Cape Town: The City of Cape Town Council has approved the newly signed agreement by the Department of City Events to sponsor the Investec SA Women’s Open for the next three years.
Reportedly, the council’s approval will see its support and will provide support to the city for the celebration of the country’s premier women’s professional event for the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years.
As per the sources, the new agreement signed with the Women’s Professional Golf Association (WPGA) will come into effect before the 2024 Investec SA Women’s Open that has set to take place at the Erinvale Golf Estate in Somerset West next month.
This is the seventh straight year that Cape Town will be hosting the country’s oldest and most prestigious professional women’s golf tournament.
Notably, events such as the 2024 Investec Women’s Open will observe ethe eight-tournament Sunshine Ladies Tour Season. The Erinvale Golf Course will also take place this year from April 25, 2024 to April 28, 2024.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security – Alderman JP Smith said that the move of the event by Cape Town in 2018 has emerged a really successful partnership between the City of Cape Town, the WPGA and the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Alderman Smith said, “Year-on-year, we have seen an increase not only in the level of competition but also in the number of people who travel to Cape Town just to visit this amazing tournament.”
“We have been encouraged by how the event has contributed in promoting the Mother City as a sports tourism destination and the focus of the tournament on developing the next generation of female golfers,” said JP Smith.
Smith also said that it really has been an honour for Cape Town to host the Investec SA Women’s Open over the last seven years. He mentioned, “We are looking forward to a renewed partnership over the next three years.”
Investec South African Women’s Open has created some great rememberable records over the last seven years such as the largest prize money which is more than R6 million for any professional women’s golf tournament in South Africa.
The event has also increased the international entries from 93 in 2019 to 112 international entries from 30 different countries in 2023.
Previously, the event has hosted over 700 golfers and has rejoined the Ladies European Tour in 2018. The 2021 tournament served as a qualifying event for the US Women’s Open and has broadcasted in over 60 countries.
It has also hosted an annual golf clinic, which is conducted by professional players for local golfers affiliated with the Sally Little Kids Golf Clinic.