Golf: Increased prize-money for season-ending Invitational

The Standard Bank Pro-Am Invitational, which will tee off on 25^th and 26^th October at Randpark Golf Club, has received a major boost after Standard Bank doubled the prize money to KSh3 million.

The Standard Bank Pro-Am Invitational is the final Order of Merit event for the professionals and comes at the back of a seven-tournament series that was played at venues across Gauteng from March.

The series was launched early last year but could not be played due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 but with the restrictions loosened and with health protocols in place, the series finally teed off at Killarney Country Club in March.

The first tournament was played at Killarney Country Club and this is where Ivanna Samu began her dominance in this series, winning the inaugural tournament before backing that up with another win at Serengeti Golf Estates in May.

The next stop was Parkview Golf Club and there, it was Zethu Myeki who emerged victorious, writing her name in the history of those who won titles in the first-ever season of this ground-breaking series for women’s golf.

Up next was Houghton and for the third time this term, Samu claimed another victory to solidify her spot atop the Order of Merit standings.

The next event was held at the former home of the South African Championship, Glendower Golf Club in Ekurhuleni, and Cape Town’s Tara Griebenow took the victory. The next host venue was Eagle Canyon Country Club in Roodepoort and a resurgent Yolanda Duma sealed her maiden win under some testing weather conditions there.

Silverlakes Golf Estate in Pretoria hosted the seventh tournament, and it was international star, Nobuhle Dlamini, who walked home with the title having played some beautiful golf on the day.

Another boost for women’s golf at this time came in the form of the government’s announcement that the country would be moved to level one lockdown restrictions, allowing for at least 2000 people to come to Randpark Golf Club and watch some of the finest talent in both women’s amateur and professional golf.

COURTESY