This Thursday marks the start of the Joburg Open at the Houghton Golf Club course, one of South Africa’s historic courses, originally designed by A.M. Copland in 1926. Nearly 100 years old. We come from the South African Open, a tournament where the results for the Armada have historically not been good, and this continued last week. Two top 25 finishes by Iván Cantero and Alex del Rey were the best we could savour. Well, if we stick to history, we can’t expect too much from this week either. Welcome to Nightmare in South Africa, Part II.
This time we’re not talking about the tournament itself, an event never won by a Spaniard, although it does boast a valuable third place by Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, but about the host course. The Houghton Golf Club has offered very little to the Armada in the ten DP World Tour tournaments held there.
This year will be the third edition of the Joburg Open at its facilities, but before that, the Alfred Dunhill Championship was played there for eight years, shortly before moving to Leopard Creek. Specifically, it was played at Houghton between 1996 and 2003. During that long eight-year period, a total of fifteen different Spanish players graced its fairways and greens, including Seve Ballesteros himself. The genius from Pedreña appeared on the Johannesburg course in 1997 and missed the cut. No mercy, not even for the greatest.
The best Spanish result during that eight-year period of the Alfred Dunhill Championship was a 15th place by Nacho Garrido in 1997. Additionally, Carlos Suneson was 16th in 2001. That’s about it. Of course, no top 10 to savour and no other top 20. Miguel Ángel Jiménez played there twice, once missing the cut and the other finishing in 35th place.
The trend hasn’t changed much now with the Joburg Open. In 2023 and 2024, the two editions held at Houghton before this year, eleven different Spanish players have competed, and the best result was a 12th place by Manu Elvira last year. The Cantabrian is back this year, so he should be closely watched. Let’s see if he’s the one to finally break the bad streak on this venerable course. Beyond that 12th position, the next best result is already a 30th place. Nothing special.
In addition to Manu Elvira, this week sees Alfredo García Heredia, Iván Cantero, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Alex del Rey, and Joel Moscatel playing to try and change the dynamic at Houghton with Spanish golf. Of all of them, only Cantero and Del Rey have played on this course before, although watch out for Moscatel, who is making his debut here but has Pedro Linhart in his bag, who played here twice: missing the cut in 1999 and finishing 51st in 1996. As it stands, of those participating this year, the one with the most personal experience is Del Rey, who played in 2023 and 2024. Last year he missed the cut, and two years ago he finished 30th.
As for the week, the course is very wet, so in the early rounds, we will see a long and receptive Houghton. It will be easier to stay on the fairway, and shots to the pin will be more aggressive. On the other hand, players will have longer irons to the green. Initially, unless conditions change significantly, a winning score around -20 or lower is expected. The forecast suggests it may continue to rain in the coming hours, although it will be intermittent, so the timing of each player’s round and luck with the weather could be an added factor.
