LEDET MEC addresses championship media launch

MEC for the Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) Thabo Mokone said the giant leap of the 2020 golf championship prizemoney from R1.5 million to R3.5 million this year bears testimony that Limpopo is committed to sports tourism.

Mokone said this while addressing a media launch of the 2nd edition of the Limpopo Championship held at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate on Thursday 23 January.

The fully-fledged international mega four-day golf tournament is hosted by Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) and the European Challenge Tour, partnering with the Sunshine Tour.

Mokone thanked the Sunshine Tour for seeing potential in Limpopo’s capacity to bring the event to Waterberg, saying that they see this as a boost to tourism in the province.

He further commended LTA and its board for taking a bold step of partnering with the Sunshine Tour to host the golf extravaganza that will feature a field of 204 professionals competing over
four days for the R3.5 million prizemoney.

“Thank you, Sunshine Tour, to have also robed in the services of European Challenge Tour to help us present a bigger and better golf tournament of international status,” he added.

It is reported that the golf course at Euphoria was designed by a female golfer, Annika Sorenstam in conjunction with Stan Eby of European golf design.

The 2020 edition of the Limpopo Championship will showcase the best Limpopo has to offer to golfers from over 35 countries. A concerted effort has been made to attract more players from the
African continent, with an emphasis on the SADC region, to make this a truly African spectacle.

Deputy Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour Thomas Abt said that they are delighted to be able to place the Limpopo Championship on an international stage in only the second edition of this
premier tournament.

“Our partnerships with associations such as the LTA on the Sunshine Tour are based on offering exactly this kind of value and using golf as the vehicle to showcase to the world the amazing tourism treasures that exist within South Africa,” he said.

Success of the tournament makes a significant contribution to community development, which is much welcome by the provincial government to improving lives of its citizens. This tournament
reportedly creates much needed jobs, donates funds to education trust, promotes youth golf development and procures products and services from local business.

— The BEAT