The 1973–74 Southern Africa Tour was the third season of the Southern Africa Tour, the main professional golf tour in South Africa since it was formed in 1971.
| Duration | 28 November 1973 – 23 February 1974 |
|---|---|
| Number of official events | 11 |
| Most wins |  Dale Hayes (3) |
| Order of Merit | Bobby Cole |
← 1972–73 1974–75 → | |
Season outline
editDale Hayes had much success at the beginning of the season. He won the second tournament; the Rhodesian Dunlop Masters, shooting under-par every day.[1] At the next tournament; the Rolux Open, Hayes opened with a 64, breaking the course record.[2] He finished with a 68 to win for the second conescutive week.[3] He recorded a runner-up finish at the ICL Transvaal Open, one shot behind Hugh Baiocchi.[4]
After the Christmas break, Bobby Cole found much success. In late January, he won the Vavasseur Natal Open.[5] At the following event; the Dunlop South African Masters, Cole finished runner-up, losing in a playoff to Gary Player.[6] A few days later began the flagship event, the South African Open held at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club. In the second round, Cole broke the course record, shooting a 65 (−7) to take the lead. In the final round, Cole broke his own course record, shooting a 64 to secure a four-shot win.[7]
Dale Hayes found form again towards the end of the season. At the penultimate event; the Schoeman Park Open, he finished joint runner-up.[8] At the final event, the Holiday Inns Open, Hayes opened with a course record 64.[9] He ultimately defeated Bob Charles by two shots.[10] It was his third win of the season.[11] Due to his consistent play in the middle of the season, however, Cole won the Order of Merit, narrowly defeating Hayes who finished second.[11]
Schedule
editThe following table lists official events during the 1973–74 season.[11][12]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (R) |
Winner[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec | Luyt Lager PGA Championship | Transvaal | 35,000 |  Tom Weiskopf (n/a) |
|
| 9 Dec | Rhodesian Dunlop Masters | Rhodesia | Rh$10,000 | Dale Hayes (5) |
|
| 15 Dec | Rolux Open | Transvaal | 15,000 | Dale Hayes (6) |
New tournament |
| 22 Dec | ICL Transvaal Open | Transvaal | 15,000 | Hugh Baiocchi (3) |
|
| 12 Jan | NCR Western Province Open | Cape | 14,000 | John Fourie (4) |
|
| 20 Jan | Vavasseur Natal Open | Natal | 15,000 | Bobby Cole (4) |
|
| 26 Jan | Dunlop South African Masters | Transvaal | 15,000 | Gary Player (5) |
|
| 2 Feb | South African Open | Transvaal | 18,000 | Bobby Cole (5) |
|
| 9 Feb | General Motors International Classic | Cape | 20,000 | Gary Player (6) |
|
| 15 Feb | Schoeman Park Open | Orange Free State | 10,000 | Cobie Legrange (1) |
|
| 23 Feb | Holiday Inns Open | Swaziland | 10,000 | Dale Hayes (7) |
Order of Merit
editThe Order of Merit was based on tournament results during the season, calculated using a points-based system.[11]
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Cole |
1,664 |
| 2 | Dale Hayes |
1,570 |
| 3 | John Fourie |
1,454 |
| 4 | Hugh Baiocchi |
1,377 |
| 5 | Allan Henning |
1,320 |
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- ^ "Wood leads in Jamaican Open golf". Leicester Mercury. Leicester, United Kingdom. 10 December 1973. p. 48. Retrieved 14 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hayes leads". Hull Daily Mail. Hull, United Kingdom. 14 December 1973. p. 22. Retrieved 13 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sweden become tennis Kings". The Northern Echo. Darlington, United Kingdom. 17 December 1973. p. 14. Retrieved 14 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Baiocchi takes Transvaal Open". The Northern Echo. Darlington, United Kingdom. 24 December 1973. p. 17. Retrieved 13 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Victory for Cole". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Huddersfield, United Kingdom. 21 January 1974. p. 11. Retrieved 13 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gary does it again". Western Daily Press. Bristol, United Kingdom. 29 January 1974. p. 10. Retrieved 13 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Title and record to Cole". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 4 February 1974. p. 20. Retrieved 13 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hunt Blunders With 76". The Daily Telegraph. London, United Kingdom. 18 February 1974. p. 27. Retrieved 13 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hayes Leads on 64". The Daily Telegraph. London, United Kingdom. 21 February 1974. p. 28. Retrieved 14 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "South African wins". Waterloo Region Record. Waterloo, Canada. 25 February 1974. p. 18. Retrieved 14 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Simms, George (1975). John Player Golf Yearbook 1975. Queen Anne Press. pp. 140–153. ISBN 0362002134.
- ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1975). The World of Professional Golf. Collins. pp. 217–235, 408–418. ISBN 0002119552.