positive step to encourage players to pull driver out of their bags. The water hazard alongside the left edge of the 18th green has been en- larged, and this dogleg left par 4 is likely to prove a dramatic finishing hole, as it was in 1999. Frost saved par from a greenside bunker on Sunday to post a clubhouse total of five-under 279, having started the final round four shots behind Sven Struver. The Ger- man needed a par at 18 to force a playoff but found the water with his approach from the middle of the fairway, making double bogey. This Investec SA Open will be the
first to offer the new champion an invitation to the Masters at Augusta National, while it will again form part of the Open Qualifying Series, with the top three golfers not already exempt earning a place at Royal Birkdale in July. Entries have already been confirmed from all the leading local contenders, including the LIV trio of Dean Bur- mester (champion in 2023), Branden Grace (champion in 2020) and Charl Schwartzel, still seeking a trophy that has eluded him since his Open debut in 2002, when he won the Freddie Tait Cup as leading amateur.
50 YEARS AGO Two Opens were played in 1976. In January, Dale Hayes beat John Fourie in a playoff at Houghton. They tied on the highest winning total of the last 65 years, one- under 287. In November, Gary Player won by 6 at Durban CC from amateur David Suddards and Bobby Verwey. That’s the best finish by an amateur the last 60 years.
MOST TOP-FIVES last 30 years (Since Open joined DPW Tour) 7 Charl Schwartzel 6 Retief Goosen, Ernie Els 5 Darren Fichardt, Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Aiken, Dean Burmester 4 Branden Grace 3 Trevor Immelman, Tim Clark, James Kingston, Hennie Otto MOST TOP-TENS last 30 years (Since Open joined DPWT) 9 Charl Schwartzel, Retief Goosen 6 Ernie Els, Dean Burmester 5 Tim Clark, Louis Oosthuizen, James Kingston BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS (Since World War Two) Trevor Immelman 2003-04 8 Darren Fichardt 7 Branden Grace
Gary Player 1976-77 Gary Player 1965-69 Bobby Locke 1950-51
LONGEST HOLE There are only two par 5s at Stellenbosch for the Open, and No 5 is the longer at 546 metres.
FEWEST PLAYERS UNDER PAR 3 Royal Cape, 1990 6 Pearl Valley, 2007 8 Stellenbosch, 1999
HIGHEST WINNING TOTALS (The last 50 years) 287 Dale Hayes Houghton 1976 285 Hugh Baiocchi Mowbray 1978 285 Trevor Dodds Royal Cape 1990 284 James Kingston Pearl Valley 2007 282 Retief Goosen Links Fancourt 2005 280 Gary Player Durban CC 1976 280 Gavan Levenson Royal Durban 1985 280 Mark McNulty East London 2001
LOWEST WINNING TOTALS 263 Ernie Els
Durban CC Randpark Humewood
2010 2020 2006 2018 1993 2018
263 Branden Grace
264 Ernie Els
266 Louis Oosthuizen Randpark 267 Tony Johnstone Durban CC
267 Chris Paisley
Glendower
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 59
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026
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