Where greatness continues
The official professional tour for golfers aged 50 and over in South Africa and neighbouring territories, run as a non-profit company.
The Sunshine Legends Tour gives South Africa's senior professionals a home: competitive tournament golf on the country's best courses, with Pro-Am days that connect partners and amateurs with the players.
The Tour is registered as a non-profit company (reg. 2013/126340/08) and is run by a board, a players' committee and Tour Director Pat Lowth. Its 2026 schedule has 10 events across South Africa and Angola, finishing with The Tradition at St Francis Links.
Players qualify through the Tour's eligibility categories and exemptions, published as PDFs below.
Thirty years of senior golf
- 1995–1998
The birth of senior golf in South Africa
The story begins with the birth of the South African Senior Open. Names like Simon Hobday and John Bland lit up the leaderboards, while international icons Gary Player and Lee Trevino thrilled local crowds. Early events at venues such as Dainfern sent a powerful signal in a new South Africa, as champions of colour like Solly Sepeng and Gabriel Putsoe claimed major titles.
- 1999–2003
Experiment, growth and new ideas
Trailblazers such as Loeb and Smith secured funding, membership grew and a first players’ constitution was introduced. Formats like “Ladies and Legends” brought senior professionals and young female professionals together.
- 2004–2009
Tough years and overseas success
Locally the senior tour faced limited activity, but abroad our legends thrived: Mark McNulty, Gavin Levenson, Tony Johnson, Bobby Lincoln, Hugh Baiocchi, Ian Palmer, John Mashego, Neville Clarke and others won on the US and European senior circuits. McNulty also captured The Tradition, a senior major.
- 2010–2022
Rebuilding the Tour
A new committee stepped in in 2010, followed by a non-profit organisation in 2013 with a Board of Directors and Players’ Committee. The SA Senior Open and SA Senior Masters returned, and in 2018 affiliation with the Sunshine Tour brought Order of Merit events under the “Sunshine Senior Tour” banner.
- 2023–today
The Sunshine Legends era
New name. New identity. A renewed commitment to world-class events, deeper alignment with the European Legends Tour, long-term partnerships with sponsors and host venues, and more playing and earning opportunities for professionals over 50.
Source: the Tour's history page on sunshinelegendstour.com.
Board of directors
Players' committee
As listed on sunshinelegendstour.com. Please confirm the current line-up.