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The Nedbank Golf Challenge Through the Decades

The Nineties

The Nineties was the first decade of true South African dominance.

It was an era that began with David Frost becoming the second player to successfully defend a title in the tournament after Seve Ballesteros.

Frost followed up his 1989 victory with a one-stroke triumph over Jose Maria Olazabal in 1990.

And in 1992 Frost added a third title, becoming the first man to achieve this.

This decade was also highlighted by one of the finest scoring performances ever seen in the tournament’s illustrious history.

In 1993, Nick Price obliterated the Gary Player Country Club and the rest of the field as he won with a then record 72-hole total of 24 under par, and by a massive 12 strokes.

Price’s margin of victory is still the largest in the tournament’s history.

Price was the man to beat in the latter half of this decade.

After his win in 1993 he finished second in 1994 and 1995, then won in 1997. And in 1998 he added a third title in dramatic fashion, beating Tiger Woods in a playoff after the American had chipped in for birdie on the 18th to tie the Zimbabwean at the top of the leaderboard.

Then, like a changing of the guard in Southern African golf, Ernie Els ended the decade with his first Nedbank Golf Challenge title in 1999. He did so by bettering Price’s tournament record by one stroke, winning on 25 under par – a record that stands to this day.

A new era had begun.

  • 1990

    David Frost | 284

  • 1991

    Bernhard Langer | 272

  • 1991

    David Frost | 276

  • 1993

    Nick Price | 264

  • 1994

    Nick Faldo | 272

  • 1995

    Corey Pavin | 276

  • 1996

    Colin Montgomerie | 274

  • 1997

    Nick Price | 275

  • 1998

    Nick Price | 273

  • 1999

    Ernie Els | 263

Quote from the Nineties

“I thought I was never going to win this thing.” Ernie Els when he won his first Nedbank Golf Challenge title in 1999 after seven previous attempts.