# South African Masters

The South African Masters was one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It was last played in 2011. Before its discontinuation, it had a prize fund of 1.2 million rand and was held at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club on the KwaZulu-Natal border, South Africa.

## History

The tournament had its roots in the South African Professional Match Play Championship, the running of which was taken over by the PGA of South Africa in 1957. Under the sponsorship of Dunlop the event transitioned into a 72-hole stroke play event in 1960.
The first edition of the new Dunlop Masters, at Houghton Golf Club in 1960, was won by Gary Player with an aggregate score of 266, a record that stood for 44 years. Player's total was equalled in 1970 by John Fourie, the only amateur to claim the title. Andrew McLardy posted 264 at the Wild Coast resort in 2004 and Darren Fichardt holds the record of 263 set on the par-70 course in 2009.
The South African Masters, along with the South African Open and the South African PGA Championship formed the Triple Crown. Winning all three titles in the same season was a feat only achieved by Gary Player and Ernie Els.

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| Nashua Masters |||||||
| 2011 | Shaun Norris | 271 | −9 | 1 stroke | Tyrone Mordt |
| 2010 | Warren Abery (2) | 267 | −13 | 2 strokes | Oliver Bekker Branden Grace Alex Haindl |
| 2009 | Darren Fichardt | 263 | −17 | 1 stroke | Marc Cayeux |
| 2008 | Marc Cayeux | 268 | −12 | 2 strokes | Bradford Vaughan |
| 2007 | Jean Hugo | 269 | −11 | Playoff | Titch Moore |
| 2006 | Warren Abery | 265 | −15 | 2 strokes | Doug McGuigan |
| 2005 | Richard Sterne | 269 | −11 | 1 stroke | Titch Moore Grant Muller |
| 2004 | Andrew McLardy | 264 | −16 | 3 strokes | Desvonde Botes |
| 2003: No tournament |||||||
| 2002 (Nov) | Hennie Otto | 279 | −1 | 1 stroke | Ciaran McMonagle Gavin McNeill Mark McNulty Roger Wessels |
| 2002 (Feb) | Justin Rose | 265 | −15 | 1 stroke | Titch Moore |
| Nashua Nedtel Cellular Masters |||||||
| 2001 | Mark McNulty (5) | 274 | −6 | 1 stroke | Retief Goosen Des Terblanche |
| South African Masters |||||||
| 2000: No tournament |||||||
| 1999 | Desvonde Botes | 269 | −19 | 1 stroke | Dean van Staden |
| 1998: No tournament |||||||
| San Lameer South African Masters |||||||
| 1997 | Mark McNulty (4) | 276 | −12 | 4 strokes | Adilson da Silva |
| 1996 | Wayne Westner | 280 | −8 | 3 strokes | Patrick Moore Warren Schutte Chris Williams |
| Telkom South African Masters |||||||
| 1995 | Scott Dunlap | 279 | −9 | Playoff | Mark McNulty |
| 1994 | Chris Davison | 281 | −7 | 2 strokes | Bruce Vaughan |
| EVS South African Masters |||||||
| 1993 | Tony Johnstone (2) | 275 | −13 | 1 stroke | Roger Wessels |
| 1992 | Ernie Els | 275 | −13 | 1 stroke | Chris Williams |
| 1991: No tournament |||||||
| Twee Jonge Gezellen Masters |||||||
| 1990 | Fulton Allem | 276 | −12 | 2 strokes | Ian Palmer |
| 1989 | Hugh Baiocchi | 281 | −7 | 1 stroke | Tertius Claassens Ernie Els Rick Hartmann |
| Safmarine South African Masters |||||||
| 1988 | John Bland | 275 | −13 | 3 strokes | Tony Johnstone |
| 1987 | David Frost | 273 | −15 | 3 strokes | Denis Durnian |
| 1986 | Mark McNulty (3) | 270 | −18 | 4 strokes | Fulton Allem |
| 1985 | Mark McNulty (2) | 278 | −10 | 4 strokes | Fulton Allem Frank Edmonds David Frost |
| 1984 | Tony Johnstone | 277 | −11 | 1 stroke | Fulton Allem |
| 1983: No tournament |||||||
| SAB South African Masters |||||||
| 1982 | Mark McNulty | 275 | −13 | 2 strokes | Denis Watson |
| 1981 | Nick Price | 281 | −7 | 4 strokes | Mark McNulty |
| 1980: No tournament |||||||
| 1979 | Gary Player (11) | 270 | −18 | 6 strokes | John O'Leary |
| Kronenbrau Masters |||||||
| 1978 | Dale Hayes | 275 | −13 | Playoff | Tienie Britz |
| 1977: No tournament |||||||
