The Nedbank Golf Challenge, previously known as the Million Dollar Challenge, is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It was first played in 1981 and takes place towards the end of the year, in November or December.

Nedbank Golf Challenge
Tournament information
LocationSun City, South Africa
Established1981
Course(s)Gary Player Country Club
Par72
Length7,834 yards (7,163 m)
Tour(s)European Tour
Sunshine Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$6,000,000
Month playedNovember
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Ernie Els (1999)
To par−25 as above
Current champion
United States Max Homa
Location map
Gary Player CC is located in South Africa
Gary Player CC
Gary Player CC
Location in South Africa
Gary Player CC is located in North West (South African province)
Gary Player CC
Gary Player CC
Location in North West

For many years the tournament was a small-field invitational stroke play event with typically 12 players competing. Since it became a European Tour event in 2013, the field size has increased, to 30 from 2013 to 2015 and to 72 in 2016. Originally it was not an official event for any of the major tours.

From 2010 to 2012, a separate tournament for senior golfers was held concurrently.

History

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The first tournament was played from 31 December 1981 to 4 January 1982 with a field of 5: Seve Ballesteros, Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. Ballesteros and Miller tied on 277 with Nicklaus a stroke behind after he missed a putt at the final hole. Miller beat Ballesteros at the ninth hole of a sudden-death playoff. The pair played the 16th to 18th holes three times before Ballesteros three-putted. Miller won $500,000 out of total prize money of $1,000,000.[1]

The date was moved to early December 1982 for the second tournament, with 10 players competing. Total prize money remained at $1,000,000 with $300,000 for the winner and $50,000 for the 10th player. There was another playoff, with Raymond Floyd beating Craig Stadler at the fourth extra hole.[2] The format remained unchanged from 1983 to 1986 with the event played in early December each year.

The 1987 event introduced a winner-take-all $1,000,000 first prize, although there were additional prizes for the lowest round each day. The field was reduced to 8 player. Ian Woosnam won by 4 strokes and took the first million dollar prize in golf.[3] The winner-take-all idea was dropped for 1988, although the first prize remained as $1,000,000. The format remained largely unchanged through 1999, with the first prize always $1,000,000, although the field increased from 8 to 10 in 1989 and to 12 from 1993. There were two playoffs during this period. In 1996 Colin Montgomerie beat Ernie Els with a birdie at the third extra hole, while in 1998 Nick Price beat Tiger Woods with a birdie at the fifth extra hole.

In 2006, the tournament carried World Rankings points for the first time since 1999.[4] In 2013 it was expanded to 30 players: the defending tournament champion; the top 10 PGA Tour FedEx Cup players, the top 10 European Tour Race to Dubai players; the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners; the Alfred Dunhill Championship winner; and the top 5 South African players in the World Rankings.

From 2000 to 2002 the first prize was increased to US$2 million, but the following year the winner's share of the total prize fund was reduced from more than half to around 30%. The standard winner's share on the PGA Tour is 18% and on the European Tour it is 16.67%. In 2006 the winner received $1.2 million out of a total purse of US$4.385 million, so the prize distribution is now not far from the normal pattern for a professional tournament, once allowance is made for the small size of the field. That US$2 million first prize remained the largest in professional golf, but was matched in 2011 by the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.

The 2016 event was part of the European Tour Final Series, replacing the BMW Masters, while in 2017 the event was part of the new Rolex Series. Since 2016, the field of 72 consists of the top 64 available players from the current year Race to Dubai standings, the defending champion, the winner of the Sunshine Tour order of merit from previous year, and tournament invitations.

