1976–77 Southern Africa Tour
The 1976–77 Southern Africa Tour was the sixth season of the Southern Africa Tour, the main professional golf tour in South Africa since it was formed in 1971.
| Duration | 3 November 1976 – 19 December 1976 |
|---|---|
| Number of official events | 6 |
| Most wins | Hugh Baiocchi (3) |
| Order of Merit | Dale Hayes |
← 1975–76 1977–78 → | |
Season outline Edit
Gary Player had much success in the early part of the season. He won the first event, the Dunlop South African Masters.[1] In the second event of the season, the Sportsman Lager PGA Championship, Player finished one shot behind Dale Hayes.[2] Player went on to win the subsequent event, the Yellow Pages South African Open. This was his 10th victory of his national open, beating the previous record set by Bobby Locke.[3]
However, it was Hugh Baiocchi who had the most success at the end of the season. He won the final three events. This included defeating Player at the ICL Transvaal International.[4] Player managed to win the Order of Merit in the end.
Schedule Edit
The following table lists official events during the 1976–77 season.[5]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (R) | Winner[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Nov | Dunlop South African Masters | Transvaal | 25,000 | Gary Player (11) | |
| 20 Nov | Sportsman Lager PGA Championship | Transvaal | 50,000 | Dale Hayes (11) | |
| 27 Nov | Yellow Pages South African Open | Natal | 20,000 | Gary Player (12) | |
| 4 Dec | Holiday Inns Invitational | Swaziland | 20,000 | Hugh Baiocchi (4) | |
| 11 Dec | ICL Transvaal International | Transvaal | 25,000 | Hugh Baiocchi (5) | |
| 19 Dec | Rhodesian Dunlop Masters | Rhodesia | 15,000 | Hugh Baiocchi (6) |
Order of Merit Edit
The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in South African rand.
| Position | Player | Prize money (R) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Hayes | 17,750 |
| 2 | Hugh Baiocchi | 17,027 |
| 3 | Gary Player | 14,638 |
| 4 | Cobie Legrange | 8,993 |
| 5 | Tienie Britz | 6,920 |
Notes Edit
- ^ The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of Southern Africa Tour events they had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for Southern Africa Tour members.
References Edit
- ^ "Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 8 November 1976. p. 10 (18 in paper). Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "Hayes pips Player". The Sunday People. London, United Kingdom. 21 November 1976. p. 37. Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gary wins record 10th Open". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 29 November 1976. p. 14 (24 in paper). Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "1976 ICL Transvaal International". Sunshine Tour. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ "1976/77 Tournament schedule". Sunshine Tour. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
External links Edit
- Official website