Investec Cup

Jaco Van Zyl wins inaugural Investec Cup in sudden death play-off against Hennie Otto

He was nearly knocked from his pedestal on Sunday, but in the end even a brilliant 62 by one of his chasers was not enough to stop Jaco van Zyl from taking a play-off victory in the inaugural Investec Cup.

Hennie Otto played a characteristically brilliant round on the Lost City Golf Course with 10 birdies to reel in the high-flying Van Zyl and force a play-off after 72 holes spread over four days at Millvale Private Retreat, Rustenburg Golf Club and concluding with 36 holes at Lost City. Not only did Jaco Van Zyl take his third title of the Sunshine Tour summer, but he cruised to the winning share of the Chase to the Investec Cup bonus pool, adding R2 million to his winnings for the year.

This brought an epic end to the Investec Cup which culminated on Sunday 24 March.

Pros and amateurs alike thoroughly enjoyed the four day event held across the three different courses. Said Richard Sterne, “Enjoyable week playing the Investec Cup. I am sure this event will grow from strength to strength. A big thanks to Investec.”

Gallery

Investec Cup Round 4 – Lost City

24 March 2013

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Investec Cup Round 3 – Lost City

23 March 2013

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Investec Cup Round 2 – Rustenburg

22 March 2013

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Investec Cup Round 1 – Millvale Private Retreat

21 March 2013

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News

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Investec Cup

With a prize pool of R6 million the Investec Cup will officially mark the end of the Sunshine Tour’s summer calendar in 2013.

Professional golfers, both local and international, wanting to compete in the Investec Cup, have the challenging task of having to qualify for the tournament next March. They do this through playing in any one of the 13 listed tournaments on the Sunshine Tour calendar which will form part of the chase to the Investec Cup. The top 30 qualifying professionals, based on points at the end of the last tournament on 17 March 2013, will be invited to compete in the Investec Cup.

Thirty amateurs, invited by Investec, will tee it up alongside the professional golfers for the first three days of the Investec Cup. The amateurs will partner a different professional on each of the first three days. The fourth and final day of the tournament will be contested by the professional golfers as well as the top six amateurs who have the best total scores at the end of day three.

Investec CEO Stephen Koseff said Investec had been looking to extend its involvement into South African sport for some time. “From sponsorships of individuals to tournament sponsorships, we are delighted to add to our portfolio our own tournament. This event is unique in its format and will no doubt up the sport to another level both in terms of the prize money offered and the competitiveness that the prize money will bring with it. We wish our clients and the country’s golfers all the very best of luck for qualifying.”

“The Investec Cup allows us to develop and showcase South Africa’s existing golfing talent, whilst providing us with an opportunity to engage with our clients. It fulfills all our criteria and is a fitting extension to our sports sponsorships,” he said.

The Courses

Millvale Private Retreat

Situated just north of the rugged Magaliesberg mountains lies a unique piece of South African landscape with a spectacular gorge and open savannah.

Millvale is a magnificent 18 hole championship golf course designed by Gary Player and Tyrone Yates and significantly upgraded by Phil Jacobs. Set amongst breathtaking scenery in majestic surroundings, its floating tee, the only one in South Africa, plus many unforgettable holes, makes for a unique golfing experience.

Gary Player says: Millvale is perhaps the most undiscovered gem of a golf course that exists in South Africa. The mix of good golf, an African bushveld environment surrounded by wildlife and immaculate conditioning, creates a unique experience for anyone fortunate enough to play. I am proud of my association with the property as golf course designer.

Rustenburg Golf Club

Nestling alongside the foothills of the Magaliesberg and situated among some of the largest and richest Platinum mines in the world, is Rustenburg Golf Club. This bushveld golf course was upgraded and modernised by Golf Data in 1996, and recently completed dams on holes 1 and 6 have made the course a little tougher but still fair. The golf course has an abundance of water hazards and trees for the golfer to negotiate.

Course Highlights: Hole 2. A long and narrow hole requiring accuracy off the tee in order to attack the green on the second shot. The drive must lay up short of the water hazard running diagonally across the fairway. Longer hitters will hit a fairway wood and then a medium iron to a green with water to the left and large trees both right and left.

Course information

Hole Out
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   Total
Par 4 4 4 5 3 5 3 5 4 37  
Stroke 5 1 9 15 11 17 7 13 3    
Lengh 366 407 308 531 169 514 171 452 412 3402  
Hole In 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18    
Par 4 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 35 72
Stroke 2 8 12 6 4 10 18 16 14    
Lengh 401 350 347 138 414 314 495 146 341 2946 6348

Lost City Golf Club

Built about 10 years after the completion of the legendary Gary Player Country Club, the Lost City golf course was also designed by golfing legend Gary Player. The Lost City golf course provides a totally different golfing experience to the Gary Player golf course, and its design contains touches of desert, mountain, and African parkland. Built on undulating and rocky terrain, the desert style of the Lost City Golf Course has its own unique allure, and golfers are astounded by this breathtaking green paradise carved out of the harsh African bushveld.

Course Highlights: Hole 13. The most hazardous area of the Lost City Golf Course is the 13th hole. This par-three hole is shaped like the continent f Africa. As you stand ready to tee off you will notice the water hazards and 9 bunkers guarding the hole. Inhabiting the water are 38 crocodiles, some of them nearly two meters long.

Course information

Hole Out
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   Total
Par 4 4 3 5 4 4 5 3 4 36  
Stroke 14 6 10 12 18 4 8 16 2    
Lengh 405 445 180 500 365 435 545 175 470 3520  
Hole In 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18    
Par 4 5 4 3 4 3 4 4 5 36 72
Stroke 13 15 17 11 5 7 3 1 9    
Lengh 375 545 360 180 395 180 450 450 528 3463 6983
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Investec-sponsored Players

The Investec Cup allows us to develop and showcase South Africa’s existing golfing talent, whilst providing us with an opportunity to engage with our clients. It fulfills all our criteria and is a fitting extension to our sports sponsorships