Sunshine Tour releases schedule for new Big Easy Tour season

Following the successful return of the Altron Big Easy Tour to the local golfing scene last year, the Sunshine Tour has released a 12-tournament schedule for the 2023/24 season.

This is an increase of two tournaments more than last year’s schedule, thereby creating more opportunities for the players to compete at a high level.

Having secured the sponsorship of IT solutions giant, Altron, when the Tour returned under the commissioning of professional golf’s mother body, the Sunshine Tour, the second season of this developmental tour begins this July.

With each tournament carrying a total of R150 000 and the final R300 000 in prize money, the first event tees off on the Bushwillow layout at Randpark Golf Club on July 4 while the second will be played at Reading Country Club in the East Rand, Gauteng, a week later.

The historic Soweto Country Club will host the third event of the season from August 1 before Kyalami Country Club gets its own piece of professional golf action a month later. The two venues, along with Blue Valley Golf Estate, are hosting Altron Big Easy Tour events for the second successive time each after they all played hosts last year. The year will close off with Blue Valley hosting the fifth tournament of the season before the Christmas break in November.

In the new year, Dainfern Country Club will host the sixth event in the second week of January while Waterkloof Golf Club in Pretoria will be the next destination. The East Rand will be the next stop as Benoni Country Club hosts the seventh event before the playoffs.

Just as it was in the previous season, Centurion Country Club returns to the calendar and will again host the playoffs early in April before the season-ending event returns to Country Club Johannesburg – Rocklands for the grand finale which carries R300 000 in prize money. The two venues for the new tournaments are yet to be confirmed but will certainly be held in Gauteng too.

“The rerun of the Altron Big Easy Tour to the main golfing scene last year proved to be a great success for the Tour and our sponsor,” said Sunshine Tour Tournament Director, Ludwick Manyama.

“Through a tough period economically, our main sponsors Altron, were able to see our vision of turning this developmental tour into a professional series which benefitted our players immensely. We had a full schedule with 10 events and this season won’t be much different.

“We anticipate a total of 12 tournaments for this season to provide further playing opportunities for the players, especially those who aren’t eligible to play on the main Sunshine Tour circuit. We are grateful to our sponsors because their contributions help us realise our vision of making golf accessible.”

The Big Easy Tour was founded in 2011 with support from Ernie Els and counts current international star Christiaan Bezuidenhout among its former Order of Merit winners.