By Adnaan Mohamed
South Africa will host the African debut of the Icons Series in December, with Ernie Els captaining Team South Africa against José María Olazábal’s Team World in a three-day golf match-play event at The Links at Fancourt.
The tournament, scheduled for 11 to 13 December, will feature 28 sporting stars swapping their usual arenas for the golf course. It is expected to attract local and international visitors to the Garden Route during the peak holiday season.
The first player announcements include former Proteas captain AB de Villiers and Rugby World Cup winner Fourie du Preez for Team South Africa. Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry and West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara have been confirmed for Team World, with the remaining line-ups still to be announced.
Icons Series founder and CEO Thomas Brookes believes South Africa is the ideal stage for the competition.
“The Icons Series is built on the unifying power, unscripted drama, and patriotism of sport. We are thrilled to bring this world-first concept to South Africa, a nation with an unmatched sporting heritage and some of the most passionate fans on earth. The Links at Fancourt provides a spectacular, world-class stage to witness 28 of the greatest athletes of our generation put their reputations on the line.”
Els said captaining the home side at one of South Africa’s premier golf courses was a privilege.
“Leading Team South Africa on home soil at a magnificent venue like Fancourt is a massive honour. We know Team World is bringing serious firepower, but we are assembling a squad of true South African winners.
“AB de Villiers and Fourie du Preez are perfect first additions. They are fierce competitors who know exactly what it means to defend home turf. We’re ready to show the world how we play the game.”
Olazábal expects a fiercely contested encounter despite South Africa’s home advantage.
“South Africa has an incredibly rich sporting heritage, and Fancourt is a magnificent, world-class test of golf. Team World is not travelling to George to enjoy the scenery.
“Ernie is a fantastic champion and he will have a passionate home crowd behind him, but I am assembling a team of icons. We will be fiercely competitive and will know how to win under pressure, and we are fully prepared to spoil the home-soil party this December.”
De Villiers brings a golf handicap of 2.3 to the South African side, while Du Preez, Terry and Lara are all keen golfers with extensive experience in celebrity and pro-am events.
Broadcast partners, streaming details and the remaining player announcements will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Tickets and hospitality packages are on sale through TicketPro.