ANDY CAPOSTAGNO, Sun City | Thursday 1.30pm.
WITH South African sport from rugby to cricket being dragged kicking and screaming into the new millennium, the only hangover of the apartheid days is the Million Dollar Challenge.
The tournament was created in 1981 as an attempt to popularise Sol Kerzner’s new casino complex, something which it succeeded in doing beyond the multi-millionaire’s wildest dreams.
But five years on from the country’s first democratic elections, the tournament is an anachronism as there is no longer a need to induce players to break a sporting boycott. Also for the new breed of golfing superstars, $1-million is not much more than loose change.
Last year seven of the world’s top eight took part in a classic. Tiger Woods lit up the tourna ment merely by arriving, and then took it to another plain by chipping in on the 18th to reach a play-off with Nick Price.
Woods lost on the fifth extra hole, but everyone left with broad grins. So where is Tiger this year? Organising his own multi-million-dollar tournament back in the States. While the 1999 field is a long way from being second class, a radical rethink is necessary.
What would help immeasurably this time would be if Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie and Ernie Els were to contest a breathlessly exciting final day.
That might be wishful thinking as it is the first time here for Garcia, but he has consistently proved in his debut year as a professional that he is capable of great things. The bookies are not swayed, however, and have installed Price, seeking his third win in a row, Els and Montgomerie as favourites.