Nedbank Golf Challenge Tees Off in Sun City on 3 December

By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-06 15:16:57 | Updated at 2026-10-06 16:28:17 1 hour ago

A golf green beside a reed-lined pond with boulders, a fairway beyond and dry brown hills under a clear blue sky at Sun City in South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA · GOLF

Key Facts

—When it happens Rounds run Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December 2026, after two Pro-Am days. The shop lists 7am starts, the organiser a noon tee-off.
—Where to go The Nedbank Golf Challenge is played at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, within a two-hour drive of Johannesburg.
—Who is playing American Bryson DeChambeau makes his debut. Justin Rose and defending champion Kristoffer Reitan are among seven confirmed players.
—What it costs Day tickets cost R450 (US$27) on Thursday and Friday and R500 (US$30) at the weekend, on the official Ticketpro shop.
—What it means for you Americans need no visa for stays under 90 days, but passports need two blank pages and 30 days’ validity after departure.
—Still open The rest of the 66-player field, the pairings and the official tee times for each round have not been published yet.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge tees off at Sun City, a South African resort, from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December 2026. Two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau makes his debut at the event billed as “Africa’s Major”.

Round tickets cost R450 (US$27) to R500 (US$30), and up to two children under 18 get in free with each adult. The players compete for US$6 million in prize money on a course with a brand-new first hole.

What the Event Is and Why It Matters

The Nedbank Golf Challenge is a four-day professional golf tournament held in honour of Gary Player, the South African golfing great. The 2026 edition is the 44th, and the Gary Player Country Club has hosted it since 1981.

It is a stop on the DP World Tour, a men’s professional circuit, early in its season-long Race to Dubai ranking. The organisers describe an exclusive field playing for US$6 million in total prize money.

The event has a long American thread. Johnny Miller won the first edition in 1981, and Ray Floyd followed in 1982.

Corey Pavin won in 1995, Jim Furyk in 2005 and 2006, Max Homa in 2023 and Johannes Veerman in 2024. That makes six American champions with seven wins at Sun City.

For a US visitor, the Nedbank Golf Challenge offers world-class golf at a modest price. The resort around it has a water park, casinos and a national park next door.

The 2026 Field and the New Course

Bryson DeChambeau, who won the US Open in 2020 and 2024, plays the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the first time. He said he has won Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial and Arnold Palmer’s Invitational, and now wants to win Gary Player’s tournament.

DeChambeau already knows South African crowds. He won the first LIV Golf event in South Africa, at Steyn City in Johannesburg, in March, Business Day reported.

England’s Justin Rose, ranked 12th in the world when he was announced on Tuesday 18 August, was runner-up here in 2007. Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan returns to defend the title he won by one shot last year.

The confirmed list also includes England’s Marco Penge and the South Africans Casey Jarvis, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Hennie Du Plessis. Up to 10 places can go to players from the top 70 of the FedExCup, the US PGA Tour’s season ranking.

The full field will have 66 players, and there is no cut, so everyone who starts plays all four rounds. Entries close on Thursday 19 November 2026.

The course has had the biggest changes in its history, the organisers say, including a new 470-metre (514-yard) par-four first hole. The old first hole has become the course’s first practice range.

There is also a new spectator viewing area between the seventh and 12th greens. Sun International, the hotel group behind Sun City, put R50 million (US$3 million) into the work, its chief executive told Business Day.

Tickets, Prices and What Is Included

Nedbank Golf Challenge tickets are sold on the official shop at tickets.nedbankgolfchallenge.com, run by the ticketing company Ticketpro. Prices are per adult, as listed on Tuesday 6 October 2026.

The Pro-Am days on Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 December, when professionals play with amateur partners, cost R250 (US$15). Round 1 on Thursday 3 December and Round 2 on Friday 4 December cost R450 (US$27).

Round 3 on Saturday 5 December and the final round on Sunday 6 December cost R500 (US$30). Up to two children under 18 get in free with each adult ticket.

