After a groundbreaking 2025, the Sunshine Ladies Tour has announced a strengthened 2026 schedule and a range of other local and global incentives. MICHAEL VLISMAS reports.
The season will run from February to May 2026 and will again feature two tournaments co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Anchoring the 2026 schedule will be the co-sanctioned events: the Joburg Ladies Open (Randpark Golf Club Firethorn Course from 16-19 April) and the Investec South African Women’s Open (Royal Cape Golf Club from 23-26 April).
The strengthened scheduled will also feature the addition of the new MCB Ladies Classic to be played in Mauritius at Constance Bell Mare Plage from 1-3 May.
“We’re very excited about our 2026 schedule and the continued effort by our team to grow women’s golf in our country and beyond,” said Thomas Abt, commissioner of the Sunshine Tour and speaking on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
“The schedule is bolstered by the two co-sanctioned tournaments with the LET and furthermore, the LET tournament in Mauritius will also count towards the Investec Order of Merit.
“Growing our player pathway is incredibly important for us and the 2026 schedule provides our Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals with even greater opportunities to develop their careers on an international stage. We’re incredibly grateful to our sponsors and partners for their support of this vision”
The season will once again feature the overall chase to be crowned the Investec Order of Merit champion, which brings with it a R200,000 bonus as well as the use of a Renault vehicle for a year. South Africa’s Casandra Alexander won this title this year.
The Investec South African Women’s Open will also offer its Homegrown Award, which is a R100,000 bonus above the first-place prize money should the winner of the tournament be a South African.
The R&A Rookie of the Year award will see the leading rookie at the end of the season receive automatic exemptions, if not already exempt, into the 2027 Investec South African Women’s Open and Joburg Ladies Open. South Africa’s Kaiyuree Moodley was crowned The R&A Rookie of the Year this year.
And each of the winners on this year’s Sunshine Ladies Tour will receive exemptions to compete with the Sunshine Tour professionals in the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC, where they will challenge with the men’s professionals for a first prize of R1-million at Royal Johannesburg’s famed East Course.
2026 Tournament schedule
4-6 February: R1.3-million SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International, Humewood, Gqeberha
13-15 February: R2.6-million NTT DATA Ladies Pro-Am, Fancourt, George
5-7 March: R1-million: Standard Bank Ladies Open hosted by City of Cape Town, Durbanville Golf Club, Cape Town
11-13 March: R1-million Jabra Ladies Classic, Glendower Golf Club, Johannesburg
18-20 March: R1.2 million, Platinum Ladies Open, Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate, Johannesburg
26-28 March: R1.5-million Absa Ladies Invitational, Royal Johannesburg, Johannesburg
16-19 April: €330,000 Joburg Ladies Open, Randpark Golf Club, Firethorn Course, Johannesburg
23-26 April: €350,000 Investec SA Women’s Open, Royal Cape Golf Club, Cape Town
1-3 May: MCB Ladies Classic, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
4-7 June: R2.5-million Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC, Royal Johannesburg, Johannesburg
Photo: Sunshine Tour
Article Link: Sunshine Ladies Tour builds on growth