South African Open Winners and History

The South African Open is one of the oldest golf championships, dating to 1903. The US Open is eight years older; the Canadian just one year younger.

The South African Open is the flagship event of the Sunshine Tour, and has been co-sanctioned by the European Tour since 1997. The Tournament has special status in the Official World Golf Rankings, with a minimum of 32 points, even if not warranted by the strength of field.

Starting in 2018, the South Africa Open has merged with the Joburg Open, and now is known as the South Africa Open Hosted By The City of Johannesburg. The tournament is held at Rand Park Golf Club.

There is an argument to be made that the South African Open predates its official 1903 start. Starting in 1893, the championship was held as a series of exhibition matches between small groups of professionals. It was not until 1903, however, that the tournament was formally established.

From 1903 to 1907, the event was 36 holes. In 1908, it expanded to 72 holes.

In 1909, the tournament was played for the first time on a course with eighteen grass greens: Potchefstroom Golf Club.

Fred Jangle became the first native-born South African to win the tournament in 1922.

Not surprisingly, Gary Player has the most South African Open victories, with 13.

Bobby Locke was the youngest champion at age 17, and went on to win nine titles.

Charles Bolling and Fred Wadsworth are the only US winners of the South African Open.

A complete list of South African Open Winners follows.

South African Open Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin
The BMW SA Open
2023	Dean Burmester	277	-11	3 strokes
2022	Thriston Lawrence	272	-16	1 stroke
2021	Daniel van Tonder	272	-16	1 stroke
2020 (Dec)	Christiaan Bezuidenhout	270	-18	5 strokes
2020 (Feb)	Branden Grace	263	-21	3 strokes
2019	Louis Oosthuizen	266	-18	6 strokes
2018	Chris Paisley	267	-21	3 strokes
2017	Graeme Storm	270	–18	Playoff
South African Open Championship
2016	Brandon Stone	274	–14	2 strokes
2015	Andy Sullivan	277	–11	Playoff
2013	Morten Ørum Madsen	269	−19	2 strokes
2012	Henrik Stenson	271	−17	3 strokes
2011	Hennie Otto	274	−14	1 stroke
2010	Ernie Els (5)	263	−25*	1 stroke
2009	Richie Ramsay	275	−13	Playoff
2008	Richard Sterne	274	−14	Playoff
South African Airways Open
2007	James Kingston	284	−4	1 stroke
2006	Ernie Els (4)	264	−24	3 strokes
2005	Retief Goosen (2)	282	−10	1 stroke
2005	Tim Clark (2)	273	−15	6 strokes
2004	Trevor Immelman (2)	276	−12	3 strokes
2003	Trevor Immelman	274	−14	Playoff
Bell’s South African Open
2002	Tim Clark	269	−19	2 strokes
Mercedes -Benz South African Open Championship
2001	Mark McNulty (2)	280	−8	1 stroke
2000	Mathias Grönberg	274	−14	1 stroke
Mercedes- Benz – Vodacom South African Open
1999	David Frost (2)	279	−5	1 stroke
South African Open
1998	Ernie Els (3)	273	−15	3 strokes
1997	Vijay Singh	270	−18	1 stroke

South African Open Winners from 1997 to present, during the era when the tournament has been sanctioned by the European Tour.

* In 2010, rain washed out the fourth holes during the final two rounds. Players were given a score of “4” on the par 4.

2005 had two events because of rescheduling
2014 had no event because of rescheduling.

