Nedbank Golf Challenge

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short description Template:Template other 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.

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 from 30 (2013–2015) to 72 (2016–present). 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

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.

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. 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 players. Ian Woosnam won by 4 strokes and took the first million dollar prize in golf. 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. 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

	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)Template:Efn	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Purse ($)	Winner's share ($)
Nedbank Golf Challenge
43rd	2025	AFR, EUR	Template:Flagicon Kristoffer Reitan	271	−17	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Dan Bradbury Template:Flagicon Jayden Schaper	6,000,000	1,020,000
42nd	2024	AFR, EUR	Template:Flagicon Johannes Veerman	283	−5	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Matthew Jordan Template:Flagicon Romain Langasque Template:Flagicon Aldrich Potgieter	6,000,000	1,020,000
41st	2023	EUR	Template:Flagicon Max Homa	269	−19	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Nicolai Højgaard	6,000,000	1,020,000
40th	2022	AFR,Template:Efn EUR	Template:Flagicon Tommy Fleetwood (2)	277	−11	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Ryan Fox	6,000,000	1,020,000
–	2021	AFR, EUR	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
–	2020	AFR, EUR
39th	2019	AFR, EUR	Template:Flagicon Tommy Fleetwood	276	−12	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Marcus Kinhult	7,500,000	2,500,000
38th	2018	EUR	Template:Flagicon Lee Westwood (3)	273	−15	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Sergio García	7,500,000	1,250,000
37th	2017	EUR	Template:Flagicon Branden Grace	277	−11	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Scott Jamieson	7,500,000	1,166,660
36th	2016	EUR	Template:Flagicon Alex Norén	274	−14	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Wang Jeung-hun	7,000,000	1,166,660
35th	2015	AFR, EUR	Template:Flagicon Marc Leishman	269	−19	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Henrik Stenson	6,500,000	1,250,000
34th	2014	AFR, EUR	Template:Flagicon Danny Willett	270	−18	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Ross Fisher	6,500,000	1,250,000
33rd	2013	AFR, EUR	Template:Flagicon Thomas Bjørn	268	−20	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Jamie Donaldson Template:Flagicon Sergio García	6,500,000	1,250,000
32nd	2012	AFR	Template:Flagicon Martin Kaymer	280	−8	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Charl Schwartzel	5,000,000	1,250,000
31st	2011	AFR	Template:Flagicon Lee Westwood (2)	273	−15	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Robert Karlsson	5,000,000	1,250,000
30th	2010	AFR	Template:Flagicon Lee Westwood	271	−17	8 strokes	Template:Flagicon Tim Clark	5,000,000	1,250,000
29th	2009	AFR	Template:Flagicon Robert Allenby	277	−11	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Henrik Stenson	4,385,000	1,200,000
28th	2008	AFR	Template:Flagicon Henrik Stenson	267	−21	9 strokes	Template:Flagicon Kenny Perry	4,385,000	1,200,000
27th	2007	AFR	Template:Flagicon Trevor Immelman	272	−16	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Justin Rose	4,385,000	1,200,000
26th	2006	AFR	Template:Flagicon Jim Furyk (2)	276	−12	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Henrik Stenson	4,385,000	1,200,000
25th	2005		Template:Flagicon Jim Furyk	282	−6	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Darren Clarke Template:Flagicon Retief Goosen Template:Flagicon Adam Scott	4,060,000	1,200,000
24th	2004		Template:Flagicon Retief Goosen	281	−7	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Stuart Appleby Template:Flagicon Ernie Els	4,060,000	1,200,000
23rd	2003		Template:Flagicon Sergio García (2)	274	−14	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Retief Goosen	4,060,000	1,200,000
22nd	2002		Template:Flagicon Ernie Els (3)	267	−21	8 strokes	Template:Flagicon Colin Montgomerie	4,060,000	2,000,000
21st	2001		Template:Flagicon Sergio García	268	−20	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Ernie Els	4,060,000	2,000,000
20th	2000		Template:Flagicon Ernie Els (2)	268	−20	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Lee Westwood	4,060,000	2,000,000
Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge
19th	1999		Template:Flagicon Ernie Els	263	−25	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Colin Montgomerie	2,500,000	1,000,000
18th	1998		Template:Flagicon Nick Price (3)	273	−15	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods	2,500,000	1,000,000
17th	1997		Template:Flagicon Nick Price (2)	275	−13	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Ernie Els Template:Flagicon Davis Love III	2,500,000	1,000,000
16th	1996		Template:Flagicon Colin Montgomerie	274	−14	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Ernie Els	2,500,000	1,000,000
15th	1995		Template:Flagicon Corey Pavin	276	−12	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Nick Price	2,500,000	1,000,000
14th	1994		Template:Flagicon Nick Faldo	272	−16	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Nick Price	2,500,000	1,000,000
13th	1993		Template:Flagicon Nick Price	264	−24	12 strokes	Template:Flagicon Mark McNulty	2,500,000	1,000,000
12th	1992		Template:Flagicon David Frost (3)	276	−12	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon John Cook	2,500,000	1,000,000
11th	1991		Template:Flagicon Bernhard Langer (2)	272	−16	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Mark Calcavecchia	2,500,000	1,000,000
10th	1990		Template:Flagicon David Frost (2)	284	−4	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon José María Olazábal	2,500,000	1,000,000
9th	1989		Template:Flagicon David Frost	276	−12	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Scott Hoch	2,500,000	1,000,000
8th	1988		Template:Flagicon Fulton Allem	278	−10	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Don Pooley	1,500,000	1,000,000
7th	1987		Template:Flagicon Ian Woosnam	274	−14	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Nick Faldo	1,000,000	1,000,000
6th	1986		Template:Flagicon Mark McNulty	282	−6	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins	1,000,000	300,000
5th	1985		Template:Flagicon Bernhard Langer	278	−10	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins	1,000,000	300,000
4th	1984		Template:Flagicon Seve Ballesteros (2)	279	−9	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Nick Faldo	1,000,000	300,000
3rd	1983		Template:Flagicon Seve Ballesteros	274	−14	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Nick Faldo Template:Flagicon David Graham Template:Flagicon Fuzzy Zoeller	1,000,000	300,000
2nd	1982		Template:Flagicon Raymond Floyd	280	−8	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Craig Stadler	1,000,000	300,000
1stTemplate:Efn	1981		Template:Flagicon Johnny Miller	277	−11	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Seve Ballesteros	1,000,000	500,000

External links

• Template:Official site
• Coverage on the European Tour's official site
• Coverage on the Sunshine Tour's official site