Branden Grace returned the crystal trophy to Gary Player for the Nedbank Golf Challenge in a ceremony broadcasted on Tuesday. He expressed his excitement about returning to Sun City and aims to become South Africa’s first consecutive champion of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
South African golfers have won 14 out of 37 editions of this Africa’s Major tournament. Grace clinched victory last year by one stroke over Scott Jamieson from Scotland with a final round score of 6 under 66, marking the first win by a local player since Trevor Immelman in 2007.
Grace is seen as a strong contender to lead the 12 South Africans in defending the trophy at the Gary Player Country Club. He acknowledged the challenge of defending the title, stating that it’s not an easy task but he has experience in defending trophies and hopes to do so again this year.
Having won eight times on the PGA European Tour and once on the PGA Tour in the US, Grace highlighted the special significance of winning Africa’s Major in 2017. Winning South Africa’s premier event holds personal importance for him, as it’s a tournament he has followed since childhood, and seeing his name alongside the game’s legends on the trophy is a special moment.