A ticket covers entry to Sun City and the course, free parking, grandstand seats, the practice range and free WiFi. On other days, an adult day visitor pass to Sun City and its Valley of Waves water park costs from R395 (US$24).

Places in the Hospitali-TEE Lounge cost from R8,250 (US$496) on Thursday and Friday and R8,950 (US$538) at the weekend. Conversions use 16.65 rand to the US dollar on Tuesday 6 October 2026.

Outside food and drink, cooler boxes, weapons and video cameras are banned, and so are cameras on tournament days. Phones are welcome on silent, and photos are fine with the flash off.

Getting to Sun City and the Course

Sun City opened in 1979 and sits on the edge of Pilanesberg National Park in North West province. The resort describes itself as within a two-hour drive of Johannesburg.

During the Nedbank Golf Challenge, spectators park at the main gate and take the Sky Train to the Welcome Walkway. Wheelchair users are advised to keep to the hard-surfaced roads on the course.

The US State Department advises against driving outside metropolitan areas at night, citing animals, broken-down vehicles and crime. Plan the drive from Johannesburg in daylight, or stay at the resort for the week.

Staying put has another benefit. Game drives into neighbouring Pilanesberg National Park offer a chance to spot the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo.

Three Evening Concerts at the Resort

The Nedbank Golf Challenge also runs a concert each evening from Friday to Sunday, with separate tickets on the same official shop. A general access concert ticket includes entry to the resort.

On Friday 4 December, Scorpion Kings headline a beach party at the Valley of Waves from 4:30pm to midnight. Tickets start at R1,000 (US$60).

Scorpion Kings are Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa, two stars of amapiano, a South African style of house music.

On Saturday 5 December, a concert billed as +LIVE+ runs at the Superbowl, the resort’s concert venue, from 4:30pm to 10pm. Tickets cost R1,195 (US$72) to R5,000 (US$300).

The American rock band Live uses the same billing for its Cape Town and Pretoria shows the following week.

On Sunday 6 December, the house DJ Shimza closes the week at the resort’s Sun Park from 4:30pm to 2am. General access costs R1,000 (US$60) and a VVIP package place R3,750 (US$225) per person.

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

Americans do not need a visa for stays of less than 90 days. Your passport must be valid for 30 days after you leave and have two consecutive blank visa pages.

A yellow fever certificate is needed only if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk. Families should read the State Department’s page first, because South Africa has special requirements for minors.

The State Department rates South Africa at Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, in an advisory dated Tuesday 27 May 2025. It warns of violent crime and smash-and-grab attacks on cars, so keep bags out of sight while driving.

December is summer, and the organisers recommend cool clothes, sensible shoes, a hat and sunscreen. If the lightning siren sounds, put down your umbrella and take shelter at once.

Sun City is seven hours ahead of New York in December. That puts 7am at the course at midnight on the US East Coast, and noon at 5am.

If you are staying on, J. Cole plays Johannesburg on Saturday 12 December. That makes a golf week and a stadium show an easy pairing.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

Only seven of the 66 players are confirmed so far, and the organisers have said more big names will follow. The pairings and the official tee times for each round have not been published.

The ticket shop lists each tournament day from 7am, while the organiser’s ticket page shows a noon tee-off. The official event app carries the latest tournament information, so check it before setting off.

Stage times and support acts for the three evening concerts have not been announced either. The organisers have not said whether Saturday’s +LIVE+ show belongs to the same tour as Live’s December dates.

The dates, the course, the ticket prices and the official seller for the Nedbank Golf Challenge are confirmed. That is enough to book a December trip to Sun City now.

More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Nedbank Golf Challenge 2026?

The Nedbank Golf Challenge runs from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December 2026 at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City. Pro-Am days are on Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 December.

How much do Nedbank Golf Challenge tickets cost?

Adult day tickets cost R450 (US$27) on Thursday and Friday and R500 (US$30) on Saturday and Sunday. Pro-Am days cost R250 (US$15), and up to two children under 18 enter free with each adult.