The newly rebranded DP World Tour gets off to a rocky start, with the tour’s South African swing being forced to change due to a new COVID-19 version.
The DP World Tour announced Friday that the Joburg Open will be reduced to 54 holes to “help non-South African resident players, caddies, and tournament support staff return to their home countries” after a slew of British and Irish players pulled out after the UK government imposed a ban on flights from South Africa. The final round will begin with a two-tee start on Saturday morning, with participants divided into three-balls.
The DP World Tour and the Sunshine Tour also stated in a joint statement that the South African Open Championship, which is expected to take place next week at the Gary Player Country Club, will take place as planned but as a Sunshine Tour event only.
The Alfred Dunhill Championship, which was supposed to take place after the South African Open, has been canceled due to “adverse travel constraints on the field.”