In the early years of the tournament, Bobby Locke and Harold Henning had much success, winning the event multiple times each.

During the middle and later phase of the tournament legend Gary Player had much success, ultimately winning the event five times.

[2] Locke came back the following year with a blowout win, defeating joint runner-up Henning by 11 shots.

[4] Player won the following year but Henning captured the title again in 1961 defeating Bobby Verwey by a stroke.

[9] In 1970, Scotland's Bobby Walker won the tournament defeating fellow Briton Jimmy Hitchcock.