The HotelPlanner Tour heads to George this week for the NTT DATA Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank for the third of four co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour. Here’s all you need to know...
Seven years of Fancourt
Having first visited Fancourt Golf Estate in 2020, the HotelPlanner Tour returns to the foot of the picturesque Outeniqua Mountains for a seventh time this week. The resort is home to three world-class courses - Montagu, Outeniqua and The Links – with each 18 providing a unique test. The NTT DATA Pro-Am will be played across all three courses with Sunday’s final round taking place on the Montagu.
The NTT DATA Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank is the only event of its type on the 2026 Road to Mallorca schedule, with two competitions running simultaneously. Each professional is paired with an amateur, with a better ball medal scoring system in use. With amateurs’ handicaps taken into account, the lowest score on each hole, by the amateur or professional, is recorded.
Famous faces
Several famous faces are among the amateur golfers teeing it up in George this week. South African cricket legend Jacques Kallis, the fourth highest Test run scorer of all time, has been a regular feature at the event along with Mark Boucher, who was wicketkeeper for the Proteas for over 15 years. Former Springboks Schalk Burger and Schalk Brits have also teed it up in previous editions and will take to the course again this year.
The NTT DATA Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank, unsurprisingly, has been dominated by South African players since it was first played as a co-sanctioned DP World Tour event back in 1996. There have been a number home grown winners at Fancourt, including Major champions Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman and Retief Goosen. Last year’s victor Wilco Nienaber, who finished 32nd on the 2025 Road to Mallorca, is teeing it up this week looking to win the event for a third time, having also tasted victory in 2021 after beating Swede Henric Sturehed in a play-off. Nienaber’s countrymen Oliver Bekker, Darren Fichardt and Nick Price are the only other players to have won twice at Fancourt.
Woods vs Els
As well as hosting numerous Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour events over the years, Fancourt Golf Estate was the venue for one of golf’s great moments, coming at the 2003 Presidents Cup. With the scores tied at 17-17, International captain Gary Player named Ernie Els as the man to take on World Number One Tiger Woods in a three-hole play-off. After both players had tied the first two holes, Els was left with a six-foot putt to extend the match and prevent the United States inflicting a fourth defeat on the International side. Once the South African and then World Number Two holed his putt, Player and US captain Jack Nicklaus agreed that, with light quickly fading, the 2003 contest would end in a tie; to this day the only halved match in the competition’s history.
Els returns to Fancourt this week to compete in the 2026 NTT DATA Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank alongside the next generation of South African golfing talent.
Taking shape
After two co-sanctioned events between the HotelPlanner Tour and the Sunshine Tour, the 2026 Road to Mallorca is taking shape, with South African MJ Viljoen and Englishman Will Enefer claiming the first two titles of the season in Limpopo and Cape Town.
Deon Germishuys sits third on the season-long Rankings following back-to-back events in his home country with Frenchman Maxence Giboudout and Spaniard Santiago Tarrio rounding out the current top five.
