Cape Town - South African Jaco Ahlers has claimed the 30th and final spot in the field for this week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge with his victory in the Lion of Africa Cape Town Open on Sunday.
Ahlers won the Sunshine Tour event at Royal Cape Golf Club in a sudden-death playoff with Ross McGowan and Hennie Otto, all of whom were vying to join the exclusive field gathered for “Africa’s Major” at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from December 4-7.
This is the second victory of Ahlers’s professional career and by far the biggest, securing him a place in one of the most exclusive fields in world golf.
There are now seven South Africans in the field of 30, one of the largest representations from this country in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Ahlers joins countrymen Charl Schwartzel, Dawie van der Walt, Danie van Tonder, Louis Oosthuizen, George Coetzee and Tim Clark.
He also finds himself in the illustrious company of three Major winners, three former world number ones, five European Ryder Cup players and three past champions of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
BIOGRAPHY
Born: November 19, 1982.
Turned pro: 2006.
Family: Wife – Ronelle. Child – Eunelke.
Special interests: Sports, fishing.
Career highlights: Won the 2009 Vodacom Business Origins of Golf Erinvale tournament on the Sunshine Tour.
2014 highlights: Claimed his second Sunshine Tour victory in the Lion of Africa Cape Town Open.
2014 Majors: Masters – Did not play. US Open – Did not play. Open – Did not play. PGA Championship – Did not play.
NGC record: Debut
NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE CONFIRMED PLAYERS:
Thomas Bjørn (Denmark)
Martin Kaymer (Germany)
Lee Westwood (England)
Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)
Jamie Donaldson (Wales)
Stephen Gallacher (Scotland)
Dawie van der Walt (South Africa)
Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand)
Luke Donald (England)
Miguel Angel Jiminez (Spain)
Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand)
Ross Fisher (England)
Kevin Na (United States)
Tim Clark (South Africa)
Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa)
Marcel Siem (Germany)
Joost Luiten (Netherlands)
Brooks Koepka (United States)
Shane Lowry (Ireland)
Marc Warren (Scotland)
George Coetzee (South Africa)
Tommy Fleetwood (England)
Danny Willett (England)
Alexander Lévy (France)
Danie van Tonder (South Africa)
Mikko Ilonen (Finland)
Pablo Larrazabal (Spain)
Jonas Blixt (Sweden)
Brendon Todd (United States)
Jaco Ahlers (South Africa)
BY THE NUMBERS:
Past Champions (3)
Thomas Bjørn – 2013
Martin Kaymer – 2012
Lee Westwood – 2010, 2011
Major Champions (3)
Martin Kaymer – 2010 PGA Championship, 2014 US Open
Charl Schwartzel – 2011 Masters
Louis Oosthuizen – 2010 Open Championship
2014 European Ryder Cup players (5)
Thomas Bjørn
Martin Kaymer
Lee Westwood
Jamie Donaldson
Stephen Gallacher
Former World Number Ones (3)
Martin Kaymer
Luke Donald
Lee Westwood
Countries Represented (14)
Denmark, Germany, England, South Africa, France, Wales, Scotland, Thailand, Spain, United States, Netherlands, Ireland, Finland, Sweden
Ahlers won the Sunshine Tour event at Royal Cape Golf Club in a sudden-death playoff with Ross McGowan and Hennie Otto, all of whom were vying to join the exclusive field gathered for “Africa’s Major” at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from December 4-7.
This is the second victory of Ahlers’s professional career and by far the biggest, securing him a place in one of the most exclusive fields in world golf.
There are now seven South Africans in the field of 30, one of the largest representations from this country in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Ahlers joins countrymen Charl Schwartzel, Dawie van der Walt, Danie van Tonder, Louis Oosthuizen, George Coetzee and Tim Clark.
He also finds himself in the illustrious company of three Major winners, three former world number ones, five European Ryder Cup players and three past champions of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
BIOGRAPHY
Born: November 19, 1982.
Turned pro: 2006.
Family: Wife – Ronelle. Child – Eunelke.
Special interests: Sports, fishing.
Career highlights: Won the 2009 Vodacom Business Origins of Golf Erinvale tournament on the Sunshine Tour.
2014 highlights: Claimed his second Sunshine Tour victory in the Lion of Africa Cape Town Open.
2014 Majors: Masters – Did not play. US Open – Did not play. Open – Did not play. PGA Championship – Did not play.
NGC record: Debut
NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE CONFIRMED PLAYERS:
Thomas Bjørn (Denmark)
Martin Kaymer (Germany)
Lee Westwood (England)
Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)
Jamie Donaldson (Wales)
Stephen Gallacher (Scotland)
Dawie van der Walt (South Africa)
Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand)
Luke Donald (England)
Miguel Angel Jiminez (Spain)
Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand)
Ross Fisher (England)
Kevin Na (United States)
Tim Clark (South Africa)
Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa)
Marcel Siem (Germany)
Joost Luiten (Netherlands)
Brooks Koepka (United States)
Shane Lowry (Ireland)
Marc Warren (Scotland)
George Coetzee (South Africa)
Tommy Fleetwood (England)
Danny Willett (England)
Alexander Lévy (France)
Danie van Tonder (South Africa)
Mikko Ilonen (Finland)
Pablo Larrazabal (Spain)
Jonas Blixt (Sweden)
Brendon Todd (United States)
Jaco Ahlers (South Africa)
BY THE NUMBERS:
Past Champions (3)
Thomas Bjørn – 2013
Martin Kaymer – 2012
Lee Westwood – 2010, 2011
Major Champions (3)
Martin Kaymer – 2010 PGA Championship, 2014 US Open
Charl Schwartzel – 2011 Masters
Louis Oosthuizen – 2010 Open Championship
2014 European Ryder Cup players (5)
Thomas Bjørn
Martin Kaymer
Lee Westwood
Jamie Donaldson
Stephen Gallacher
Former World Number Ones (3)
Martin Kaymer
Luke Donald
Lee Westwood
Countries Represented (14)
Denmark, Germany, England, South Africa, France, Wales, Scotland, Thailand, Spain, United States, Netherlands, Ireland, Finland, Sweden