There are always some incredible sights of various wildlife spotted when watching the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, but this week golfing fans are being treated to a view of the lesser-spotted golfer’s calves on the DP World Tour.
Hot and steamy conditions at Kruger National Park led the DP World Tour and tournament organisers to make the decision to allow golfers to wear shorts during the competition rounds to make it more comfortable for them.
While we’re now well accustomed to seeing elephants, monkeys and all manner of safari animals going side-by-side with the golf at Leopard Creek – as well as big cats we’ve got the sight of the Big Easy in shorts with Ernie Els opting for them during the tournament.
Professional golfers these days are allowed to wear shorts on practice days, but getting their legs out in tournament rounds is a rare occurrence, although it has happened before at Leopard Creek.
Due to predicted high temperatures expected at this week’s #dunhillchamps @LeopardCreekCC, players and rules officials will have the option to wear shorts during the tournament. pic.twitter.com/EKtzPebBlnDecember 8, 2022
The 2019 event became the first on the then-European Tour to allow shorts to be worn during competitive play when temperatures in South Africa were pushing the mercury up at 40 degrees.
Shorts are permitted in the new LIV Golf series, with the more relaxed dress code being one of the ways Greg Norman’s new enterprise say they are improving the game and attracting newer, younger audiences.
Wearing shorts in competition may well be one of the ways the DP World Tour and PGA Tour try and prove they’re moving with the times to counter LIV Golf, but as of now players are still required to wear long trousers during sanctioned events.
A golfing backdrop like no other 🤩#dunhillchamps pic.twitter.com/fViH7hihq6December 8, 2022
The sight of golfers in shorts was not the only big talking point from the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, where Dean Burmester shot a seven-under-par round of 65 take a one-shot lead over Lukas Nemecz.
There was a hole-in-one in the first round as Martin Simonsen managed to make an ace at the short fifth when he holed out from 167 yards.
Thriston Lawrence almost followed Simonsen in when he hit a glorious tee shot on the par-three 16th hole, but the ball just slid by the edge of the hole and failed to drop.
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