• The year 1903 is recognised as the official birth of the South African Open Championship. It was first played in 1893 but was really only a series of exhibition matches between very few professionals. But in 1903 the championship was contested over 36 holes in Port Elizabeth.
  
  
• In 1908, the championship was contested over 72 holes for the first time.
  
  
• In 1909, Potchefstroom Golf Club became the first golf course with 18 grass greens to host the South African Open Championship. This year also marked the formation of the South African Golf Union.
  
  
• In 1913, Jimmy Prentice became the first amateur to win the South African Open Championship at Kimberley Golf Club.
  
  
• In 1921, Jock Brews won his first South African Open Championship in Port Elizabeth. Jock and his brother Sid went on to win 10 South African Open Championships between them and were also runners-up six times.
  
  
• In 1922, Fred Jangle became the first South African-born player to win the South African Open Championship in Port Alfred.
  
  
• In 1929, the Freddie Tait Cup was presented for the first time to the leading amateur in the South African Open Championship.
  
  
• In 1935, Bobby Locke became the youngest champion at the age of 17.
  
  
• In 1951, Bobby Locke became the first player in the history of the South African Open Championship to shoot a score of 65.
  
  
• In 1952, Sid Brews became the oldest winner of the South African Open Championship at the age of 52.
  
  
• In 1956, Gary Player won the first of his record 13 South African Open Championship titles at Durban Country Club.
  
  
• In 1959, Denis Hutchinson wins the South African Open Championship and remains the last amateur to have achieved this.
  
  
• In 1963, Papwa Sewgolum came close to becoming the first non-white to win the South African Open Championship, eventually losing by one shot to Retief Waltman at Durban Country Club.
  
  
• In 1965, Gary Player became the first golfer to break 70 in all four rounds of the South African Open Championship.
  
  
• In 1969, Gary Player became the first golfer in the history of the South African Open Championship to shoot a score of 64.
  
  
• In 1970, England's Tommy Horton became the first foreign player to win the South African Open Championship. Only six foreigners have ever won the South African Open Championship, including Horton, Bob Charles (New Zealand) in 1973, Charles Bolling (United States) in 1983, Fred Wadsworth (United States) in 1989, Vijay Singh (Fiji) in 1997 and Mathias Gronberg (Sweden) in 2000.
  
  
• In 1971, Simon Hobday wins the South African Open Championship in controversial fashion. Playing at Mowbray Golf Club, Hobday thought he incurred a two-shot penalty on the 14th hole in the final round when his shout out of the bunker rebounded off the face and towards him. He couldn't confirm whether the ball had hit him or not. The South African Golf Union ruled that it hadn't, and Hobday went on to win by a single stroke over Gary Player.
  
  
• In 1972, Black golfers are allowed to compete in the South African Open Championship for the first time.
  
  
• In 1977, Gary Player became the first golfer in the history of the South African Open Championship to shoot a score of 63.
  
  
• In 1997, the South African Open Championship becomes a co-sanctioned tournament on the European Tour.
  
  
• In 2004, Trevor Immelman became only the seventh golfer in the history of the South African Open Championship to successfully defend his title with a three-stroke victory at Erinvale Golf Club.
  
  
• In December 2005, Retief Goosen and Ernie Els endured a dramatic final round battle at The Links at Fancourt. Tied with Els for the lead on eight under with two holes to come, Goosen chipped in for birdie on 17 and then birdied the last as well to win by a single stroke on 10 under. It was his second SA Open title since 1995.
  
  
• In 2006, Ernie Els shoots a championship record total of 264 at Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth, surpassing the 267 of Tony Johnstone at Durban Country Club in 1993.
  
  
• The first round of the 2010 SA Open at Durban Country Club was washed out by rain, resulting in two rounds being played on the final day. The heavy rain also rendered the par-three fourth green unplayable, which meant that instead of 36 holes, only 34 were played on the final day, with all players given a nominal par to avoid confusion. Ernie Els won the 100th edition by one shot from Retief Goosen on a final score of 25-under-par 263.

South African Open Floating

There is a record of an advertisement in 1909 which refers to the "Open Championship Floating Trophy" and which was to be held by the amateur or professional with the lowest score in the Open. But there is no indication, either then or since, in the SAGA office records regarding how or when the trophy was first acquired or by whom it was presented. It is referred to in all instances as the "Open Championship Cup" or "Trophy".

The first Open took place in 1903, however there is no indication of a floating trophy before 1909.


Freddie Tait Cup

This trophy was purchased by the SAGU with the surplus funds after the visit of the British amateur team in 1927-28. On it are the badges of the Army Golfing Society, of which the late Lieutenant Freddie Tait was a member. He was also a member of the R and A. A brilliant match player, he won the British Amateur Championship in 1896 and 1898. He died fighting at Koodoosberg Drift in 1900.

* Information provided courtesy of the South African Golf Association