WATCH: The start of a beautiful friendship as Challenge Tour heads to Cape Town

Centurion - The 2023 Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca starts at Royal Cape Golf Club on Thursday, and the DP World Tour (DPWT) partnership with the Sunshine Tour certainly seems to be thriving.

This week’s tournament is the Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open, and is the first of four co-sanctioned events between the Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

The Challenge Tour in the 2023 season will see 29 events played across 18 countries and three continents. The top-20 players on the Road to Mallorca standings will earn DPWT Tour cards for the 2024 season, and having so many events in South Africa provides a great opportunity for local talent to earn their playing privileges on the premier tour.

Goat of Golf Holes spoke to Challenge Tour tournament director Gary Butler who will be running the first two events in SA.

Goat of Golf Holes spoke to Challenge Tour tournament director Gary Butler who will be running the first two co-sanctioned Sunshine and Challenge Tour events in SA, starting with the Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/TbBrer0jM2

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“The Sunshine Tour is our biggest (partner). From main tour events that we do, down to Challenge Tour events,” said Butler.

“It’s also in the pipeline at the end of the year we’re coming here too with the Legends tour which is the senior tour. The amount of events that we have, and the co-sanction we have with both tours works great for everybody.

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“With the weather in the UK and Europe at the moment, for the players to be able to come down to South Africa and stand there in short sleeve shirts and play golf to keep competitive is great.”

Royal Cape Golf Club is the oldest golf club in South Africa, having been established in 1885. The course has staged 10 SA Opens, which saw legendary players Gary Player and Ernie Els both win their national title on the hallowed layout.

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