| Dunlop South African Masters |||||||
| 1976 (Nov) | Gary Player (10) | 270 | −10 | 4 strokes | Hugh Baiocchi Simon Hobday |
| 1976 (Feb) | Gary Player (9) | 268 | −12 | 1 stroke | Cobie Legrange |
| 1975 | John Fourie (2) | 199 | −11 | 1 stroke | Vin Baker Allan Henning |
| 1974 | Gary Player (8) | 270 | −10 | Playoff | Bobby Cole |
| 1973: No tournament |||||||
| 1972 (Dec) | Gary Player (7) | 268 | −12 | 1 stroke | Harold Henning |
| 1972 (Jan) | Gary Player (6) | 267 | −17 | 3 strokes | Bobby Cole |
| 1971 | Gary Player (5) | 269 | −11 | 2 strokes | Harold Henning |
| 1970 | John Fourie (a) | 266 | −14 | 6 strokes | Gary Player |
| 1969 | Bobby Cole | 280 | −16 | 6 strokes | Tienie Britz Bob Tuohy |
| 1968 | Allan Henning | 278 | | 6 strokes | Graham Henning Hugh Inggs Cobie Legrange Trevor Wilkes Terry Westbrook |
| 1967 | Gary Player (4) | 279 | | 2 strokes | Cobie Legrange |
| 1966 | Cedric Amm | 276 | | 4 strokes | Trevor Wilkes |
| 1965 | Denis Hutchinson (3) | 281 | | | |
| 1964 | Gary Player (3) | 285 | | | |
| 1963 | Bruce Keyter | 291 | | 3 strokes | Hugh Inggs Eric Moore Terry Westbrook |
| 1962 | Denis Hutchinson (2) | 280 | | | |
| 1961 | Denis Hutchinson | 276 | | | Bob Charles |
| 1960 | Gary Player (2) | 266 | | 17 strokes | Retief Waltman |
| Dunlop South African Professional Match Play |||||||
| 1959 | Gary Player | 3 and 1 | 3 and 1 | 3 and 1 | Harold Henning |
| 1958 | Dai Rees | 3 and 2 | 3 and 2 | 3 and 2 | Ken Bousfield |
| 1957 | John Jacobs | 2 and 1 | 2 and 1 | 2 and 1 | Gary Player |
| South African Professional Match Play Championship |||||||
| 1956 | Ken Redford | 2 and 1 | 2 and 1 | 2 and 1 | Gary Player |
| 1955 | Bobby Locke (7) | 7 and 6 | 7 and 6 | 7 and 6 | Brian Ellmore |
| 1954 | Jock Verwey (3) | 11 and 9 | 11 and 9 | 11 and 9 | AN Thomas |
| 1953 | Philip Ritson | 12 and 11 | 12 and 11 | 12 and 11 | AJ Bullock |
| 1952 | Sid Brews (6) | 7 and 6 | 7 and 6 | 7 and 6 | Philip Ritson |
| 1951 | Bobby Locke (6) | 4 and 3 | 4 and 3 | 4 and 3 | Harry Bradshaw |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke (5) | 9 and 8 | 9 and 8 | 9 and 8 | MS Hart |
| 1949 | Jock Verwey (2) | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | GS van Niekerk |
| 1948 | Jock Verwey | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | James Ockenden Jr. |
| 1947 | Sandy Guthrie | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | James Ockenden Jr. |
| 1946 | Bobby Locke (4) | 10 and 9 | 10 and 9 | 10 and 9 | Sid Brews |
| 1941–1945: No tournament due to World War II |||||||
| 1940 | Bobby Locke (3) | 11 and 9 | 11 and 9 | 11 and 9 | Bert Elkin |
| 1939 | Bobby Locke (2) | 12 and 11 | 12 and 11 | 12 and 11 | M Goldsmith |
| 1938 | Bobby Locke | 4 and 3 | 4 and 3 | 4 and 3 | Sid Brews |
| 1937 | John Robertson | 37 holes | 37 holes | 37 holes | AN Thomas |
| 1936 | Sid Brews (5) | 9 and 7 | 9 and 7 | 9 and 7 | John Robertson |
| 1935 | J De Beer | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | 5 and 4 | G Brews |
| 1934 | Sid Brews (4) | 6 and 4 | 6 and 4 | 6 and 4 | Bert Elkin |
| 1933 | Sid Brews (3) | 6 and 5 | 6 and 5 | 6 and 5 | AN Thomas |
| 1932 | Charles McIlvenny (4) | 6 and 5 | 6 and 5 | 6 and 5 | Robert Grimsdell |
| 1931 | Charles McIlvenny (3) | 10 and 9 | 10 and 9 | 10 and 9 | Jock Brews |
| 1930 | Arthur Tomsett | 37 holes | 37 holes | 37 holes | Charles McIlvenny |
| 1929 | Charles McIlvenny (2) | 8 and 7 | 8 and 7 | 8 and 7 | Robert Grimsdell |
| 1928 | Sid Brews (2) | 2 and 1 | 2 and 1 | 2 and 1 | Jock Brews |
| 1927 | Charles McIlvenny | 3 and 1 | 3 and 1 | 3 and 1 | Robert Grimsdell |
| 1926 | Sid Brews | 11 and 10 | 11 and 10 | 11 and 10 | G Brews |
| 1925 | Jock Brews (2) | 3 and 2 | 3 and 2 | 3 and 2 | Robert Grimsdell |
| 1924 | Jock Brews | 4 and 2 | 4 and 2 | 4 and 2 | Archie Tosh |
| 1923 | Bert Elkin | 4 and 3 | 4 and 3 | 4 and 3 | Jimmie Johnstone |