2018/2019 Sunshine Tour Qualifying School – European Stage

Rules and Conditions of Entry

First Stage:……………………………… 6 – 9 March 2018………………State Mines CC & Killarney CC European Stage:……………………… 7 – 11 March 2018……………..Acaya Golf Resort, Lecce, Italy Final Stage:…………………………….. 19 – 23 March 2018……………Randpark Firethorn

Entry fee: € 575 Entries Close: See paragraph 4 – “Closing date for entries”

Preamble: The Alps Tour is delighted to have been chosen by Africa’s premier professional golf tour to organize the inaugural Sunshine Tour International Qualifying School in Europe. That means the Alps Tour will also administer the entries on behalf of the Sunshine Tour.

1. FORMAT The Tournament Committee reserves the right to withdraw any player if their playing performance does not meet the standards expected of a Tour Professional. This regulation shall be implemented at the sole discretion of the Tournament Committee, having taken into consideration prevailing weather conditions.

EUROPEAN QUALIFYING STAGE (90 holes stroke play) The European Stage is scheduled to be played at Acaya Golf Resort (Lecce, Italy) from the 7th to the 11th March 2018, over 90 holes. After 72 holes there will be a cut to the leading 60 players & ties. On conclusion of 90 holes, the first top 5 (five) players will be eligible for membership in Category 9 of the Sunshine Tour for the 2018/2019 season. The next leading 10 players will gain entry into the Sunshine Tour Final Stage being played at Randpark GC (South Africa) from 19th to 23rd March 2018.

In the event of the winners tying on the same score, there will be a play-off to determine the winner. Details of the play- off will be advertised in the Tournament Office. All remaining tied scores will be ranked by a count out as follows: (a) the best last 18 holes, (b) the best last 9 holes, (c) the best last 6 holes, (d) the best last 3 holes, (e) the best last 2 holes and (f) the best final hole.

Applicants are advised that Monday 12th March may be used in the event of bad weather interrupting the playing schedule. Every effort will be made to complete five rounds, but a result will be declared if only four rounds have been completed by all players.

In the event of there is less than 50 registrations at the close of entries, the tournament will be cancelled and all players will be fully reimbursed of their entry fee. In the event of the venue being oversubscribed, players will be entered on a first come, first serve basis.

2. ELIGIBILITY FOR ENTRY a) All male professional players over the age of 18 years (at the commencement of the Q School) b) All male amateur golfers, over the age of 18 years (at the commencement of the Q School), with a handicap of scratch (0) or better under the Handicapping Scheme adopted by the recognized authority controlling golf in the country where they reside. 1

Note to Amateurs: It is not in itself a breach of the Rules of Amateur Status for an amateur golfer under the jurisdiction of the R & A Rules Ltd. to file an entry for and play in the Sunshine Tour’s Qualifying School, provided that the player waives his right to prize money by completing the appropriate forms attached to this entry form. An amateur golfer who fails to waive his right to prize money is in breach of the Rules, but if he is unsuccessful at the Qualifying School, he may apply for re-instatement as an amateur.

In order for a player’s entry to be accepted, the following rules will apply: - All professionals are required to submit results from RECENT COMPETITIVE PERFORMANCES within the last 12 months with their entry. - Entries will only be accepted from amateurs who have a scratch handicap or better - Any players not meeting the above requirements, who are unable to provide recent competitive results, may apply to the Q School Committee, in writing, requesting that their entry be accepted. Such entries may be accepted or rejected, without recourse, at the discretion of the Q School Committee

3. ENTRY FEES, PAYMENT PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES The entrance fee for the 2018/2019 Sunshine Tour Qualifying School-Europe is € 575. This covers all stages of the Qualifying School in which the applicant is eligible to enter. All entry forms must be accompanied by the entry fee payable by bank transfer or by credit card in Euro currency. No entry will be accepted without an accompanying entry fee payment.

