Limpopo Championship 2026: Sunshine Tour stars tee off in the Waterberg

The Sunshine Tour has arrived in Limpopo for four days of professional golf, with the Limpopo Championship bringing some of South Africa’s best golfing talent to the spectacular Euphoria Golf & Lifestyle Estate from 01 to 04 October 2026. 

Now in its eighth edition, the R2.5 million tournament has become an important fixture on the Sunshine Tour calendar. This year’s field combines established champions, players chasing a breakthrough, and some of the country’s most promising young golfers. 

With 2,400 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit points also on offer, there is plenty at stake beyond the winner’s trophy. Follow the golf championship at Bet.co.za today.  

Moolman returns as defending champion 

All eyes will naturally be on Pieter Moolman, who returns to Euphoria as defending champion. 

Moolman produced a superb final round of 66 to win the 2025 championship by two strokes, finishing on 12-under par and claiming his fourth Sunshine Tour title. He recovered from an unsettled start to his final round by playing his next 12 holes in eight under par. 

A successful defence would put Moolman in select company. The only previous player to win the Limpopo Championship in consecutive years is J.C. Ritchie, who triumphed in the first two editions in 2019 and 2020. 

A strong field in the Waterberg 

Moolman faces a quality field, with nine of the current top 10 players on the Sunshine Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit entered for the tournament, including current leader Samuel Simpson. 

The event also highlights one of the Sunshine Tour’s biggest strengths, creating opportunities for the next generation. 

South African Amateur champion Judd Sundelson and former Nedbank Junior Challenge winner Stefan Jacobs have received invitations to compete, giving you the chance to see emerging talent take on an experienced professional field. Golfers from Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Kenya further add an international flavour to the tournament. 

Blaauw makes an early statement 

The opening round has already provided an indication of how competitive the week could be. 

Jacques Blaauw took the early lead after firing a bogey-free six-under-par 66, one shot clear of Cole Stevens. Blaauw, who finished runner-up at the Limpopo Championship in 2024, said a new approach to his mental game helped him produce a controlled opening round. 

German rookie Morris Schiefner also made an encouraging start with a 68. 

Of course, there are still three rounds to play, and Euphoria has a way of testing players as the pressure builds. 

Euphoria: beautiful, but demanding 

Set in the Waterberg mountain range, Euphoria provides one of the more distinctive settings on the Sunshine Tour. 

The 18-hole championship course was the first golf course in Africa designed by Major champion Annika Sörenstam. At 7,699 yards and playing to a par 72, the layout combines elevation changes, indigenous vegetation and natural contours to create a course where strategy and distance control are just as important as power. 

The course can reward aggressive play, but the terrain means that finding the right positions is crucial. Approaches can be affected by changing elevation and lies, while tricky pin positions can quickly turn a good round into a difficult one. 

That was evident in Moolman’s comments after his 2025 victory, when he described Euphoria as a tough course with some tricky flags. 

More than just golf 

The Limpopo Championship has also become an important event for the province’s tourism ambitions. 

The partnership between the Sunshine Tour and Limpopo Tourism positions the tournament as more than a sporting contest, with the event helping showcase the province’s natural beauty, cultural diversity and tourism attractions to visitors from South Africa and beyond. 

That combination makes the tournament particularly appealing, world-class golf set against one of South Africa’s most distinctive landscapes. 

What to watch this weekend 

The big question is whether Moolman can successfully defend his crown, or whether a new champion will emerge from a field packed with Sunshine Tour talent. 

Blaauw’s opening 66 has put him in an early position of strength, while Stevens and Schiefner have also made encouraging starts. But with three rounds still to come, the leaderboard is likely to change considerably before Sunday’s final holes. 

For golf fans, the Limpopo Championship offers four days of competitive Sunshine Tour action, a challenging course and an opportunity to watch established professionals and emerging stars share the same stage. 

And with the Waterberg providing the backdrop, there are few better places to spend a golfing weekend. Remember to place your bet at Bet.co.za and be a part of the action.