Erik van Rooyen edged ever closer to the world’s top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking released on Monday after his share of fourth in the DP World Tour’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at the weekend.

Van Rooyen went up three places to 60^th with his performance, making him the third-best ranked South African behind Louis Oosthuizen, who is yet to get his 2022 season started, in 12^th, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who had a disappointing week at the Famers Insurance Classic on the PGA Tour in California, with his share of 46^th seeing him drop three places to 55^th.

Van Rooyen has reached a career-high of 40^th on the rankings list twice, both in 2020 after the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship where he shared third, and after the RBC Heritage in South Carolina, when he finished in a share of 21^st. He started 2022 ranked 64^th in the world, after slipping as low as 110^th during 2021.

Also in a share of fourth in the United Arab Emirates at the weekend was Justin Harding, who let slip a chance to win the tournament. His performance did see him move closer to the world’s top 100 as he climbed 20 places to 102^nd. He started the year in 119^th place.

In Sunshine Tour action, Martin Rohwer’s win in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at Sun City was rewarded with a climb of 155 positions to 358^th. He was given a leg-up by the presence of Shaun Norris in the field. The world number 71 meant the strength-of-field was raised, giving Rohwer eight points for the win.

South Africa’s top 10

1. Louis Oosthuizen (12 – unchanged)
2. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (55 – down 3)
3. Erik van Rooyen (60 – up 3)
4. Garrick Higgo (67 – down 2)
5. Shaun Norris (71 – unchanged)
6. Dean Burmester (72 – down 3)
7. Daniel van Tonder (77 – down 2)
8. Branden Grace (79 – down 2)
9. Justin Harding (102 – up 20)
10. Dylan Frittelli (126 – down 3)