Another double appointment for the DP World Tour 2023 and always in South Africa and Australia where, from 1 to 4 December, the South African Open Championship and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open will be staged respectively.
South African Open Championship, schedule
In Johannesburg, the 112th edition of an appointment won over the years, among others, by great champions such as Gary Player (for him 13 successes) and Ernie Els (five). The Azzurri will be in the race: Edoardo Molinari, Renato Paratore and Francesco Laporta.
In Melbourne it will be the 105th time of this tournament, after the stop due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021, conquered by big names in the discipline such as Greg Norman (five times on goal), Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy and Gary Player who, also in this case, it boasts the supremacy of affirmations (seven) in the competition.
In Australia, Andrea Pavan will defend the blue colors. In South Africa, where the total prize pool is 1,500,000 dollars, after the 2021 exploit Daniel Van Tonder will look for an encore in front of his home crowd. First race of 2023 for Molinari, among the vice-captains of the Europe team at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.
Chance for Laporta. The Apulian, fresh from 13th place at the Joburg Open, earned himself a place in the competition after finishing second, with a score of 66 (-6) strokes, in the qualifying event. Paratore also entered the field in extremis who finished 33rd last week in South Africa.
In Melbourne, the Australian Matt Jones will look for the trio of successes after the exploits of 2015 and 2019. Difficult undertaking given that Cameron Smith will be on the field, among others. World number 3, he dominated the Australian PGA Championship last week.
With him among the big names also his compatriots Adam Scott, who made him this race in 2009, Marc Leishman, and the New Zealander Ryan Fox, second in the DP World Tour Rankings 2022. At the same time, the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open will also be played in Australia, for a male and female show.
