Safari Tour/Safari Circuit

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Rhodesia, Zambia, Kenya, Botswana, and Nigeria
89/90 Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, the former Zaire, Kenya, Gambia and Togo

Part of the European Tour organisation since 1977. [1],[2]

Originally started with events in Kenya and Zambia (3), then later Nigeria (rescheduled from 1973); there was a one-off in Botswana (1982), with Ivory Coast (1983) and Zimbabwe (1985) introduced later as Zambia events reduced to one by 1986. Many articles/recollections also include other events/pro-ams across East & West Africa, e.g. in Togo, Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Zaire, etc. but these weren't part of the official circuit/tour.

Top 3 on OoM exempt on European Tour. [3] (“Woosie” biography)

OoM winner gained exemption to the Open Championship. This ended in 1986. (Aberdeen P&J, 16 Jan 86, p.22)

Events added to Challenge Tour in 1991. Still reported as a separate tour after that, e.g Heineken World of Golf 1993 (p.170).

Order of Merit

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Season Order of Merit winner Ref
1977 Mark James Aberdeen Press and Journal, 6 Apr 77, p.22 [4]
1978
1979 John Morgan Liverpool Echo, 3 May 79, p.23
1980 Brian Waites Newcastle Journal, 24 May 1980, p.33 [5]
1981 Brian Barnes Glasgow Herald, 30 Mar 81, p.18 [6]
1982 David Jagger Glasgow Herald, 5 Apr 82, p.16 [7]
1983 Gordon J Brand Newcastle Journal, 21 Mar 83, p.12
1984 Ewan Murray Glasgow Herald, 26 Mar 84, p.13 [8]
1985 Bill Longmuir Glasgow Herald, 1 Apr 85, p.15 [9]
1986 Gordon J Brand Reading Evening Post, 14 Aug 86, p.20
1987 Gordon J Brand Sandwell Evening Mail, 10 Mar 87, p.31
1988 Vijay Singh Aberdeen Press and Journal, 27 Jul 88, p.22
1989 Vijay Singh Aberdeen Press and Journal, 12 Apr 89, p.25
1990

