Nedbank Golf Challenge

The Nedbank Golf Challenge, previously known as the Million Dollar Challenge, is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It was first played in 1981 and takes place towards the end of the year, in November or December.

Nedbank Golf Challenge
Tournament information
LocationSun City, South Africa
Established1981
Course(s)Gary Player Country Club
Par72
Length7,819 yards (7,150 m)
Tour(s)European Tour
Sunshine Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$6,000,000
Month playedNovember
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Ernie Els (1999)
To par−25 as above
Current champion
England Tommy Fleetwood
Location Map
Gary Player CC is located in South Africa
Gary Player CC
Gary Player CC
Location in South Africa
Gary Player CC is located in North West (South African province)
Gary Player CC
Gary Player CC
Location in North West

For many years the tournament was a small-field invitational stroke play event with typically 12 players competing. Since it became a European Tour event in 2013, the field size has increased, to 30 from 2013 to 2015 and to 72 in 2016. Originally it was not an official event for any of the major tours.

From 2010 to 2012, a separate tournament for senior golfers was held concurrently.

History

The first tournament was played from 31 December 1981 to 4 January 1982 with a field of 5: Seve Ballesteros, Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. Ballesteros and Miller tied on 277 with Nicklaus a stroke behind after he missed a putt at the final hole. Miller beat Ballesteros at the ninth hole of a sudden-death playoff. The pair played the 16th to 18th holes three times before Ballesteros three-putted. Miller won $500,000 out of total prize money of $1,000,000.[1]

The date was moved to early December 1982 for the second tournament, with 10 players competing. Total prize money remained at $1,000,000 with $300,000 for the winner and $50,000 for the 10th player. There was another playoff, with Raymond Floyd beating Craig Stadler at the fourth extra hole.[2] The format remained unchanged from 1983 to 1986 with the event played in early December each year.

The 1987 event introduced a winner-take-all $1,000,000 first prize, although there were additional prizes for the lowest round each day. The field was reduced to 8 player. Ian Woosnam won by 4 strokes and took the first million dollar prize in golf.[3] The winner-take-all idea was dropped for 1988, although the first prize remained as $1,000,000. The format remained largely unchanged through 1999, with the first prize always $1,000,000, although the field increased from 8 to 10 in 1989 and to 12 from 1993. There were two playoffs during this period. In 1996 Colin Montgomerie beat Ernie Els with a birdie at the third extra hole, while in 1998 Nick Price beat Tiger Woods with a birdie at the fifth extra hole.

In 2006, the tournament carried World Rankings points for the first time since 1999.[4] In 2013 it was expanded to 30 players: the defending tournament champion; the top 10 PGA Tour FedEx Cup players, the top 10 European Tour Race to Dubai players; the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners; the Alfred Dunhill Championship winner; and the top 5 South African players in the World Rankings.

From 2000 to 2002 the first prize was increased to US$2 million, but the following year the winner's share of the total prize fund was reduced from more than half to around 30%. The standard winner's share on the PGA Tour is 18% and on the European Tour it is 16.67%. In 2006 the winner received $1.2 million out of a total purse of US$4.385 million, so the prize distribution is now not far from the normal pattern for a professional tournament, once allowance is made for the small size of the field. That US$2 million first prize remained the largest in professional golf, but was matched in 2011 by the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.

The 2016 event was part of the European Tour Final Series, replacing the BMW Masters, while in 2017 the event was part of the new Rolex Series. Since 2016, the field of 72 consists of the top 64 available players from the current year Race to Dubai standings, the defending champion, the winner of the Sunshine Tour order of merit from previous year, and tournament invitations.

