Major glory beckons for Investec SA Open champion

The Investec South African Open will again be the direct pathway into two of the game’s most prestigious Majors – The Open and the Masters Tournament.

In another huge boost for South African golf, the Major exemptions have been confirmed by the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour in partnership with The R&A and Augusta National Golf Club.

The road to Major glory will therefore go directly through Stellenbosch Golf Club from 4-7 March 2027 when the 116th edition of Golf’s second-oldest Open is played there.

The top three finishers in next year’s Investec South African Open – who are not already exempt – will qualify to play in The Open in St Andrews in 2027, while the winner will earn a place in the Masters next year.

Tickets for the 116th Investec South African Open will be available from 7 October 2026 at https://sunshinetour.com/tickets, with an expected high demand following a sold-out 115th edition of the championship.

The announcement comes shortly after confirmation that the prize fund for the Investec South African Open has also been increased to $2-million, and with Investec having strengthened its long-term commitment to South African golf through a five-year extension of its title sponsorship.

“We’re incredibly grateful to be able announce these Major exemptions, which play a powerful role in the ongoing story of the Investec South African Open as a championship of opportunity,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“Our national Open is a South African sports treasure which brings so much to our country. On the fairways, it opened doors for one of our brightest young stars – Casey Jarvis – to make his Major debuts in The Open and the Masters this year. He challenged for The Open and achieved a career-high finish of tied sixth there. And off the fairways, the 115th edition of the championship contributed almost R300-million for the local economy and a net sponsorship value of R1.1-billion.”