Alps Tour Golf Bank Details are: SOCIETE GENERALE Neuilly Entreprises 72 avenue de Villiers 75017 PARIS France Account No: FR76 3000 3038 7700 0507 4780 228 BIC/Swift Code: SOGEFRPP Please use the letters QS, followed by your initial and surname as a reference when making payment.

Please send a copy of the transfer order together with the entry form to the Alps Tour at fax number +33 (1)41 49 77 78 or e-mail [email protected]. Any entry form without such proof of payment will be rejected. You are advised to retain your fax transmission printout or sent e-mail as proof of communication with the Alps Tour.

4. CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES European Stage: Entries for all applicants close on Wednesday 7th February 2018 @ 6pm

5. REGISTRATION European Stage: All players must register by no later than 6.00pm on Monday 5 March 2018.

Registration can be done in person, or by a person designated by the player to act on his behalf, at the tournament office or by telephone or email to the tournament office. Failure to register timeously will result in a player being withdrawn from the event and removed from the draw. His entry fee will be refunded as per paragraph 7.2 below

6. ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATION TO ENTER THE ONUS LIES WITH THE PLAYER TO ENSURE THAT HIS ENTRY FORM AND FEE HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE ALPS TOUR ON TIME

7. WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURES All withdrawals must be submitted in writing to the Alps Tour. 7.1 Any player withdrawing prior to the relevant closing date for entries will be refunded his entry fee in full. 7.2 Any player, other than those in 7.3 below, withdrawing after the relevant closing date for entries without competing will be refunded € 450. 7.3 If a player misses his official tee time for the first round of Q School he will be disqualified and he will forfeit his entry fee. 7.5 Once a player has teed off, he will not be refunded his entry fee. 2

8. FORM AND MAKE OF CLUBS All players obtaining a card at the Q School will be required to have their clubs conform to the groove and punch mark specifications in the Rules of Golf as from the first Sunshine Tour or Big Easy Tour tournament they participate in in 2018.

9. PRACTICE TIMES European Stage: Official Practice rounds are Monday 5th March and Tuesday 6th March 2018. Any player wishing to play a practice round prior to this must arrange a tee time directly with the golf club. Players practicing at the venue other than during the official practice day are obliged to pay the relevant green fee if enforced by the club. Note: Club regulations must be strictly adhered to at all times.

10. PRIZE MONEY A Prize money purse of € 5,000 will be paid out to all professionals finishing within the top 10 positions and ties on conclusion of the 2018/2019 Qualifying School.

11. COMPETITOR SEMINAR All new members gaining a card at the Sunshine Tour’s Final Stage QS (played in Johannesburg), must attend the official seminar directly after the conclusion of the Final round of Q School. The Tournament Director may in his sole discretion, withdraw the granting of playing privileges of a player on the basis of his non-attendance at this seminar. The 5 players obtaining a card at the European leg will be sent the information via email.

12. RULES OF GOLF Play shall be governed in accordance with the latest Royal and Ancient Rules of Golf as published by the R&A Rules Ltd, The Members General Regulations, Permanent Local Rules and any other local rules the Tournament Director deems necessary, will apply for the duration of the tournament. Any questions and/or disputes arising from this tournament shall be settled by the Tournament Director whose decision will be final. A sound knowledge of the Rules of Golf will be an advantage at Q-School.

13. CADDIES It is NOT compulsory for players to use caddies. A participant in the Qualifying School may carry his own bag or use a manual golf trolley. . Entrants into the 2018/2019 Sunshine Tour Qualifying School or 2018/2019 Sunshine Tour and 2018 Big Easy Tour members may NOT act as caddies.

