With a stellar cast of celebrities, an official Sunshine Tour course as venue, and almost R150 000 for the Laureus Sport For Good Foundation, the second edition of The Dan Nicholl Invitational was a huge success for SuperSport’s popular celebrity talk show.

The Eye Of Africa, the Greg Norman-designed course just outside of South Africa that hosts the Tour’s PGA Championship, again welcomed a large celebrity field that included cricketers AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, Olympians Akani Simbine, Ruswahl Samaai and rowing gold medalist James Thompson, Carte Blanche host Derek Watts, European Tour-winning golfer Brandon Stone, UFC fighter Soldierboy, comedian Jason Goliath, and footballers Shaun Bartlett and Matthew Booth – all former guests on The Dan Nicholl Show.

Nicholl himself played the par-three fifth hole with each fourball, part of a challenge with headline partners BrightRock – generous supporters of the Invitational once again – as a large field of corporate guests joined the celebrity golfers for an event that supports the show’s official charity partner.

“We’ve been able to showcase the incredible work that Laureus does on the six seasons of the show to date, and now with the Invitational, we can add a little financial support as well to a terrific organisation,” Nicholl said after a day that included a well-supported charity auction. “I’ve had the opportunity to visit Laureus projects around the world to see how sport is making a fundamental difference in the lives of young people; thanks to some very generous supporters today, and with Eye Of Africa giving us free use of the course, we can help Laureus to continue changing lives.”

Those generous supporters included BMW, who provided M3 driving courses for the eventual winners, and a splendid nearest the pin prize of a trip to Cape Town to visit the new Zeitz Mocca museum, won by Titans coach Boucher, and Sun International, whose contributions included VIP tickets to January’s SunMet, and a range of accommodation vouchers across South Africa, along with TaylorMade, Ernie Els Wines, Striped Horse, Bulgari, Bain’s Whisky, Savanna, and Nando’s, popular suppliers of food out on the course to the golfers.

“Laureus is a great cause, and it’s nice to see all the sports stars out here helping to raise money,” Bafana legend Bartlett said. Rising golf star Stone agreed: “Laureus do so much across the globe; golf has given me so much, so any opportunity I have to give back through sport is special.”

“The work that Laureus has done around the world has been fantastic,” concurred Boucher, who had eight of his Titans players along for the day. “It’s wonderful to see so many sportspeople giving back.”

And it was one of those sportspeople who ended up triumphant, Titans and Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris the celebrity in the winning fourball. “It’s probably my greatest sporting triumph,” Morris laughed afterwards. “But the real win is being able to enjoy some wonderful company, and support a fantastic cause.”

Highlights of the second edition of The Dan Nicholl Show Invitational: https://youtu.be/jpizeOXNduU

The list of celebrities who took part:

AB de Villiers
Derek Watts
Mark Boucher
Joey Rasdien
Akani Simbine
Brandon Stone
Gareth Soldierboy McLellan
Shaun Barlett
Lawrence Brittain
James Thompson
Stephen Cook
Heino Kuhn
David Wiese
Ruswahl Samaai
Henry Davids
Jason Goliath
Dave Levinsohn
Brian Mitchell
Mathew Booth
Heinrich Klaasen
Chris Morris
Dean Elgar
Julian Redelinghuys