– This week the Joburg Open takes place, the twelfth tournament of the DP World Tour season (excluding the Team Cup) and the fourth to be played in South Africa.
– South Africa is, believe it or not, the country where the most regular calendar tournaments of the European circuit (*) have been played in the 21st century (2001-2025). This Joburg Open will be the 97th during this time, which is quite a number.
– Actually, technically, we should mention the United States, where three Majors are played each year and dozens of WGC (World Golf Championships) have been held so far this century. But the figures presented here mainly focus on the regular calendar tournaments where circuit members have a specific category.
– This fact is sure to surprise many: In this 21st century, Spain is the second country that has hosted the most regular calendar tournaments of the DP World Tour, with a total of 78.
– Behind South Africa (97) and Spain (78), and to complete a list of the top ten, we have the United Arab Emirates (68), Scotland (65), England (59), Germany (47), Portugal (44), France (39), China (38), and Australia (37). Indeed, in this 21st century, more tournaments have been played in Portugal than in France, for example, or in the two Irelands (36).
– Another surely unexpected curiosity, considering the tradition and weight in European and world golf of the two mentioned countries: in this 21st century, more tournaments have been played in the Czech Republic (13) than in Denmark (11).
– To satisfy everyone, let’s include an adjacent ranking, counting the four majors and the WGCs that have been held in the 21st century (2001-2025). The United States, as mentioned, and China (due to the WGC HSBC) gain positions, as do Scotland and England (because of the Open):
1. United States (134).
2. South Africa (97).
3. Spain (78).
4. Scotland (77).
5. England (69).
6. United Arab Emirates (68).
7. China (53).
8. Germany (47).
9. Portugal (44).
10. France (39).
– We will see how the new global calendar, which is currently being discussed and designed, looks, and which now seems more likely to become a reality. However, whatever the final puzzle turns out to be, it should indeed lead to a significant reduction in the regular calendars of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. This has been hinted at by officials from both circuits, especially the American one. In this regard, South Africa could be the big loser: it is very likely that in the new scenario, up to four or five annual tournaments of the top division of world golf will not appear on South African soil.
– The United Arab Emirates, which is already a major power when it comes to hosting top-tier tournaments, could in the not-too-distant future become the country that hosts the most DP World Tour tournaments, in fierce competition with Scotland and England, especially if we count the majors, and perhaps with Spain, although this remains to be seen (can anyone envision the celebration of two or three tournaments on Spanish soil in the new calendar being devised? It’s quite a stretch, to be honest).
(*) Full field tournaments or, at least, those with reasonably significant participation have been included. Therefore, team tournaments (Ryder, Seve Trophy, or Royal Trophy, for example) have been excluded, as well as other events like the Volvo World Match Play.
