After a groundbreaking 2025, the 2026 Sunshine Ladies Tour is set to build on the growth of women’s golf with a strengthened schedule, including a tournament at the Humewood Golf Club, and a range of other local and global incentives.
The season will run from February to May 2026 and will again feature two tournaments co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (Let).
The series starts with the R1.3m SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International at Gqeberha’s Humewood Golf Club, from February 4-6.
Anchoring the 2026 schedule will be the co-sanctioned events: the Joburg Ladies Open (Randpark Golf Club Firethorn Course from April 16-19) and the Investec SA Women’s Open (Royal Cape Golf Club from April 23-26).
The strengthened schedule will also feature the addition of the new MCB Ladies Classic to be played in Mauritius at Constance Bell Mare Plage from May 1-3.
“We’re excited about our 2026 schedule and the continued effort by our team to grow women’s golf in our country and beyond.
“The schedule is bolstered by the two co-sanctioned tournaments with the Let and furthermore, the Let tournament in Mauritius will also count towards the Investec Order of Merit,” Sunshine Tour commissioner Thomas Abt said.
“Growing our player pathway is incredibly important for us and the 2026 schedule provides our Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals with even greater opportunities to develop their careers on an international stage.
“We’re incredibly grateful to our sponsors and partners for their support of this vision.”
The season will once again feature the overall chase to be crowned the Investec Order of Merit champion, which brings with it a R200,000 bonus as well as the use of a Renault vehicle for a year.
SA’s Casandra Alexander won this title in 2025.
The Investec SA Women’s Open will also offer its Homegrown Award, which is a R100,000 bonus above the first-place prize money should the winner of the tournament be a South African.
The R&A Rookie of the Year award will see the leading rookie at the end of the season receive automatic exemptions, if not already exempt, into the 2027 Investec SA Women’s Open and Joburg Ladies Open.
SA’s Kaiyuree Moodley was crowned The R&A Rookie of the Year in 2025.
And each of the winners on 2025’s Sunshine Ladies Tour will receive exemptions to compete with the Sunshine Tour professionals in the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC, where they will challenge with the men’s professionals for a first prize of R1m at Royal Johannesburg’s famed East Course.
Schedule:
February
4-6: R1.3m SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International, Humewood, Gqeberha
13-15: R2.6m NTT Data Ladies Pro-Am Fancourt, George
March
5-7: R1m Standard Bank Ladies Open hosted by City of Cape Town, Durbanville Golf Club, Cape Town
11-13: R1m Jabra Ladies Classic, Glendower Golf Club, Johannesburg
18-20: R1.2m Platinum Ladies Open, Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate, Johannesburg
26-28: R1.5m Absa Ladies Invitational, Royal Johannesburg, Johannesburg
April
16-19: (R6.5m) Joburg Ladies Open, Randpark Golf Club, Firethorn Course, Johannesburg
23-26: (R6.9m) Investec SA Women’s Open, Royal Cape Golf Club, Cape Town
May
1-3: MCB Ladies Classic, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
June
4-7: R2.5m Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC, Royal Johannesburg, Johannesburg
The Herald