Schedules

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Note: originally not organised into an official tour so start of tour uncertain & probable that not all tournaments were part of the "tour" (e.g. Nigeria Open pre 1973)
Season Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
1967 23 Apr 67 Kenya Open Muthaiga Guy Wolstenholme 279 [10]
Liv Echo, 24 Apr 67, p.15
1968 14 Apr 68 Cock o' the North Ndola Terry Westbrook 291
1968 21 Apr 68 Kenya Open Karen Maurice Bembridge 289 [11]
1969 30 Mar 69 Eagle Open Lusaka Bernard Gallacher 284 [12]
1969 6 Apr 69 Cock o' the North Ndola Bernard Gallacher 280 [13]
1969 13 Apr 69 Kenya Open Muthaiga Maurice Bembridge 279 [14]
1970 3 Jan 70 Nigeria Open Marshall Douglas 281 [15] Started in 1969
1970 15 Mar 70 Mufulira Open Mufulira Bernard Gallacher 280 [16]
1970 22 Mar 70 Dunlop Lusaka Open Lusaka Alex Caygill 285 [17]
1970 29 Mar 70 Cock o' the North Ndola Craig Defoy 284 [18]
1970 5 Apr 70 Kenya Open Muthaiga Jan Dorrenstein 273 [19]
1971 6 Dec 70 Nigeria Open John Cook 276 [20]
1971 28 Mar 71 Mufulira Open Mufulira Craig Defoy (defended title in 1972 [21])
£3700 ([22])
1971 4 Apr 71 Lusaka Open Lusaka Stuart Brown 280 [23] £4000
1971 11 Apr 71 Cock o' the North Ndola Michael Ingham 284 £5800
1971 18 Apr 71 Kenya Open Muthaiga Ernie Jones 283 * [24] ([25]) £4600
1972 5 Dec 71 Nigeria Open Lee Elder 267 [26][27]
1972 19 Mar 72 Mufulira Open Mufulira Craig Defoy 282 * [28]
1972 26 Mar 72 Lusaka Open Lusaka Maurice Bembridge 274 [29]
The Guardian, 27 March 1982, p21
1972 2 Apr 72 Zambia Open Ndola Craig Defoy 272 [30] Cock o' the North
1972 9 Apr 72 Kenya Open Muthaiga David Llewellyn 279 [31]
1973 25 Feb 73 Nigeria Open Tommy Horton 267 [32]
1973 11 Mar 73 Kenya Open Jan Dorrenstein 276 [33]
1973 18 Mar 73 Cock o' the North Ndola Michael Ingham 284 [34]
1973 25 Mar 73 Mufulira Open Mufulira David Webster 283 [35]
1973 1 Apr 73 Zambia Open Lusaka Craig Defoy 281 [36]
The Guardian, 3 April 1983, p27
1974 24 Feb 74 Nigeria Open Jack Newton 275 [37]
1974 3 Mar 74 Kenya Open Muthaiga David Jagger 274 [38]
1974 10 Mar 74 (Lusaka) Eagle Open Lusaka Willie Milne 213 [39] Final round rained off
1974 17 Mar 74 Cock o' the North Ndola Malcolm Gregson 284 * [40] Eagle Open=Lusaka Open
1974 24 Mar 74 Zambia Open Mufulira Christy O'Connor Jnr 282 * [41]
1975 22 Feb 75 Nigeria Open David Jagger 270 * [42]
1975 2 Mar 75 Kenya Open Muthaiga Gary Smith 276 * [43]
1975 9 Mar 75 Lusaka Open Lusaka Carl Mason 281 [44]
1975 16 Mar 75 Mufulira Open Mufulira Ronnie Shade 281 [45]
1975 23 Mar 75 Zambia Open Ndola Sam Torrance 280 * [46] Cock o' the North
1976 25 Feb 76 Nigeria Open Bill Longmuir 209 [47] Cov Eve Telegraph, 26 Feb 76, p.16 Delayed a few days following the
1976 Nigerian coup d'état attempt
1976 7 Mar 76 Kenya Open Muthaiga - - [48] Cancelled for economic reasons
1976 14 Mar 76 Cock o' the North Ndola Jack Newton 282 [49]
1976 21 Mar 76 Mufulira Open Mufulira Jack Newton 277 [50]
1976 28 Mar 76 Zambia Open Lusaka Peter Cowen 286 [51] [52]

1977

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  • Schedule: [53] (Nigerian Pro-Ams - Benin, Port Harcourt, Ibadan)
Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
24–27 Feb Nigeria Open Ikoyi David Jagger 273 * [54]
10–13 Mar Kenya Open Muthaiga Liam Higgins 283 [55]
17–20 Mar Lusaka Open Lusaka Mark James 279 [56][57]
24–27 Mar Zambia Open Ndola Tommy Horton 284 [58] Cock o' the North

1978

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Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
26 Feb 78 Nigeria Open Ikoyi Sandy Lyle 269 * [59]
Liv Echo, 27 Feb 78, p.16
12 Mar 78 Kenya Open Muthaiga Seve Ballesteros 274 [60]
19 Mar 78 Mufulira Open Mufulira Peter Berry 281 * Liv Echo, 20 Mar 78, p.15
26 Mar 78 Zambia Open Lusaka Peter Townsend 274 [61]

1979

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Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
25 Feb 79 Nigeria Open Ikoyi John Morgan 269 [62]
17 Mar 79 Kenya Open Muthaiga Maurice Bembridge 271 * [63]
26 Mar 79 Lusaka Open Lusaka John Morgan 282 [64]
2 Apr 79 Zambia Open Ndola Brian Barnes 280 [65] Cock o' the North

