EZULWINI– Leon Visser won the King’s Golf Cup after finishing 11-under-par in a strong international field at Ezulwini.
The South African professional carded rounds of 66, 68 and 71 for a three-round total of 205 at Ezulwini Golf and Country Club, securing victory in the Big Easy Tour tournament.
More than 120 professional and elite golfers from across the globe competed in the event, which featured a total prize package of E1 million.
The professional field competed for E700 000, while a further E300 000 was allocated to the leading emaSwati golfers.
Visser finished two shots ahead of Vaughn van Deventer, Jacques van der Merwe and Brandon Pieters, who shared second place on nine-under-par 207.
Franklin Manchest, Ruben van der Berg, Ruan Groenewald and Zachary Chegwidden tied for fifth on eight-under-par 208.
Visser said he enjoyed his first experience of the tournament and praised both Eswatini and the championship layout.
“It was a lovely tournament and I enjoyed it. The country is beautiful and the course was good,” Visser said.
The champion identified his driving and putting as key components of his victory, while also giving credit to his caddy for his contribution throughout the tournament.
“The secret was my driver and putting were good. My caddy also played a huge role,” he said.
Visser also revealed a personal connection to the host country, disclosing that he has Swati roots, with his parents originating from Soko.
His victory adds an international dimension to an event that organisers are seeking to grow into a major fixture on the African golfing calendar.
The King’s Golf Cup was staged as a Big Easy Tour event, giving professional golfers an opportunity to compete in Eswatini within the development structure linked to South Africa’s Sunshine Tour.
Dlamini leads local charge
EZULWINI -Mandla Dlamini Jnr was the leading emaSwati, finishing on 145 to claim the E100 000 first prize in the local category.
Jabulani Vilakati finished second among the emaSwati on 148 and earned E75 000, while Brandon-Jude Rennie was third on 150 and collected E50 000.
The E300 000 local allocation provided additional financial rewards for the best-performing Eswatini golfers competing in the tournament.
The event is also targeting substantial growth in future editions.
Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta congratulated Visser on his victory and described the King’s Golf Cup as a national event.
Mkhonta said organisers and stakeholders would have to work hard to increase sponsorship, following King Mswati III’s challenge for the tournament to raise E10 million for future editions.
The 2026 edition attracted E3.24 million in sponsorship, an increase of E150 000.
King Mswati III has also expressed an ambition for the winner’s prize to eventually reach E5 million.
The sponsorship target would represent a significant increase from the current prize structure and is part of the tournament’s broader ambition to increase its international profile.
For the 2026 edition, the combination of a global field, Big Easy Tour status and a E1 million prize package provided a competitive platform for both international professionals and Eswatini’s leading golfers.
Visser ultimately held his position at the top of the leaderboard with a composed final round of 71, completing a winning aggregate of 205 to lift the King’s Golf Cup.
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