The 2026 FNB Eswatini Challenge got underway at the Ezulwini Golf and Country Club on Thursday, bringing together professional golfers from Eswatini, South Africa and several international destinations for the fifth edition of the tournament.
The three-day Sunshine Tour event runs from August 13 to 15, with the field competing for a record E2.5 million prize purse.
The tournament sponsors, FNB Eswatini and the Sunshine Tour, announced the increased prize fund in July, with an additional E500 000 injection from the Sunshine Tour taking the total purse to E2.5 million.
The winner of this year’s tournament will receive E396 250, while FNB Eswatini has also set aside E60 000 to reward the three best-performing local players in the field.
Internationals on The Fairway
The tournament has attracted a field that includes golfers from different parts of the world, with official entry information from the Sunshine Tour indicating representation from Europe, South America and Asia, alongside players from Eswatini and South Africa.
Among the international entrants are Chile’s Martin Leon, Indonesia’s Eric Wowor and Germany’s Allen John. Their participation adds to an international field competing for the title at the Ezulwini course.
John brings an established competitive background to the tournament. He represented the German national amateur team from 2003 and attended Georgia State University, where he was named Freshman of the Year. In 2017, he won the individual gold medal at the Summer Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey.
The German golfer turned professional in 2011 and competed on the Challenge Tour in 2012. His professional career was interrupted by a serious injury in 2013, after which he spent several years away from the professional circuit. He regained his amateur status in 2016 before returning to professional golf in 2018.
Since his return, John has competed on both the Sunshine Tour and Challenge Tour and has recorded several professional victories on the Pro Golf Tour.
South Africa’s Jaco Prinsloo is also among the players entered for this year’s tournament. Prinsloo won the inaugural FNB Eswatini Challenge in 2022 and returns to Ezulwini looking to become the first player to win the tournament more than once.
The tournament has so far produced four different South African champions. Prinsloo won the inaugural edition in 2022, while subsequent editions have also been won by South African professionals, maintaining the country’s hold on the trophy since the competition began.
Last year’s tournament was won by South Africa’s Michael Hollick, who finished on 16-under-par after a final-round 68. Pieter Moolman and Herman Loubser finished tied behind him on 14-under-par.
Hollick’s victory was his fourth Sunshine Tour title. His performance also included a strong showing on the par-five holes, where he finished the tournament at 11-under-par.
Challenging the Ezulwini Golf Course Greens
The 2025 edition was played at the Ezulwini Golf and Country Club, which is again hosting the competition this year.
The Ezulwini course provides the setting for the 2026 tournament, with players having to negotiate its parkland layout, water hazards, bunkers, vegetation and changes in wind conditions across the course.
The course was redesigned by golf course architect Peter Matkovich and forms part of the Ezulwini Valley’s established tourism and leisure offering. It has previously hosted international golfers, including Ernie Els and John Daly.
The course has also featured in previous editions of the FNB Eswatini Challenge. Its layout places an emphasis on accuracy and course management, with tree-lined fairways and strategically positioned hazards requiring players to consider their approach to each hole.
FNB Hosts Pro-Am Competition
Ahead of this year’s professional competition, FNB Eswatini hosted a two-day client Pro-Am, giving selected bank clients and stakeholders an opportunity to play alongside professional golfers before the main tournament began.
The Pro-Am forms part of the tournament programme and brings corporate partners and professional players together ahead of the three-day competition.
Local participation has also been prioritised in this year’s event. A total of 15 emaSwati golfers are set to feature in the 2026 edition, with places in the main field determined through the local qualifying process as well as existing Sunshine Tour exemptions.
The Eswatini Professional Golfers Association held pre-qualifying rounds from July 16 to 18 to determine which local players would progress to the main tournament.
Twelve emaSwati golfers, including two amateurs, were expected to come through the qualifying process, joining three local professionals who already hold fully exempt Sunshine Tour memberships.
The inclusion of local players provides an opportunity for emaSwati golfers to compete against an international professional field on home soil. The separate E60 000 prize allocation from FNB Eswatini also gives local players an additional incentive, with the money to be shared among the three highest-placed emaSwati competitors.
The 2026 Challenge…
The 2026 tournament is the fifth edition of the FNB Eswatini Challenge, which was first staged in 2022. Over the years, the competition has been played at different golf courses in the country, including Nkonyeni Residential Golf Estate, before returning to Ezulwini.
South Africa’s Daniel van Tonder is among the previous winners of the tournament, having claimed the title during an edition staged at Nkonyeni Residential Golf Estate.
This year’s increased prize purse comes at a time when the tournament continues to attract players from outside the region. The E2.5 million total represents a E500 000 increase from previous editions following the Sunshine Tour’s contribution.
The main competition began on Thursday morning, with players taking to the Ezulwini fairways for the opening round. The field will continue through the second round on Friday before the final round on Saturday determines the 2026 champion.
For local players, the tournament also provides an opportunity to compete alongside professionals with experience on international and regional tours. For the international entrants, the competition offers another stop on the Sunshine Tour calendar and a chance to compete for the tournament’s increased prize purse.
The field includes players at different stages of their careers, from established professionals such as Prinsloo and John to local players seeking to establish themselves on the regional professional circuit.
The tournament’s history has so far produced a South African winner in every edition. Prinsloo’s return therefore comes with the possibility of another milestone if he can reclaim the title he won in 2022.
For the local field, the focus will also be on finishing among the highest-placed emaSwati players and competing for the additional prize money allocated by FNB Eswatini.
As the opening round continues at Ezulwini Golf and Country Club, the 2026 FNB Eswatini Challenge will run through Saturday, when the tournament’s fifth champion will be decided. The competition remains part of the Sunshine Tour calendar, with players competing over three rounds for the E2.5 million purse and the opportunity to add their names to the tournament’s list of champions.
