The DP World Tour returns to South Africa for a new event co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour at St Francis Links.
The tournament takes the place of the Steyn City Championship in the schedule, which was won last year by Shaun Norris. The local favourite is in the field for this year’s inaugural tournament, too, hoping for his first win since beating compatriot Dean Burmester by three shots a year ago.
Norris is one of a host of South Africans in the field, including Thriston Lawrence. The 26-year-old’s most recent win came in December’s South African Open Championship and he’ll be confident of further success in his homeland this week.
More local talent to look out for includes Ockie Strydom, who has enjoyed two recent wins on the DP World Tour, including last month’s Singapore Classic. Former LIV Golf player Hennie Du Plessus, who was one of seven players dropped by the circuit before the 2023 season, also appears.
Other recent DP World Tour winners include Dan Bradbury, who claimed victory in November’s Joburg Open in Johannesburg, Antoine Rozner, who won the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December, and Ras Al Khaimah Championship winner Daniel Gavins.
Other notable names include Andalucia Masters champion, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, who is the highest-ranked player in the field at World No.83. Otaegui also finished runner-up to Strydom in the South African's other win in recent months, December's Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malalane, and he'll be hopeful of claiming his first win in the country this week given his relatively high standing in the world rankings.
Otaegui's compatriot Adri Arnaus, whose sole DP World Tour win came last May in the Catalunya Championship, plays too, while there's also an appearance from Englishman Jordan Smith, who won last October’s Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.
Players are competing for a purse of $1.5m, with $255,000 heading the way of the winner, and the runner-up earning $165,000.
Below is the prize breakdown and field for the 2023 SDC Championship at St Francis Links.
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