No Sunshine Tour golf before August

The Sunshine Tour has confirmed – after negotiations with various sponsors, government and health authorities – that it does not expect a resumption of tournament golf before August.

As the tour continues to work out a revamped schedule in light of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, it has confirmed the cancellation of the Zambia Open, which was scheduled to be played next month. It has also confirmed the postponement of the Investec Royal Swazi Open, which was also scheduled for next month, until October 28 to 31. After discussions with the sponsor, the Lombard Insurance Classic has been postponed until next year.

The King’s Cup in Eswatini is scheduled to go ahead as planned, from September 3 to 5.

In terms of the Sun International Series and the Vodacom Origins of Golf series, both of which form the backbone of the winter section of the Sunshine Tour, the tour has confirmed that negotiations with sponsors are ongoing and a decision would not be made before July 10.

Sunshine Tour commissioner Selwyn Nathan said: “We’re talking to everybody and trying to set a date as to when we’re going to start playing again.”

He emphasised that the tour would not rush into making any long-term decisions.

“The most important thing is not to be in a hurry. We will wait until we understand what the opportunities are, and not try to pre-empt something. It’s no good putting out proposed schedules and then changing them every week. We won’t do anything without consultation with our sponsors and the go-ahead from the relevant health authorities in the regions where we play.”

The PGA Tour announced plans this week to start playing again in June, but with no spectators. At the same time, the European Tour announced the cancellation of a further two tournaments.

Nathan, while keenly aware of the pressure on Sunshine Tour professionals to resume playing for their livelihoods, remained optimistic that it had time on its side, considering that the major international part of its schedule – excluding the African Swing – traditionally only tees off in November.

He said the Sunshine Tour was involved in negotiations with the European Tour regarding the major co-sanctioned tournaments played on these fairways. These would be affected by the change in schedule that would result from the PGA Tour shifting its events around, as well as the Masters moving into a new date in the same week as the Nedbank Golf Challenge in November.

“Every year, all the member tours of the International Federation of PGA Tours find a way to fit in their respective schedules and I’m sure we’ll find a way this year. But we also have to be responsible.”

There was no doubt in Nathan’s mind that, when professional golf resumed, it would do so in a vastly different landscape.

“If you look at the Sunshine Tour, for the past decade we’ve managed to keep a nice level where we have played for prize money in excess of R200 million to R250 million a year. If you include the Nedbank Golf Challenge, it’s significantly more.

“The game has had amazing growth in prize money and sponsorship, but this reset could take us back as far as 2000 and what the landscape was like then. Retention of sponsors is going to be key. We have to marry the moral issues with an understanding that businesses have taken an absolute hammering and that, if we’re fortunate enough to keep them in our space, we’re blessed.”

One of the challenges professional golf faced was the traditional pro-am and when these would be allowed to resume. While other sports might be able to play in empty stadiums, the pro-am was the absolute bedrock of sponsor engagement in golf, and also its competitive advantage over other professional sports in its ability to allow high-profile clients to play golf alongside the professionals.

“When this time passes, we might have to look for new opportunities and find a different way of doing things. But you need the pro-ams at tournaments. Until sponsors can have their guests back at tournaments, it doesn’t really matter how creative you are. Pro-ams are vital.

“But the game will survive this, even though times have changed. A positive moral stand will always outlive anything.”

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