The European Tour and Sunshine Tour have been working together in concert for years, and the two bodies have announced an extension and expansion of that partnership that will continue through 2025.
The European Tour will help further develop the Sunshine Tour, including by promoting the co-sanctioned South African Open Championship, which will now have a purse floor of $1.5 million. Additional Sunshine Tour events will eventually fall under similar agreements.
The two tours have co-sanctioned nearly 100 tournaments, including the first co-sanctioned tournament, the Lexington South African PGA Championship in February 1995.
In addition, the European Tour will help the Sunshine Tour by co-sanctioning a variety of events with the Challenge Tour, improving the stature of both tours as a gateway to the European Tour. There are already three Challenge Tour events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, and there's an anticipation of more to come.
The PGA Tour, which is engaged in a strategic partnership with the European Tour, fully backs the arrangement.
“We are thrilled to see these two leading golf organizations come together for the benefit of the global game, players and fans," said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
"The European Tour and Sunshine Tour each have rich histories, celebrated events and a proven record of developing some of the world’s best players. This new partnership further illustrates the strengthening ecosystem of professional golf that we have all worked together to build for the betterment of the game.”
