Nedbank Golf Challenge Winners and History

Nedbank Golf Challenge Winners and History

Nedbank Golf Challenge Winners and History

Originally known as the Million Dollar Challenge, the Nedbank Golf Challenge is a limited field event played in South Africa since 1981. In 2016, the Nedbank Golf Challenge replaces the BMW Masters as part of the European Tour Final Series with a 72 player field. The top 64 available players from the Race To Dubai standings comprise most of the field. The remainder is made up of the defending champion, prior years winner of the Sunshine Tour order of merit, and tournament invitations.

Throughout most of the tournament’s history it was one of the “silly season” tournaments, wedged between the end of one professional golf season and the beginning of the next. In 2013, however, the Nedbank Golf Challenge became an official tournament for both South Africa’s Sunshine Tour, and for the European Tour. The event has counted toward the World Rankings points since 1999.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been held at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City since its inception. The course is par 72, and measures 7.831 yards.

Nedbank Golf Challenge Winners and History


(I love watching South African golf on television. The courses look so amazing, and so different from what I play here in Michigan. Put South Africa on my golf bucket list)

For the first twenty two years of the tournament’s history, it had a field of 12 players, which included the defending champion, the Sunshine Tour money winner, any of the four major winners and filled out with the top available players in the Official World Golf Rankings. In 2013, the field expanded to thirty players: the defending champion,  the top ten Race to Dubai players,  the top ten PGA Tour FedEx Cup players, top playes on the Sunshine Tour, Japan Golf Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, the Alfred Dunhill Championship winner and the top five South African players in the World Golf Rankings.

What has made the tournament stand out over the years is the money. From 2000 to 2002, first prize was more than half the purse. At some $2 million that reportedly made it the largest winner’s take in professional golf. In 2003, the winner’s share was reduced to thirty percent. For comparison, the standard on the PGA Tour is 18%. The percentage has since been further reduced so that it is in line with other tournaments.

A complete list of Nedbank Golf Challenge Winners follows.

YearPlayerCountryScore
2024Johannes VeermanSouth Africa283 (-5)
2023Max HomaUS269 (-19)
2022Tommy Fleetwood (2)England277 (-11)
2021COVID
2020COVID
2019Tommy FleetwoodEngland276 (-12)
2018Lee Westwood (3)England273 (-15)
2017Branden GraceSouth Africa277 (-11)
2016Alexander NorenSweden274 (-14)
2015Mark LeishmanAustralia269 (-19)
2014 Danny Willett England 270 (-18)
2013Thomas Bjørn Denmark268 (−20)
2012Martin Kaymer Germany280 (−8)
2011Lee Westwood (2) England273 (−15)
2010Lee Westwood England271 (−17)
2009Robert Allenby Australia277 (−11)PO
2008Henrik Stenson Sweden267 (−21)
2007Trevor Immelman South Africa272 (−16)
2006Jim Furyk (2) United States276 (−12)
2005Jim Furyk United States282 (−6)PO
2004Retief Goosen South Africa281 (−7)
2003Sergio García (2) Spain274 (−14)PO
2002Ernie Els (3) South Africa267 (−21)
2001Sergio García Spain268 (−20)PO
2000Ernie Els (2) South Africa268 (−20)PO
1999Ernie Els South Africa263 (−25)
1998Nick Price (3) Zimbabwe273 (−15)PO
1997Nick Price (2) Zimbabwe275 (−13)
1996Colin Montgomerie Scotland274 (−14)PO
1995Corey Pavin United States276 (−12)
1994Nick Faldo England272 (−16)
1993Nick Price Zimbabwe264 (−24)
1992David Frost (3) South Africa276 (−12)
1991Bernhard Langer (2) Germany272 (−16)
1990David Frost (2) South Africa284 (−4)
1989David Frost South Africa276 (−12)
1988Fulton Allem South Africa278 (−10)
1987Ian Woosnam Wales274 (−14)
1986Mark McNulty Zimbabwe282 (−6)
1985Bernhard Langer West Germany278 (−10)
1984Seve Ballesteros (2) Spain279 (−9)
1983Seve Ballesteros Spain274 (-14)
1982Raymond Floyd United States280 (−8)PO
1981Johnny Miller United States277 (−11)PO

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