English: The South African professional golfer Retief Goosen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Professional golf returns to Polokwane in South Africa for the first time in seven years with the announcement of the R500 000 Polokwane Classic yesterday.
The event will be played from June 13 to 15.
The most recent tournament on the Sunshine Tour was launched at the Polokwane Golf Club by Polokwane executive mayor Freddy Greaver.
The tournament brings professional tournament golf back to the home club of double US Open champion Retief Goosen.
“We are delighted to launch the Polokwane Classic. We have worked very hard over the last three years to build on the momentum Polokwane gained by hosting certain matches during the World Cup, and to reposition Polokwane and continue to profile it as a sporting hub and as a place that pursues excellence,” said Greaver.
“The Polokwane Classic is a means for us to promote the growth of the local economy and promote tourism.
“It will enable us to use golf to create awareness and raise funds for certain social responsibilities, and we are very excited that the Sunshine Tour is our partner in this effort.
“We are extremely proud of Retief Goosen and his achievements. We are in regular contact with him through his foundation, and his family has been instrumental in assisting us to make this tournament happen.
“We hope to give young people in Polokwane and from the surrounding areas the opportunity to emulate what Retief has done, and we also want this tournament to celebrate his legacy and what he has done for the city of Polokwane.”
The last time the Sunshine Tour hosted a tournament at Polokwane Golf Club was in 2006, and its return also highlights the Tour’s desire to take professional golf to as many parts of the country as possible and expose a greater audience to the game.
“The Sunshine Tour is proud to return to the hometown of one of our most celebrated golfers, Retief Goosen,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour.
“We applaud the vision of the city of Polokwane and the executive mayor in realising how professional golf can impact on the awareness and growth of a city and be a partner in this process.”