14. REGULATIONS AND GENERAL POLICY By submitting a completed Qualifying School application, each applicant: a) acknowledges the sole authority of the Tournament Committee of Sunshine Tour to establish the Qualifying School Rules and Conditions of Entry as published in this application form, and any subsequent rules and regulations of which the applicant is notified prior to any stage of the qualifying school, and agrees to abide by these and any amendments made from time to time by them or persons acting with their authority. This may include but not be limited to changes to the format conditions and schedules referred to above b) accepts and abides by the decisions of the Tournament Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Tournament Director or such other authorized persons of the Sunshine Tour c) agrees to conduct themselves in accordance with the Code of Behavior of the Sunshine Tour as specified in the current Sunshine Tour Members General Regulations Handbook. Copies are available from the Sunshine Tour offices or from the Tournament Office at any qualifying school venue d) agrees to attend a mandatory Sunshine Tour “New Members” Seminar if required, following the completion of the Qualifying School Final

The Sunshine Tour reserves the right to reject entries without recourse. Conduct unbecoming of a professional or non- competitive performance during a previous Qualifying School can be a basis for the rejection of an application to enter. The Sunshine Tour also reserves the right to remove a player from a Qualifying School Stage at any time due to conduct or non-competitive performance. An entrant who is removed from a Qualifying School Stage for any of these reasons, after he has commenced play, will not be entitled to any type of refund of his entry fee

The Sunshine Tour will not accept entries from anyone under the age of 18 years, at the commencement date of the Qualifying School. 3

If, after the closing date for entries, the number of players contesting the Qualifying School is, in the opinion of the Sunshine Tour, such that it does not warrant the playing of the Qualifying School, the Sunshine Tour reserves the right to cancel the tournament without recourse and all entry fees will be refunded.

15. ENQUIRIES Please direct enquiries regarding the 2017/2018 Sunshine Tour Qualifying School to:

ALPS TOUR GOLF E-mail Address: [email protected] or [email protected] Telephone : + 33 141 49 77 78 Physical Address: 68 rue Anatole France, 92300 Levallois Perret, France

SUNSHINE TOUR Postal Address: Postnet Suite 185, Private Bag X15, Somerset West, 7129 E-mail Address: [email protected] Telephone : + 27 21 850 - 6500 Physical Address: Sunshine Tour House, Momentum Golf Village, De Beers Avenue, Somerset West, Western Cape

2018/2019 SUNSHINE TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL – EUROPE ENTRY FORM

Name:______Nationality: ______First Middle Surname

How would you like your name to appear in the draw? ______

Physical Address: ______

City: ______Post Code: ______Country: ______

Mobile number: (_____) ______

E-mail Address: ______

Date of Birth: ______Club Attachment: ______

Information: (a) Are you entering as a professional or an amateur: ______(b) State your handicap ______(c) Name of PGA, Tour or Golf Union where results can be accessed ______

(f) I have read and understood Paragraph 1 pertaining to playing performance ______(Signature)

Applications to enter the 2018/2019 Qualifying School from players who DO NOT meet (b) or (c) above need to be accompanied by results from COMPETITIVE PERFORMANCES within the past 12 months

If paying by credit card, please complete the following:

Credit Card Number: ______

Expiry Date: ______CVV numbers on the back of the card: ______

Signature (as it appears on the credit card): ______

I, the undersigned, acknowledge the sole authority of the Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, Tournament Director, the Board of Directors, Players Committee of the Sunshine Tour and any person authorized to act on their behalf to apply, amend and interpret the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School Rules and Conditions as published in this entry form. Furthermore, I agree to abide by these Rules and any decisions taken by the Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, Tournament Director, the Board of Directors, Players Committee and any person authorized by them in terms thereof.

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the information furnished by me in this application is true and complete and understand that any false statement herein furnished by myself may result in my expulsion from the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School or the suspension or termination of my playing privileges in tournaments sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour.

Signature of Applicant: ______Date: ______

2018/2019 SUNSHINE TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL - EUROPE

TELEVISION, RADIO, MOTION PICTURE, PHOTOGRAPHIC, AND SIMILAR RIGHTS/DECLARATIONS

Note: This form MUST be returned with your completed entry form and entry fee. Failure to return this form may render your entry invalid.

