Joburg Open Finishes As 36 Hole Event After Poor Weather Strikes Again

The opening DP World Tour event of the season had already been hit with multiple withdrawals, after South Africa had been placed on a number of travel red lists due to a new Covid variant being discovered in the country.

With the Alfred Dunhill Championship completely cancelled and the South African Open Championship becoming solely a Sunshine Tour event, the Joburg Open was the only DP World Tour event left on the calendar for 2021.

Now due to be a Saturday finish to allow for non-South African resident players, caddies and tournament support staff return to their home countries, the Joburg Open has been cancelled, with the increase of inclement weather in the Johannesburg area sealing the events fate.

As a result, it means the winner of the tournament is South African Thriston Lawrence, with his two rounds of 65 giving the 24-year-old a 12-under-par total and a four shot winning margin over his compatriot Zander Lombard.   

The tournament had suffered weather delays on both Thursday and Friday, with Saturday’s lightning storms and heavy rain leaving large parts of the course unplayable, leaving officials with little option.

Due to the 36-hole finish, it also means that Lawrence, Lombard and Ashley Chesters qualify for The 150th Open Championship, which gets underway at St Andrews in July.