South African Open Winners Prior To European Tour Sanctioning

Year	Winner	Country	Score
Philips South African Open
1996	Ernie Els (2)	South Africa	275
1995	Retief Goosen	South Africa	275
19941	Tony Johnstone (2)	Zimbabwe	267
19932	Clinton Whitelaw	South Africa	279
Protea Assurance South African Open
1992	Ernie Els	South Africa	275
1991	Wayne Westner (2)	South Africa	272
1990	Trevor Dodds	Namibia	285
1989	Fred Wadsworth	United States	278
Southern Suns Aouth African Open Championship
1988	Wayne Westner	South Africa	275
1987	Mark McNulty	Zimbabwe	278 PO
1986	David Frost	South Africa	275
n Open Championship
1985	Gavan Levenson	South Africa	280
1984	Tony Johnstone	Zimbabwe	274
1983	Charlie Bolling	United States	278
1982	No tournament
1981	Gary Player (13)	South Africa	272 PO
1980	Bobby Cole (2)	South Africa	279
1979	Gary Player (12)	South Africa	279
1978	Hugh Baiocchi	South Africa	285
1977	Gary Player (11)	South Africa	273
1976	Gary Player (10)	South Africa	280
1976	Dale Hayes	South Africa	287 PO
1975	Gary Player (9)	South Africa	278
1974	Bobby Cole	South Africa	272
1973	Bob Charles	New Zealand	282
1972	Gary Player (8)	South Africa	274
1971	Simon Hobday	South Africa	276
1970	Tommy Horton	England	285
1969	Gary Player (7)	South Africa	273
1968	Gary Player (6)	South Africa	274
1967	Gary Player (5)	South Africa	279
1966	Gary Player (4)	South Africa	278
1965	Gary Player (3)	South Africa	273
1964	No tournament	South Africa
1963	Allan Henning	South Africa	278
1963	Retief Waltman (2)	South Africa	281
1962	Harold Henning (2)	South Africa	285
1961	Retief Waltman	South Africa	289
1960	Gary Player (2)	South Africa	280
1959	Denis Hutchinson	South Africa	282
1958	Arthur Stewart	South Africa	281
1957	Harold Henning	South Africa	289 PO
1956	Gary Player	South Africa	286
1955	Bobby Locke (9)	South Africa	283
1954	Reg Taylor	South Africa	289
1953	Jimmy Boyd	South Africa	302 PO
1952	Sid Brews (8)	South Africa	305
1951	Bobby Locke (8)	South Africa	277
1950	Bobby Locke (7)	South Africa	280
1949	Sid Brews (7)	South Africa	291
1948	Mickey Janks	South Africa	298
1947	Ronnie Glennie	South Africa	293
1946	Bobby Locke (6)	South Africa	285
1941–45	No tournament due to World War II	South Africa
1940	Bobby Locke (5)	South Africa	293
1939	Bobby Locke (4)	South Africa	279
1938	Bobby Locke (3)	South Africa	279
1937	Bobby Locke (2)	South Africa	288
1936	Clarence Olander	South Africa	297 PO
1935	Bobby Locke	South Africa	296
1934	Sid Brews (6)	South Africa	319
1933	Sid Brews (5)	South Africa	297
1932	Charles McIlvenny	England	304
1931	Sid Brews (4)	South Africa	302
1930	Sid Brews (3)	South Africa	297
1929	Archie Tosh	South Africa	315
1928	Jock Brews (4)	South Africa	297
1927	Sid Brews (2)	South Africa	301
1926	Jock Brews (3)	South Africa	301
1925	Sid Brews	South Africa	295
1924	Bertie Elkin	South Africa	316
1923	Jock Brews (2)	South Africa	315
1922	Fred Jangle	South Africa	310
1921	Jock Brews	South Africa	316
1920	Laurie Waters (4)	Scotland	302
1919	William Horne	England	320
1915–18	No tournament due to World War I
1914	George Fotheringham (5)	Scotland	299
1913	Jimmy Prentice (a)	Scotland	304
1912	George Fotheringham (4)	Scotland	305
1911	George Fotheringham (3)	Scotland	301
1910	George Fotheringham (2)	Scotland	315
1909	Jack Fotheringham	Scotland	306
1908	George Fotheringham	Scotland	294
1907	Laurie Waters (3)	Scotland	146
1906	Arthur Gray (2)	England	151
1905	Arthur Gray	England	PO
1904	Laurie Waters (2)	Scotland	143
1903	Scotland Laurie Waters	Scotland	163

Prior to 1908 the tournaments were 36 holes.