SA’s Grace back in the top-60

Grace back in the top-60

JOHANNESBURG, June 22 (ANA) – Branden Grace’s share of seventh in the US Open Championship one the weekend took him to 60th on Official World Golf Rankings released on Monday.

While Louis Oosthuizen’s rise to 12th from 18th as a result of his runner-up finish behind Jon Rahm was significant as he edged closer to the top-10 which seems to be where he belongs, Grace climbed 11 places from his 71st at the start of last week. That’s also 66 places higher than he started the year, and a move back towards his career-high ranking of 10th achieved in 2016 after the PGA Championship.

Charl Schwartzel was the other big climber amongst South Africans as his top-20 finish in the US Open took him inside the world’s top 100 as he rose 17 places to 93rd.

Schwartzel’s rise brings the number of South Africans in the world’s top-100 back to 10, as the players who didn’t play in the US Open – Daniel van Tonder, Brandon Stone and Dean Burmester – were largely in the same positions as they were last week.

Garrick Higgo remains South Africa’s second-best player after Oosthuizen on the world rankings, climbing one to 38th in a statistical anomaly, despite missing the cut at the US Open.

With the Olympic deadline falling on Monday, it seems likely that Higgo will go to Tokyo to represent South Africa. Oosthuizen turned down the opportunity to go to the games in Rio in 2016, and if he does so again, then Christiaan Bezuidenhout in 46th appears his probable replacement.

South Africa’s top 10:

1.       Louis Oosthuizen 12 (up 6)

2.       Garrick Higgo 38 (up 1)

3.       Christiaan Bezuidenhout 46 (unchanged)

4.       Branden Grace 60 (up 11)

5.       Daniel van Tonder 79 (up 1)

6.       Erik van Rooyen 87 (down 1)

7.       Dylan Frittelli 88 (up 1)

8.       Brandon Stone 90 (unchanged)

9.       Dean Burmester 92 (down 1)

10.   Charl Schwartzel 93 (up 17) – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman