The 99th South African Open Championship has teed off with the first round at Pearl Valley Golf Estates this morning.
Ivor Robson, the official first tee starter for The Open Championship, announced the first group of South Africa´s Jaco Ahlers and Oliver Bekker, and England´s Peter Baker as they went off at 6:30.
Dressed in his traditional tie and blazer, Robson´s iconic voice ushered in the start of a championship which is second only to The Open Championship as the oldest national Open in golf.
Defending champion Richard Sterne is off the 10th at 7:10.
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Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate will host the South African Open Championship in 2011 and 2012. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Serengeti is the first 27-hole golf course in Gauteng and was recently named “Best New Golf Course” by Golf Digest.
The 18-hole course called Masai Mara, which means “wide open plains” in the language of the Masai, has a rugged grassland and dune-scape look. One of the unique features on the course is the par-five eighth hole with its island green. The nine-hole course called Whistling Thorn has a more classic feel.
The courses were constructed in accordance with USGA specifications, with cool season grass that provides green vistas all year round. Designed as a strategic and technical masterpiece that will test today’s best players, the sunken design of the course with its wide corridors is ideal for tournament purposes and provides optimal spectator value on almost every hole.
