1980–81 Southern Africa Tour

Golf tour season November 2023 1980–81 Southern Africa Tour 1980 11 13 y – 1981 2 28 y 13 ZAF 1928 Hugh Baiocchi (3) Order of Merit ZIM Mark McNulty 1979–80 1981–82 The 1980–81 Southern Africa Tour was the 10th season of the Southern Africa Tour, the main professional golf tour in South Africa since it was formed in 1971. Season outline This was a breakout season for a trio of young Zimbabwean golfers, Mark McNulty, Nick Price, and Denis Watson. Early in the season, however, they regularly finished runner-up to veterans like Hugh Baiocchi, Harold Henning, and Bobby Cole. Late in the season, however, they all won tournaments with McNulty capturing Order of Merit honours. Early in the season it was veterans who dominated, often beating young golfers down the stretch. Veteran Hugh Baiocchi won the inaugural event of the season, the Zimbabwe Open, by one over joint runner-up Watson.1980 Zimbabwe Open https://sunshinetour.info/tic/tmresult.cgi?tourn=ZIMO~result=PF~dc=N~cardlink=Y~~season=181S~style=00~groupties=Y~pr=N~textout=N~bordersize=1~fontsize=*~winfocus=Y~ 15 September 2023 Sunshine Tour Baiocchi also won the subsequent event, the Lexington PGA Championship, by one shot over joint runner-up McNulty.Sunday Telegraph London, United Kingdom Champion Baiocchi defies Player charge 23 November 1980 37 https://www.newspapers.com/image/750891261/ 14 September 2023 Newspapers.com subscription The following week's event, the ICL International, was won by a 46-year-old Harold Henning by a stroke over Watson, again joint runner-up.Williams Michael 1 December 1980 Henning's Title at Last Gasp https://www.newspapers.com/image/750888897/ subscription 14 September 2023 The Daily Telegraph 26 en Newspapers.com The next week, at the Datsun South African Open, McNulty was runner-up again, four behind champion Bobby Cole, another veteran.December 7, 1980 Bobby Cole wins South Africa Open https://www.newspapers.com/image/918294635/ subscription 22 September 2023 The Roanoke Times Roanoke, Virginia 135 Newspapers.com Late in the year, the trio of young golfers from Zimbabwe started winning tournaments. At the first event after the Christmas interlude, Mark McNulty finally won, earning a victory at the Sigma Series 1, defeating Nick Price, the solo runner-up. The second edition of the series was won by John Bland.1981 Sigma Series No 2 https://sunshinetour.info/tic/tmresult.cgi?tourn=SIGB~result=PF~dc=N~cardlink=Y~~season=181S~style=00~groupties=Y~pr=N~textout=N~bordersize=1~fontsize=*~winfocus=Y~ 15 September 2023 Sunshine Tour Bland won again at the Sigma Series 3 with Price finishing as runner-up.1981 Sigma Series No 3 https://sunshinetour.info/tic/tmresult.cgi?tourn=SIGC~result=PF~dc=N~cardlink=Y~~season=181S~style=00~groupties=Y~pr=N~textout=N~bordersize=1~fontsize=*~winfocus=Y~ 15 September 2023 Sunshine Tour In February, at the Sun City Classic, McNulty looked set to win but a late hole "blunder" gave Lee Trevino the victory.The Daily Telegraph London, United Kingdom Verwey banned for wrong marking 9 February 1981 30 https://www.newspapers.com/image/750891865/ 22 September 2023 Newspapers.com subscription The following week, Price finally won, earning a victory at the SAB South African Masters by four shots over McNulty.The Daily Telegraph London, United Kingdom Price beats gale and field for title 16 February 1981 24 https://www.newspapers.com/image/750892858/ 22 September 2023 Newspapers.com subscription At the final event of the year, the Asseng Champion of Champions, Denis Watson claimed his first victory on tour. McNulty finished solo second.The Daily Telegraph London, United Kingdom Watson earns his maiden victory 2 March 1981 26 https://www.newspapers.com/image/750893000/ 22 September 2023 Newspapers.com subscription McNulty won the Order of Merit with Price coming in third and Watson fifth. Schedule The following table lists official events during the 1980–81 season.https://sunshinetour.info/tic/tmtic.cgi?ticformat=4~archives=y~season=181S~style=00~groupties=Y~pr=N~textout=N~bordersize=1~fontsize=*~winfocus=Y~ 1980/81 Tournament schedule Sunshine Tour 15 September 2023Dunhill World of Professional Golf 1981 Mark H. McCormack Mark McCormack Springwood Books 1981 0862540054 149–158, 351–362 DateTournamentLocationPurse(R)Winnertotals 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.Notes 16 Nov Zimbabwe Open Zimbabwe 30,000 ZAF 1928 Hugh Baiocchi (8) 22 Nov Lexington PGA Championship Transvaal 100,000 ZAF 1928 Hugh Baiocchi (9) 29 Nov ICL International Transvaal 45,000 ZAF 1928 Harold Henning (3) 6 Dec Datsun South African Open Natal 75,000 ZAF 1928 Bobby Cole (6) 13 Dec Kalahari Diamond Classic Botswana 20,000 ENG Ian Mosey (1) 10 Jan Sigma Series 1 Cape 30,000 ZIM Mark McNulty (2) New tournament series 17 Jan Sigma Series 2 Orange Free State 30,000 ZAF 1928 John Bland (5) 24 Jan Sigma Series 3 Cape 30,000 ZAF 1928 John Bland (6) 31 Jan Vaal Reefs Open Transvaal 30,000 ZAF 1928 Hugh Baiocchi (10) 7 Feb Sun City Classic Transvaal 100,000 USA Lee Trevino (n/a) 14 Feb SAB South African Masters Cape 100,000 ZIM Nick Price (2) 21 Feb Holiday Inns Pro-Am Swaziland 40,000 ENG Ian Mosey (2) Pro-Am 28 Feb Asseng Champion of Champions Transvaal 40,000 ZIM Denis Watson (1) New tournament Order of Merit The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in South African rand.South Africa and international sports factfinder Anton Berkovitz Andrew Samson D. Nelson 1993 1868061019 https://books.google.com/books?id=XH8wAQAAIAAJ 96 13 September 2023 PositionPlayerPrize money (R)1 ZIM Mark McNulty 50,1932 ZAF 1928 Hugh Baiocchi 43,4023 ZIM Nick Price 34,4364 ZAF 1928 John Bland 25,0465 ZIM Denis Watson 22,704 Notes References External links http://sunshinetour.com/ Category:Sunshine Tour seasons Southern Africa Tour Southern Africa Tour Southern Africa Tour Southern Africa Tour