Winners

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European Tour (Rolex Series) 2017–2019
European Tour (Race to Dubai finals series) 2016
European Tour (Regular) 2013–2015, 2022
Sunshine Tour 2006–2012
Unofficial event 1981–2005
# Year Tour(s)[a] Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Purse
($)
Winner's
share ($)
Nedbank Golf Challenge
41st 2023 EUR   Max Homa 269 −19 4 strokes   Nicolai Højgaard 6,000,000 1,020,000
40th 2022 AFR,[b] EUR   Tommy Fleetwood (2) 277 −11 1 stroke   Ryan Fox 6,000,000 1,020,000
2021 AFR, EUR Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[5][6]
2020 AFR, EUR
39th 2019 AFR, EUR   Tommy Fleetwood 276 −12 Playoff   Marcus Kinhult 7,500,000 2,500,000
38th 2018 EUR   Lee Westwood (3) 273 −15 3 strokes   Sergio García 7,500,000 1,250,000
37th 2017 EUR   Branden Grace 277 −11 1 stroke   Scott Jamieson 7,500,000 1,166,660
36th 2016 EUR   Alex Norén 274 −14 6 strokes   Wang Jeung-hun 7,000,000 1,166,660
35th 2015 AFR, EUR   Marc Leishman 269 −19 6 strokes   Henrik Stenson 6,500,000 1,250,000
34th 2014 AFR, EUR   Danny Willett 270 −18 4 strokes   Ross Fisher 6,500,000 1,250,000
33rd 2013 AFR, EUR   Thomas Bjørn 268 −20 2 strokes   Jamie Donaldson
  Sergio García
6,500,000 1,250,000
32nd 2012 AFR   Martin Kaymer 280 −8 2 strokes   Charl Schwartzel 5,000,000 1,250,000
31st 2011 AFR   Lee Westwood (2) 273 −15 2 strokes   Robert Karlsson 5,000,000 1,250,000
30th 2010 AFR   Lee Westwood 271 −17 8 strokes   Tim Clark 5,000,000 1,250,000
29th 2009 AFR   Robert Allenby 277 −11 Playoff   Henrik Stenson 4,385,000 1,200,000
28th 2008 AFR   Henrik Stenson 267 −21 9 strokes   Kenny Perry 4,385,000 1,200,000
27th 2007 AFR   Trevor Immelman 272 −16 1 stroke   Justin Rose 4,385,000 1,200,000
26th 2006 AFR   Jim Furyk (2) 276 −12 2 strokes   Henrik Stenson 4,385,000 1,200,000
25th 2005   Jim Furyk 282 −6 Playoff   Darren Clarke
  Retief Goosen
  Adam Scott
4,060,000 1,200,000
24th 2004   Retief Goosen 281 −7 6 strokes   Stuart Appleby
  Ernie Els
4,060,000 1,200,000
23rd 2003   Sergio García (2) 274 −14 Playoff   Retief Goosen 4,060,000 1,200,000
22nd 2002   Ernie Els (3) 267 −21 8 strokes   Colin Montgomerie 4,060,000 2,000,000
21st 2001   Sergio García 268 −20 Playoff   Ernie Els 4,060,000 2,000,000
20th 2000   Ernie Els (2) 268 −20 Playoff   Lee Westwood 4,060,000 2,000,000
Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge
19th 1999   Ernie Els 263 −25 5 strokes   Colin Montgomerie 2,500,000 1,000,000
18th 1998   Nick Price (3) 273 −15 Playoff   Tiger Woods 2,500,000 1,000,000
17th 1997   Nick Price (2) 275 −13 1 stroke   Ernie Els
  Davis Love III
2,500,000 1,000,000
16th 1996   Colin Montgomerie 274 −14 Playoff   Ernie Els 2,500,000 1,000,000
15th 1995   Corey Pavin 276 −12 5 strokes   Nick Price 2,500,000 1,000,000
14th 1994   Nick Faldo 272 −16 3 strokes   Nick Price 2,500,000 1,000,000
13th 1993   Nick Price 264 −24 12 strokes   Mark McNulty 2,500,000 1,000,000
12th 1992   David Frost (3) 276 −12 4 strokes   John Cook 2,500,000 1,000,000
11th 1991   Bernhard Langer (2) 272 −16 5 strokes   Mark Calcavecchia 2,500,000 1,000,000
10th 1990   David Frost (2) 284 −4 1 stroke   José María Olazábal 2,500,000 1,000,000
9th 1989   David Frost 276 −12 3 strokes   Scott Hoch 2,500,000 1,000,000
8th 1988   Fulton Allem 278 −10 1 stroke   Don Pooley 1,500,000 1,000,000
7th 1987   Ian Woosnam 274 −14 4 strokes   Nick Faldo 1,000,000 1,000,000
6th 1986   Mark McNulty 282 −6 3 strokes   Lanny Wadkins 1,000,000 300,000
5th 1985   Bernhard Langer 278 −10 2 strokes   Lanny Wadkins 1,000,000 300,000
4th 1984   Seve Ballesteros (2) 279 −9 6 strokes   Nick Faldo 1,000,000 300,000
3rd 1983   Seve Ballesteros 274 −14 5 strokes   Nick Faldo
  David Graham
  Fuzzy Zoeller
1,000,000 300,000
2nd 1982   Raymond Floyd 280 −8 Playoff   Craig Stadler 1,000,000 300,000
1st[c] 1981   Johnny Miller 277 −11 Playoff   Seve Ballesteros 1,000,000 500,000

Notes

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  1. ^ AFR − Sunshine Tour; EUR − European Tour.
  2. ^ In 2022 the event was sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour, however it was an unofficial money event; therefore the win is considered unofficial on that tour.
  3. ^ The 1981 event was played from 31 December 1981 to 3 January 1982.

References

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  1. ^ "Floyd wins Sun City play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 4 January 1982. p. 14. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Miller's rich reward". The Glasgow Herald. 6 December 1982. p. 16. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Wizard Woosie scoops million dollar jackpot". The Glasgow Herald. 7 December 1987. p. 9. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  4. ^ "World Rankings are refined, but still confusing". Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  5. ^ "Nedbank Golf Challenge cancelled for second year in a row". News24. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  6. ^ "2020 Nedbank Golf Challenge Cancelled". PGA European Tour. 28 August 2020. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
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25°20′20″S 27°06′22″E / 25.339°S 27.106°E / -25.339; 27.106