PLEASE PRINT NEATLY

Applicant’s Name: ______First Middle Surname

I hereby acknowledge that all television, radio, print, motion picture, electronic media rights, statistical data and all similar rights in all events forming part of the Sunshine Tour or any other event run in conjunction with, or under the auspices of the Sunshine Tour, are assigned to the Sunshine Tour and I hereby agree to assign any such rights to the Sunshine Tour to the extent that any such rights may vest in me personally. I agree to refrain from any action, which will interfere with the Sunshine Tour’s ownership rights hereunder. I acknowledge that the Sunshine Tour is hereby authorized to broadcast, display, publish or otherwise exhibit all or any proceedings at any tournament including any happenings or events relating thereto.

Signature of Applicant: ______

Date______

2018/2019 SUNSHINE TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL - EUROPE

PRIZE MONEY WAIVER FORM

Note: This form must be signed before teeing off for the first round of the Qualifying School should the applicant wish to retain his Amateur Status in accordance with Note to Rule 2-3 of the R&A Rules of Amateur Status.

PLEASE PRINT NEATLY

Applicant’s Name: ______First Middle Surname

I wish to retain my Amateur Status and herewith waive my right to win prize money at the 2018/2019 Sunshine Tour Qualifying School - Europe.

Signature of Applicant: ______

Date______

HOTEL BOOKING FORM Sunshine Tour Qualifying School – Europe 2018

Rates B&B per room Rates Half Board (breakfast & dinner) per room Standard single room € 90,00 (VAT incl.) Standard single room € 110,00 (VAT incl.) Standard twin room € 140,00 (VAT incl.) Standard twin room € 180,00 (VAT incl.) Standard triple room € 175,00 (VAT incl.) Standard triple room € 235,00 (VAT incl.) All prices include breakfast buffet, free Wi-Fi, fitness room free of charge. All bookings will require a credit card guarantee and prepayment of 30% from the total amount.

PERSONAL DETAILS Compulsory details for booking guarantee Name Surname

Passport Number Country

Address

Tel Email

Credit Card Number Expiry date

Credit Card Name

BOOKING Date of arrival Approx. Hotel arrival time Date of Departure

Number of Single rooms: Number of Double/Twin rooms: Number of Triple rooms:

Names of person/people sharing the room: 1. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………. Names of the competing players: 1. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. Other special requests:

FORM TO BE RETURNED TO ACAYA GOLF RESORT & SPA Email: [email protected] - Tel. +39 0832 861385 8

FAQ on the Sunshine Tour’s Qualifying School

Q. How do I enter the Sunshine Tour Q School? A. You will need to complete the Q School Entry Form and return it to the Sunshine Tour along with the entry fee. The form is available from the Sunshine Tour Membership Department or players can do online entries at – www.sunshinetour.com.

Q. Who can enter the Sunshine Tour Q School? A. All male professionals and male amateurs with a handicap of scratch or better are eligible to enter. See paragraph 2 of the entry form for further stipulations on eligibility

Q. Do I need to register for Q School if I have already entered? A. YES! First Stage entrants must register by no later than 10am on Monday 5 March 2018 and Final Stage entrants must register by no later than 10am on Sunday 18 March 2018.

Q. There are 2 stages to the Q School. How does this work and who is exempt for Final Stage? A. The Final Stage exemptions are listed in paragraph 1 of the entry form. Any players who do not meet these requirements will be placed into one of the First Stage venues. Players may not select a venue. All players will play 72 holes at First Stage and the number of players to advance to Final Stage will be advertised by Friday 2 March 2018.

