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Outgoing Nedbank Golf Challenge tournament director Alastair Roper would have loved to see the event being graced by two major winners Danny Willett and Henrik Stenson and Olympic gold medallist Justin Rose – before bowing out of the game.
Roper, who is widely regarded as the face of Africa’s major, is retiring at the end of the year after being at the event’s helm for 19 years. He will be in charge of the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the last time when this year’s edition tees off at Gary Player Golf Course at Sun City on November 10.
But he feels his exit from the scene would have been more appropriate if the trio had been part of the 72-member field that will compete.
Willett, who is from England, won his first major US Masters at Augusta National, Georgia, in March, with Denmark’s Stenson also scooping his maiden big one at the British Open at Royal Troon Golf Club, Scotland, last month.
And then another Englishman, Rose, put the cherry on top of the cake by winning gold for Britain at the Rio Olympics when he played at the Olympic Golf Course last Sunday. Rose became the first golf gold medallist in 112 years.
“I feel getting the three to honour the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the last year of my tenure could have been a great gesture to mark my departure,” says Roper.
“These players are special. We’ve been negotiating to bring them over, but it looks like they will be tied up elsewhere on that particular date.”
Willett won the 2014 event, while Stenson lifted the 2008 trophy.
But Roper says he does not regret bowing out from an event he helped to popularise. He came on board as director in 1997, and says he has “done my part”.
He believes part of the highlight of his career was bringing erstwhile world number one Tiger Woods to the country to take part in the showdown in 1998. Woods lost to Zimbabwean Nick Price.
“Having Tiger playing at Sun City was a big deal because he was the biggest talking point in golf globally then.”
Another glorious moment during his tenure was interacting with Ernie Els, who won the event in 1999, 2000 and 2002, and Germany’s Bernhard Langer, who lifted the title in 1985 and 1991.
“My disappointments were obviously losing some of our regular sponsors along the way,” he says.
Roper says he will not be totally lost to golf as he will attend Nedbank Golf Challenge events as a spectator.
“It will be great to be in the gallery following players during the event. I’m looking forward to that.”