Winners
European Tour (Rolex Series) 2017–2019
European Tour (Race to Dubai finals series) 2016
European Tour (Regular) 2013–2015, 2022
Sunshine Tour 2006–2012
Unofficial event 1981–2005
#YearTour(s)[lower-alpha 1]WinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up Purse
($)		Winner's
share ($)
Nedbank Golf Challenge
40th2022AFR,[lower-alpha 2] EUREngland Tommy Fleetwood (2)277−111 strokeNew Zealand Ryan Fox6,000,0001,020,000
–2021AFR, EURCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[5][6]
–2020AFR, EUR
39th2019AFR, EUREngland Tommy Fleetwood276−12PlayoffSweden Marcus Kinhult7,500,0002,500,000
38th2018EUREngland Lee Westwood (3)273−153 strokesSpain Sergio García7,500,0001,250,000
37th2017EURSouth Africa Branden Grace277−111 strokeScotland Scott Jamieson7,500,0001,166,660
36th2016EURSweden Alex Norén274−146 strokesSouth Korea Wang Jeung-hun7,000,0001,166,660
35th2015AFR, EURAustralia Marc Leishman269−196 strokesSweden Henrik Stenson6,500,0001,250,000
34th2014AFR, EUREngland Danny Willett270−184 strokesEngland Ross Fisher6,500,0001,250,000
33rd2013AFR, EURDenmark Thomas Bjørn268−202 strokesWales Jamie Donaldson
Spain Sergio García		6,500,0001,250,000
32nd2012AFRGermany Martin Kaymer280−82 strokesSouth Africa Charl Schwartzel5,000,0001,250,000
31st2011AFREngland Lee Westwood (2)273−152 strokesSweden Robert Karlsson5,000,0001,250,000
30th2010AFREngland Lee Westwood271−178 strokesSouth Africa Tim Clark5,000,0001,250,000
29th2009AFRAustralia Robert Allenby277−11PlayoffSweden Henrik Stenson4,385,0001,200,000
28th2008AFRSweden Henrik Stenson267−219 strokesUnited States Kenny Perry4,385,0001,200,000
27th2007AFRSouth Africa Trevor Immelman272−161 strokeEngland Justin Rose4,385,0001,200,000
26th2006AFRUnited States Jim Furyk (2)276−122 strokesSweden Henrik Stenson4,385,0001,200,000
25th2005United States Jim Furyk282−6PlayoffNorthern Ireland Darren Clarke
South Africa Retief Goosen
Australia Adam Scott		4,060,0001,200,000
24th2004South Africa Retief Goosen281−76 strokesAustralia Stuart Appleby
South Africa Ernie Els		4,060,0001,200,000
23rd2003Spain Sergio García (2)274−14PlayoffSouth Africa Retief Goosen4,060,0001,200,000
22nd2002South Africa Ernie Els (3)267−218 strokesScotland Colin Montgomerie4,060,0002,000,000
21st2001Spain Sergio García268−20PlayoffSouth Africa Ernie Els4,060,0002,000,000
20th2000South Africa Ernie Els (2)268−20PlayoffEngland Lee Westwood4,060,0002,000,000
Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge
19th1999South Africa Ernie Els263−255 strokesScotland Colin Montgomerie2,500,0001,000,000
18th1998Zimbabwe Nick Price (3)273−15PlayoffUnited States Tiger Woods2,500,0001,000,000
17th1997Zimbabwe Nick Price (2)275−131 strokeSouth Africa Ernie Els
United States Davis Love III		2,500,0001,000,000
16th1996Scotland Colin Montgomerie274−14PlayoffSouth Africa Ernie Els2,500,0001,000,000
15th1995United States Corey Pavin276−125 strokesZimbabwe Nick Price2,500,0001,000,000
14th1994England Nick Faldo272−163 strokesZimbabwe Nick Price2,500,0001,000,000
13th1993Zimbabwe Nick Price264−2412 strokesZimbabwe Mark McNulty2,500,0001,000,000
12th1992South Africa David Frost (3)276−124 strokesUnited States John Cook2,500,0001,000,000
11th1991Germany Bernhard Langer (2)272−165 strokesUnited States Mark Calcavecchia2,500,0001,000,000
10th1990South Africa David Frost (2)284−41 strokeSpain José María Olazábal2,500,0001,000,000
9th1989South Africa David Frost276−123 strokesUnited States Scott Hoch2,500,0001,000,000
8th1988South Africa Fulton Allem278−101 strokeUnited States Don Pooley1,500,0001,000,000
7th1987Wales Ian Woosnam274−144 strokesEngland Nick Faldo1,000,0001,000,000
6th1986Zimbabwe Mark McNulty282−63 strokesUnited States Lanny Wadkins1,000,000300,000
5th1985West Germany Bernhard Langer278−102 strokesUnited States Lanny Wadkins1,000,000300,000
4th1984Spain Seve Ballesteros (2)279−96 strokesEngland Nick Faldo1,000,000300,000
3rd1983Spain Seve Ballesteros274−145 strokesEngland Nick Faldo
Australia David Graham
United States Fuzzy Zoeller		1,000,000300,000
2nd1982United States Raymond Floyd280−8PlayoffUnited States Craig Stadler1,000,000300,000
1st[lower-alpha 3]1981United States Johnny Miller277−11PlayoffSpain Seve Ballesteros1,000,000500,000

Notes
  1. AFR − Sunshine Tour; EUR − European Tour.
  2. In 2022 the event was sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour, however it was an unofficial money event; therefore the win is considered unofficial on that tour.
  3. The 1981 event was played from 31 December 1981 to 3 January 1982.

References
  1. "Floyd wins Sun City play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 4 January 1982. p. 14.
  2. "Miller's rich reward". The Glasgow Herald. 6 December 1982. p. 16.
  3. "Wizard Woosie scoops million dollar jackpot". The Glasgow Herald. 7 December 1987. p. 9.
  4. "World Rankings are refined, but still confusing". Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  5. "Nedbank Golf Challenge cancelled for second year in a row". News24. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  6. "2020 Nedbank Golf Challenge Cancelled". PGA European Tour. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.

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