Q. How many players get a ‘Tour Card’ through the Q School? A. The leading 30 players and ties at Final Stage will gain a Sunshine Tour card In Category 9 for the 2018/2019 season and all players in this category will be re-ranked after every 4 – 5 events of the season

Q. When does the Sunshine Tour season run from? A. The 2018/2019 season will run from April 2018 – March 2019. The first event of the season will take place roughly 2 weeks after Q School in Zimbabwe or Zambia

Q. What does it mean to be ranked in Category 9 on the Sunshine Tour? A. All members of the Sunshine Tour are ranked in a particular Category. There are 10 Categories in total. Players in Categories 1 – 9 are regarded as ranked members, and those in category 10 are unranked. When filling a tournament field, players are exempt in order of ranking. The cut off point for players getting into events all depends on the field size and which players enter the tournament

Q. Which events would I get into if I finish top 30 at Q School? A. Assuming that the tournament cut offs work out the same as they have for the past 2 years, then if you get your card, you should get into most events from April until November, except for the 2

events in Swaziland (the Investec Royal Swazi Sun Classic and the Lombard Insurance Classic) and possibly another 2-3 events in the Gauteng area. The first re rank usually takes place after the African swing, so depending on how you play there, will determine your position for the next block of 4 events

There will be qualifying rounds staged for most events with the exception of the Zimbabwe and Zambia events. There are also no pre q’s for most of the Vodacom Origins and Sun International events because the majority of fields are filled off the rankings for these. The pre q’s for the co- sanctioned events offer 10 spots (7 for Mauritius) and the others offer 15 spots.

Q. Are there qualifying rounds for co-sanctioned events? A. Yes there are. These qualifying rounds are treated exactly the same as all others on the Sunshine Tour. There are 10 spots in these qualifiers (except for the SA Open Championship which has it’s own exemption criteria, and Mauritius has 7 spots)

Q. What is the process to get into the European Tour events? A. There will be regular re ranks of all players in Category 9, so if you have played well through the season, you stand a chance of playing yourself into the bigger (co-sanctioned) events towards the end of the season. If you finish in the Top 50 positions on the Final 2018/2019 OoM, then you should be exempt for the co-sanctioned events the FOLLOWING season

Q. Do I lose my amateur status if I enter the Q School? A. It is not a breach of the Rules of Amateur Status to file an entry for and participate in any stage of the Q School, provided that you waive your right to prize money by completing the prize money waiver form attached to the entry form

Q. What does it mean to sign the prize money waiver form? A. You have two options of entering Q School:

You can enter as an amateur and MUST sign the prize money waiver form. This means that should you win prize money at Q School, you are NOT eligible to receive it. If you get a card at Q School, then when you sign a membership form to the Sunshine Tour, you lose your amateur status and become a member of the Sunshine Tour and a professional. Should you miss your card at Q School, then you still remain an amateur – you do not forfeit your amateur status

You can enter as a professional and NOT sign the prize money waiver form. This means that should you win prize money at Q School, you can take it. If you get a card at Q School, then when you sign a membership form to the Sunshine Tour, you become a member of the Sunshine Tour . Should you miss your card at Q School, then you lose your amateur status and it could take 6 months to 1 year for you to be re-instated. In this time, you are in limbo and cannot play amateur or professional tournaments

Q. Are there age restrictions on entering the Sunshine Tour Q School? A. The Sunshine Tour will not accept entries from anyone under 18 at the commencement date of the Q School.

Q. How much does it cost to go to Q School? A. The entry fee is R7 000 for all entrants. The entry fee does not include travel and accommodation,

which are the responsibility of each participant.

Q. Is it easy to withdraw from the Q School and can the entry fee be refunded? A. You can withdraw by contacting the Sunshine Tour Membership Department by telephone, e-mail or fax indicating your intention.

If you withdraw prior to the closing date of entries, a full refund will be given. If you withdraw after the closing date for entries, and you do not compete, a refund of R6 500 will be given. Once you tee off, or are absent on the tee, you are no longer eligible for any type of refund.