1980

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  • Schedule:
Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
24 Feb 80 Nigeria Open Bill Longmuir 264 [66]
9 Mar 80 Ivory Coast Open President Gary Player 265 * The Times, 10 March 1980, p9
16 Mar 80 Kenya Open Muthaiga Brian Waites 271 The Guardian, 17 March 1980, p23,25
23 Mar 80 Mufulira Open Mufulira Brian Waites 279 Aberdeen P&J, 24 Mar 80, p.17[67]
30 Mar 80 Zambia Open Lusaka Ewen Murray 282 The Guardian, 31 March 1980, p20,21

1981

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  • Schedule: [68] (Ivory Coast new to the tour)
Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
22 Feb 81 Nigeria Open Ikoyi Peter Tupling 255 [69]
1 Mar 81 Ivory Coast Open President Gordon J Brand 271 * [70]
15 Mar 81 Kenya Open Muthaiga Brian Barnes 274 [71]
22 Mar 81 Cock o' the North Ndola Eamonn Darcy 281 [72]
29 Mar 81 Zambia Open Lusaka Brian Barnes 276 [73]

1982

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  • Schedule: [74] (doesn't include Ivory Coast)
Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
4–7 Feb Nigeria Open David Jagger 274 * [75]
11–14 Feb Ivory Coast Open President John Morgan 272 [76]
11–14 Mar Kenya Open Muthaiga Eamonn Darcy 274 [77]
18–21 Mar Mufulira Open Mufulira Brian Waites 281 [78]
25–28 Mar Zambia Open Lusaka Brian Waites 276 [79]
1–4 Apr Kalahari Diamond Classic David Jagger 276 [80]

1983

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Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
24–27 Feb Nigeria Open Ikoyi Gordon J Brand 275 The Guardian 28 Feb 83 p19
3–6 Mar Ivory Coast Open President Bill Longmuir 271 [84]
10–13 Mar Kenya Open Muthaiga Ken Brown 274 [85]
17–20 Mar Cock o' the North Ndola Cancelled
17–20 Mar
24–27 Mar
Zambia Open Lusaka Bill Calfee 280 * [86]

1984

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Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
23–26 Feb Nigeria Open Ikoyi Ewen Murray 271 [89]
1–4 Mar Ivory Coast Open President Billy McColl 275 [90]
8–11 Mar Kenya Open Muthaiga Jose-Maria Canizares 277 * [91]
15–18 Mar Mufulira Open Mufulira Eamonn Darcy 279 [92]
22–25 Mar Zambia Open Lusaka Carl Mason 280 [93] Open exemption
29 Mar – 1 Apr Botswana Open Provisional/not held

1985

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  • Schedule: [94] (ET exemption for tournament winners, Open exemption for OoM winner)
Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
8–10 Feb Nigerian Satellite Pro-Ams
14–17 Feb Ivory Coast Open President David Llewellyn 277 [95]
21–24 Feb Nigeria Open Bill Longmuir 277 [96]
7–10 Mar 555 Kenya Open Muthaiga Garry Harvey 278 [97] Tour card
14–17 Mar Cock o' the North Ndola Brian Waites 283 [98]
21–24 Mar Zambia Open Lusaka Ian Woosnam 282 [99]
28–31 Mar Zimbabwe Open Chapman Malcolm Mackenzie 281 [100] Open exemption

1986

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Season Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
1986 16 Feb 86 Nigeria Open Ikoyi Gordon J Brand 272 [101]
1986 23 Feb 86 Ivory Coast Open President Gordon J Brand 273 [102]
1986 9 Mar 86 Kenya Open Muthaiga Ian Woosnam 273 * [103]
1986 16 Mar 86 Zambia Open Lusaka Garry Cullen 283 * [104]
1986 23 Mar 86 Zimbabwe Open Chapman Stephen Bennett 277 [105]

1987

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Season Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
1987 22 Feb 87 Zimbabwe Open R.Harare Gordon J Brand 277 * [106]
1987 1 Mar 87 Kenya Open Muthaiga Carl Mason 275 * [107]
1987 8 Mar 87 Zambia Open Lusaka Paul Carrigill 285 * [108]

