George, South Africa: South Africa will host the European Tour's Volvo Golf Champions event next year after it was moved out of Bahrain because of security concerns.
The European Tour announced in August the $2.8 million (Dh10.27 million) tournament would not return to Bahrain in 2012 because of recent instability in the Gulf.
Instead, the Fancourt links course on South Africa's south coast — which staged the 2003 Presidents Cup — will now host on January 19-22 and will have an "elite field of champions", the European Tour said.
The decision announced yesterday gives South Africa three successive European Tour events in January with the Africa Open, the Joburg Open and the Golf Champions falling on consecutive weekends.
Englishman Paul Casey won this year's inaugural Volvo Golf Champions at Bahrain's Royal Golf Club. The 2012 field will be announced next month, with winners on the 2011 Tour and players who have won 10 or more European Tour titles eligible to compete for the $486,000 winner's check.
"We are delighted to announce the Volvo Golf Champions will take place at Fancourt Golf Resort in 2012 as the first genuine season-opening tournament of champions, a format we are very pleased to incorporate on our international schedule," European Tour chief executive George O'Grady said.
Working hard
O'Grady added the event could return to Bahrain as early as 2013. Bahrain also lost a Formula One Grand Prix this year in the wake of anti-government protests.
"We know that Bahrain is working hard to address the issues it has faced in recent months, as well as to reach out to the international community," O'Grady said. "We, together with the European Tour players, look forward to returning and building on that first, very successful, event in the future."
The shift adds to South Africa's growing golf portfolio after it was announced in April the country would host a big-money World Golf Championships event at the end of 2012.