Q. Are there any other ways to qualify for a tournament if you don’t get in on your ranking other than through the qualifying rounds? A. Yes – if you finish in the top 10 positions in the preceding tournament, you get into the next event, provided it is not a co-sanctioned event. For co-sanctioned events, you need a top 5 finish the week before to get in

Q. If I enter a Sunshine Tour tournament, but don’t get in on my ranking, can I play the qualifying round and how many spots are there in the qualifiers? A. Once the entries for a tournament close (3 weeks before the 1st round), the cut off position is determined and communicated to all members. All players who do not get into the event on their ranking are AUTOMATICALLY placed into the qualifying round if there is one. There will be NO qualifying rounds for the Zimbabwe Open, Zambia Opens, Vodacom Origins and Sun International events in 2018. The fields for these events will be determined purely off the category rankings

Q. If I obtain a ‘Tour Card’ at the Q School, how do I retain my Tour Card for the following season? A. You need to play in a minimum of 5 tournaments and earn enough money to finish in the top 100 positions on the Final Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.

Q. How do I move into a higher Category? A: There are 2 ways: a. You need to win a tournament and then you will move into Category 1, 2 or 3 (depending on which event you win). b. If you make more money than the 50th placed player on the Final 2017/2018 OoM during the 2018/2019 season, then you will move into a higher category.

Also, as stated above, all players within Category 9 are re-ranked after every 4 – 5 tournaments during the season, based on their current OoM position.

Q. What are the tournament entry fees? A. Entry fees for events with prize money of less than R1 000 000 are R100 and events with prize money over R1 000 000 are R250.

Q. Are there any other fees to pay if I get my card? A. Yes – you need to pay your annual subscriptions of around R1 500 to the Sunshine Tour which is a once off payment before you play in your first event of the season.

Q. If I miss the 4 round cut at Q School, will I still be allowed to try and qualify for Sunshine Tour events?

A. No – if you miss the cut at Q School, you have NO playing rights on the Sunshine Tour

Q. Am I eligible to try and pre qualify for events on the Sunshine Tour if I do not play the Q School? A. No – only Sunshine Tour members are eligible to play the Sunshine Tour qualifying rounds

Q. Do I need to play Q School with conforming clubs? A. No – however, should you get a card at Q School, your clubs will need to conform before playing your first Sunshine Tour event

Q. What are the rules of golf during Q School? A. Rules governing play will be the following:  The Current R&A Rules of Golf  The current Sunshine Tour Conditions of Competition and Local Rules  The local rules of the host club as approved by the Tournament Director

In addition, you are required to conduct yourself in accordance with the Sunshine Tour Code of Behaviour as contained within the Members General Regulations Handbook.

Q. Do I need to have a caddie at the Q School? A. No – entrants may carry their own bags. (The use of golf carts or trollies is prohibited.) Other entrants into the Q School, and 2018/2019 Sunshine Tour members or 2018 Big Easy Tour members may NOT act as caddies.

Q. Are there dress regulations for Q School? A Players may play practice rounds in short pants, but long pants must be worn for the tournament rounds

Q May I use a Range Finder at Q School? A No – Range Finders may NOT be used during the tournament rounds, but players may use them in practice rounds. Any player using a Range Finder in the tournament rounds will be disqualified

Q. Does the Sunshine Tour assist players with travel and accommodation? A. No – players need to sort out their own travel arrangements. The Sunshine Tour will endeavour to advertise accommodation options on the tournament info sheets published shortly after the close of entries for each tournament

Q. Does the Sunshine Tour have a company to assist foreign players with visas? A. No – unfortunately we do not. We can provide a letter confirming a players participation in the Q School for visa purposes, but players will need to check with the South African Embassy in their countries as to what the visa requirements are

Please take a look at our Tour Information Centre though our website for information on events, results, OoM’s, stats, etc - http://sst.ocs-sport.com/tic/tmtic.cgi. Select the season you are looking for in the window at the bottom right hand side of the page