1988

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Season Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
1988 31 Jan 88 Nigeria Open Ikoyi Vijay Singh 281 * Golf Digest Almanac 1989, p309
1988 7 Feb 88 Ivory Coast Open President Gordon J Brand 275 [109]
1988 14 Feb 88 Kenya Open Muthaiga Chris Platts 271 [110]
1988 21 Feb 88 Zimbabwe Open Chapman Roger Chapman 275 [111]
1988 28 Feb 88 Zambia Open Lusaka David Llewellyn 280 The Guardian 1 Mar 88 p19

1989

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Season Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
1989 29 Jan 89 Zimbabwe Open Chapman Vijay Singh 282 [112]
1989 5 Feb 89 Zambia Open Lusaka Craig Maltman 215 [113]
1989 12 Feb 89 Kenya Open Muthaiga David Jones 271 [114]
1989 19 Nov 89 Nigeria Open Ikoyi Vijay Singh 279 [115]
1989 26 Nov 89 Ivory Coast Open President Vijay Singh 274 [116]

1990

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Season Date Tournament Venue Winner Score PO Source Notes
1990 14 Jan 90 Zimbabwe Open Chapman Grant Turner 281 [117]
1990 21 Jan 90 Zambia Open Lusaka Gordon J Brand 284 Liv Echo, 25 Jan 90, p.74
1990 28 Jan 90 Kenya Open Muthaiga Christy O'Connor Jnr 271 [118]
1990 9 Dec 90 Nigeria Open Ikoyi Wayne Stephens 198 1991 Challenge Tour
1990 16 Dec 90 Ivory Coast Open President David Llewellyn 275 1991 Challenge Tour

Other tournaments & pro-ams

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Other events in Africa (outside South Africa), but probably not Safari Circuit/Tour
Season Date Tournament Venue Winner Score Playoff Source Notes
1974 Benin
1974 Port Harcourt Open David Chillas [119]
1975 Benin
1975 Port Harcourt Open (Lagos Open [120]) David Chillas [121]
1975 Gambia Open Tommy Horton
1976 Gambia Open Malcolm Gregson [122]
1976 Liberia Open Malcolm Gregson [123]
1976 Port Harcourt Open Carl Mason [124]
The Observer 29 Feb 76 p18
"... who went down to Port Harcourt
for a £2,000 pro-am ..."
1977 Benin
1977 Port Harcourt
1977 Ibadan
1980 ~17 Feb 80 Gambia Open
1981 Sierra Leone Open Mike Miller
1982 Sierra Leone Open Mike Miller
1985 Togo Open Tommy Horton
1986 Sierra Leone Open John Morgan

Kalahari Diamond Classic

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Sunshine Circuit event in 1979, 80, 81.
Year Venue Winner Score
1982   David Jagger 276

Gambian Open

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Year Venue Winner Score
1976   Malcolm Gregson
1975   Tommy Horton

Liberian Open

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Year Venue Winner Score
1976   Malcolm Gregson

Togo Open

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Year Venue Winner Score
1986   TBD
1985   Tommy Horton

Ghana Open

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Year Venue Winner Score
1980   James Lebbie [125]

Sierra Leone Open

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Year Venue Winner Score
2016   Vincent Torgah [126]
2015
2014
2013 Freetown   Amos Korblah
2012 No tournament
2011   Godwin Sai [127]
1990   James Lebbie [128]
1989   James Lebbie
1988   James Lebbie
1987   James Lebbie
1986   John Morgan
1985   James Lebbie
1984   TBD
1983   TBD
1982   Mike Miller
1981   Mike Miller

Tanzania Open

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Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club

Year Venue Winner Score
2008   TBD
2007   Hassan Kadio
2006   TBD
2005   Deo Akope
2004   Salim Mwanyenza
  Dismas Indiza
2003   TBD
2002   Stephen Kasaija
1995   Savio Nazareth
1985   John Davis, Jr.
1966   Bob Davidson