Six rising stars. A historic stage. The 2026 Investec SA Open awaits.

25 February 2026 – South African Amateur champion Judd Sundelson leads a fearless six-strong amateur charge into the 2026 Investec South African Open Championship at Stellenbosch Golf Club on Thursday.

Sundelson is joined by 2026 Africa Amateur champion Jack Buchanan, along with National Squad members Charl Barnard, Dian Kruger and Logan Leisher, ranked first, third and fourth respectively on the GolfRSA Open Amateur Rankings. Completing the line-up is 30-year-old Matthew Rossouw, who booked his place in the world’s second-oldest Open championship with a blistering nine-under-par 63 at Kuilsriver Golf Club.

The six amateurs will battle for one of the most coveted trophies in the game, a title that carries immense significance on both the professional and amateur stage.

Former winners of the coveted Freddie Tait Cup – awarded to the leading amateur in the SA Open – read like a who’s who of South African golf. Legends such as Denis Hutchinson, Dale Hayes and Bobby Cole have lifted the trophy, alongside Major champions Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman. More recently, Dylan Frittelli, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Wilco Nienaber, Jayden Schaper and Casey Jarvis have claimed low-amateur honours, while South Africa’s top-ranked amateur, Christiaan Maas, achieved the feat in both 2022 and 2025.

It has also been 66 years since an amateur last won the championship itself, with Hutchinson becoming the seventh and most recent to do so in 1959 at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club. The class of 2026 will be eager to chase history.

Sundelson returned to the University of St Andrews immediately after his 3&2 victory over Germany’s Morris Schiefner in the 36-hole final at Pretoria Country Club at the end of January.

“I played the R&A Student Tour Series in Portugal, and then it was straight back to my studies,” said the 23-year-old, who graduated with a Master’s degree in Finance and Banking last year and is currently completing a Master’s in International Relations and Political Sciences at St Andrews. “There hasn’t been much free time for practice. I’ve been shortlisted for an internship at Citi, and just three days ago I had to submit a Python model and a cash-flow analysis.

“I had a practice round with one of my very good friends, Casey Jarvis, who won the Magical Kenya Open last weekend. We had a great time out there and I feel comfortable with where my game is. You always want to be in contention down the stretch on Sunday, but regardless of the result, to compete at this level is an incredible learning opportunity. I’m really looking forward to teeing it up with defending champion Dylan Naidoo and one of my golfing heroes, Ernie Els, over the first two days.”

Similarly, Buchanan returned to the University of Southern California after his commanding six-stroke victory in The R&A’s Africa Amateur Championship at Royal Johannesburg in early February.

He arrived back in South Africa over the weekend and had his first look at the par-70 championship layout on Monday. “It’s a proper championship test,” Buchanan said. “The course is long, the rough is up and the fairways are tight, so it’s going to demand precision off the tee and with your approach shots. You have to be disciplined with your strategy. That said, there are definitely scoring opportunities if you put the ball in the right positions. It’s about picking your moments.”

Barnard is the only amateur in the field with SA Open experience.

The 2024 SA Amateur champion teed it up last year at Durban Country Club, but an opening 77 left him chasing the cut in a weather-shortened 54-hole championship, and a level-par 72 in the second round wasn’t enough to close the gap. “I’m thrilled to have another crack at the SA Open,” Barnard said. “It’s a massive tournament, and I felt like I was finding my feet in that second round last year. This is a great opportunity to show what I can really do on that stage.”

Kruger is relishing the chance to be part of the action in Stellenbosch. “You work hard to put yourself in position to take opportunities when they come,” he said. “This is one of those special chances that could be a defining moment in my career.”

Leisher, meanwhile, continues to ride the momentum of a rapid rise since taking up the game in 2020. “To be in the SA Open is incredible,” he said. “It’s a great benchmark to see where my game stands against the best professionals in the country and some of the best in the world.”

Rossouw, who fired seven birdies and an eagle in a flawless qualifying performance, earned one of only 11 spots on offer across three qualifying events. He hopes to carry that form into the par-70 championship course in heart of the Winelands.

“I was in the zone during the qualifier,” said the Centurion Country Club member, who followed the US collegiate route with a tennis scholarship at the University of Alabama. “It took me back to my tennis days. Everything just felt effortless and free. I only missed two fairways, and by a fraction, and that was key. I drove the ball exceptionally well, took advantage of the par-fives and hit a number of really good approach shots.”

After returning to South Africa, Rossouw realised that pursuing a professional tennis career would be difficult to sustain, and in 2017 he traded his racket for a set of golf clubs and charted a new path.

“To tee it up in my first DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour event is incredibly exciting,” Rossouw said. “It’s something you dream about when you start out. My mindset is simple: take it shot-for-shot, stay patient and give myself the best chance to clear the first hurdle, which is making the cut. From there, anything can happen.”

The amateurs will certainly not lack star company.

DP World Tour number one Patrick Reed is chasing a third victory in four starts, while last week’s Jonsson Workwear Durban Open winner Oliver Bekker returns to a course he knows well. Jarvis and DP World Tour winners Schaper and Thriston Lawrence add further firepower to a formidable field, alongside five-time SA Open champion Els and a powerful South African contingent that includes Charl Schwartzel, defending champion Dylan Naidoo, and former champions Dean Burmester, Daniel van Tonder and Branden Grace.

With a Masters invitation awaiting the champion and three Open Championship berths on offer, the stage is set for a week of high drama at the 115th Investec South African Open.