 13 January next year. There is a total cash prize of 1,1 million euros (about R11 million at today's exchange rate).
Masondo said that the City decided to link its 2010 preparations to the development of other sporting codes, including cricket, rugby, athletics and cycling, to name a few.
"This resulted in an agreement and a partnership with easyGolf Worldwide, an international company that has promotion rights [for] the Sunshine Tour. These rights were extended to the promotion of a European co-sanctioned golf tournament in Johannesburg."
The mayor explained that in a co-sanctioned tournament, local and foreign golfers who did well earned the right to participate in the European Tour for three years. That tour generally offered greater exposure, larger prizes and more prestige.
Speaking about this year's tournament, held in January, he said that it had brought a number of opportunities on which to build a future for golf.
Argentina's Ariel Canete closed with three birdies in the final four holes to win his ticket into the European Tour circuit for three years. "This is an example of creating opportunities for players who would otherwise struggle to get a break through."
The South African team included promising black players like Thabang Simon, Joe Trongo and James Kamte and more experienced players like John Mashego and Vincent Tshabalala.
Canete is the first Argentinean to win in South Africa in any sport and he will be back to defend his title in 2008.
Some of the funds raised this year would be used to develop a driving range and a golf education centre in Alexandra. "Alexandra is a starting point for the City. We will expand the initiative to other areas … Kliptown is also busy with a golf course at the moment," Masondo said.
Keith Khoza, from the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (Geda), one of the sponsors, said that the academy would offer opportunities to disadvantaged players who wanted to play golf but could not afford it.
Initiatives like the Joburg Open would improve South Africa's golfing profile internationally, said Moss Ngoasheng, easyGolf Worldwide's chairperson. The government viewed sport as a tool to bring people together from all over the world.
"Week in and week out, when you are watching golf, there is always a South African flag representing the country and we want to expand that," said Johan Immelman, the commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.
The tournament will be broadcast live on SuperSport 1.
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