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Sponsors agree to date swap for South African Open to get Pres. Cup stars

By Gerald Imray
Published on
Sponsors agree to date swap for South African Open to get Pres. Cup stars

The Sunshine Tour says sponsors have agreed to swap the dates of the South African Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship so South Africa’s Presidents Cup competitors can play their national open.

The South African Open -- which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour -- was scheduled for Nov. 17-20, the same week as the Presidents Cup in Australia.

But Sunshine Tour Commissioner Gareth Tindall said on Tuesday the South African Open will move back a week, allowing Ernie Els to defend his title after the Presidents Cup.

The Alfred Dunhill will go up against the United States vs. International team event in Melbourne, instead.

Tindall added plane tickets will be “block booked” for South Africans to travel home straight after the Presidents Cup.

Hints that the date switch was forthcoming surfaced last week at the Masters, when Els said tour officials have agreed to the swap.

"I think everyone is pretty relieved now," Els said Saturday after his third round at the Masters. "They definitely played their games. You never want to have two big events clash."

Els was furious in January when he learned that it would be played Nov. 17-20, the same week as the Presidents Cup in Australia. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, European Tour Chief Executive George O'Grady and other tour leaders met at Augusta National to figure out a solution.

South African players occupy five of the top six spots in the Presidents Cup standings, and all of them finished among the top 10 last year in the South African Open.

"They put us in an awkward situation," Els said. He also said the European Tour "has to take the blame in this" because it co-sanctions the South African Open.