New venue – and sponsor – for SA Women’s Open (original) (raw)

Lee-Anne Pace is targeting a fourth consecutive SA Women's title next year. PHOTO: Thinus Marnitz/Sunshine Tour/Gallo Images

The Sunshine Ladies Tour today announced that the record purse for the 2018 national women’s Open Championship is a huge milestone for women’s golf.

The purse of R2 million is a marked increase from the prize fund in 2017. The new title sponsor for the most prestigious tournament on the South African women’s professional golf circuit was also announced.

The Investec South African Women’s Open at Atlantic Beach Golf Club will bring down the curtain on the 2018 season from 8-10 March.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Investec as the title sponsor of the 2018 Investec South African Women’s Open Championship,” said Sunshine Tour Executive Director Selwyn Nathan.

“Investec have constantly raised the bar since the Sunshine Ladies Tour launched in 2014 and has given us unequivocal and unwavering support as a partner and sponsor for the last four years, in addition to backing three of our top international competitors: Lee-Anne Pace, Stacy Bregman and Nicole Garcia.”

“We are extremely delighted and proud to announce this new initiative with the Sunshine Ladies Tour,” said Danni Dixon, Head of Marketing for Investec Property.

“We want to position the Investec South African Women’s Open as a platform that can aid the promotion and growth of South African women’s golf both locally and internationally. High performance resonates with our brand and we want to elevate women’s golf.”

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Danni Dixon also said: “We have a very strong track record in supporting women’s sport in South Africa. The Sunshine Ladies Tour was a natural fit for us. We have evolved the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies to the next level by becoming the title sponsor of the South African Women’s Open. We want to continue to support this beautiful game that gives our top women players and new local talent coming on the tour the opportunity to showcase and develop their skills against top international players.”

Thanks to the record prize money of R2-million, the Investec South African Women’s Open will also rank among the world’s top national opens.

South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace will be targeting a historic fourth consecutive victory next March.

“The South African Women’s Open is the one championship every golfer dreams of winning,” said the Investec Property player.

“Investec Property has played a major role in establishing and developing the Sunshine Ladies Tour and with their support, the Investec South African Women’s Open will regain the top tier status it deserves. I am definitely going to try to win number four, but with such an attractive purse, I believe we will attract top international golfers and I will have my work cut out.”

The players will also compete for an additional R100 000 in the Investec Property Fund Order of Merit that also earns the outstanding player of the year an invitation to compete in a main event on the Ladies European Tour and Final Stage exemption into the 2019 Qualifying School.

The full 2018 Sunshine Ladies Tour schedule will be announced soon.

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