Nedbank Golf Challenge not to be missed

Defending Nedbank Golf Challenge champion, world number one king, current British Open champion, The Players' Championship winner and French Open holder.

With this pedigree and more, the presence of Englishman Lee Westwood in the field means there is no doubt the Nedbank Golf Challenge (NGC), otherwise known as Africa's Major, has regained its spark after three successive seasons of hitting lows.

The Gary Player Golf Course in Sun City on December 2-5 will be a different place when 12 of the best golfers in the world tee off to chase one of the biggest purses in world golf.

It really is an honour for Sun City, the NGC and South Africa that Westwood, the No 1-ranked golfer and one of the most consistent players of the past two seasons, will be in the field.

Like him or hate him - and I know many fans of Tiger Woods still begrudge him the status - but Westwood has been playing some of his best golf and for those who will be lucky enough to be at the NGC, he will be fun to watch.

In my view, and I have written about it in the past, the NGC was fast losing its lustre. I mean last year there were one or two players ranked in the top 20 in the world playing in the tournament.

Big-name players, including South Africa's own stars, were shunning this spectacular for a variety of reasons, in spite of it being a very lucrative event. It does not help that it coincides with Tiger Woods's own charity tournament in the US, where most of the big names go instead of trekking many hours to South Africa.

But this year we are lucky to have not only Westwood, but also defending champion Robert Allenby of Australia, South Africa's finest in British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, TPC winner Tim Clark and local veterans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.

That Ernie did not play last year caused concern and it did not help the home crowds when on the 17th hole, Goosen practically gave away the tournament after holding the lead for most of the last day.

Also playing this year will be one of the most exciting golfers of 2010, Italian Eduardo Molinari, who has set the world golf scene alight. Also joining the line-up is one of my favourite golfers, the cigar-smoking Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiminez, who has already won the Dubai Classic and the French Open this year.

Although two-time British Open winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Englishman Justin Rose and former Joburg Open champion Anders Hansen of Denmark have not had a good season, they are still good golfers completing the line-up.

I do sympathise with the sponsors. It is never easy to bring the best stars to South Africa when they could be elsewhere. The NGC also falls outside the official golf calendar and some of the best players are beginning to unwind for the year.

Some have suggested that like the Australians, the sponsors must just dig deep and pay someone like Woods a $3million (R21million) appearance fee to play in the NGC. No doubt this would draw the crowds and advertising.

But Woods has a competing tournament around the same time that he won't quit, even for a good appearance fee.

I think that the NGC must continue to work hard to attract more players in the top 20 to the tournament. The rest we have: good weather, one of the best golf courses in the world, great crowds and a good kitty for the winner and all other players.

You are going to kick yourself if you miss this one.