Gavin Moynihan has the honour of teeing-off first in the 21st anniversary of the co-sanctioned South African Open in Johannesburg.
The SA Open is the second oldest national open championship in the history of the game, dating back to 1863 when staged as an exhibition in Port Elizabeth.
Only the Open Championship is older.
Ireland’s Gavin Moynihan to be teeing-off first in the 2018 South African Open.
This year’s event at the Randpark Golf Club also marks the 21st staging of the event since the staging in 2997 of the tournament being co-sanctioned jointly by the Sunshine and European Tour’s and with the two Randpark courses – Bushwillow and Firethorn – hosting a very large field.
The Mt. Juliet attached Moynihan is making his second showing as a full member of the European Tour having finished T11th in last week’s similar co-sanctioned Mauritius Open.
It was Moynihan’s best finish since a then very timely and Tour-best of T8th in October’s Andalucian Master before securing his full Tour card three weeks later.
“A lot of positives to take from my week in Mauritius,” said Moynihan on Twitter
“Finished 11th on 13-under. Still work to do on my putting.”
Moynihan will tee-off at 6.30am local time alongside locals Duane Keun and Dean O’Riley.
Ulsterman Michael Hoey crossed the Indian Open to tee-up after missing the cut in last week’s Australian PGA Championship.
Also, in the South African field is Neil O’Briain and the reigning Irish Club pro champion who won title this May at Dromoland Castle to secure an invitation the following week’s into the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship.
This week will be the 32-year old O’Briain’s sixth Tour start having also contested the last five Omega Dubai Desert Classic titles.
