South Africa to stage 6 European Tour events

South Africa will co-host six 2012-2013 European Tour golf tournaments, officials announced Tuesday. The Nelson Mandela Championship and the Tshwane Open have been been added to four existing events -- the Alfred Dunhill Championship, South African Open, Africa Open and Joburg Open. Hosting six Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned events means South Africa will put on more tournaments than any other country on the European Tour circuit. The one-million-euro Nelson Mandela Championship between December 6-9 tees off the European Tour Road to Dubai and is likely to be staged at Royal Durban Country Club or Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth. A course between Johannesburg and Pretoria designed by 2012 British Open champion Ernie Els hosts the Tshwane Open between February 28-March 3 and offers the biggest Sunshine Tour purse of 1.5 million euro. Sunshine Tour official Selwyn Nathan said: "I am particularly excited that we have another (two) European Tour co-sanctioned events as it shows the confidence one of the two major tours in the world has in us."