Christiaan Bezuidenhout slipped outside the world’s top 100 for the first time in over two years this week as he was ranked 101^st in the latest edition of the Official World Golf Ranking.

With South Africa’s top-ranked player, Thriston Lawrence, also down three places like Bezuidenhout this week as he slips to 99^th, South Africa is staring down the barrel of having no players inside the world’s top 100 for the first time in a long time. That is in stark contrast to long periods of having 10 players inside the top 100.

The reasons can be found in a world ranking system which is heavily skewed to performances on the PGA Tour as well as a year of some indifferent play from South Africa’s top players. In addition, the downward spiral of the likes of Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester can be laid at the feet of the LIV Golf breakaway which has damaged the rankings – probably irrevocably – of some players who could have been expected to contend worldwide for some years to come yet.

Outside the country’s top 20 players, Wilco Nienaber had a climb of 38 places on the list to 386^th after his share of fourth on the DP World Tour’s ISPS HANDA World Invitational in Ireland last week.

South Africa’s top 20:

1. Thriston Lawrence 99 (down 3)
2. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 101 (down 3)
3. Dean Burmester 117 (unchanged)
4. Garrick Higgo 153 (unchanged)
5. MJ Daffue 170 (down 3)
6. Ockie Strydom 185 (down 4)
7. Oliver Bekker 189 (down 5)
8. Erik van Rooyen 227 (down 7)
9. Hennie du Plessis 232 (down 7)
10. Zander Lombard 242 (down 8)
11. Casey Jarvis 258 (down 9)
12. Deon Germishuys 273 (down 5)
13. JC Ritchie 312 (down 8)
14. Dylan Frittelli 313 (down 10)
15. Louis de Jager 316 (down 10)
16. George Coetzee 321 (down 6)
17. Jaco Ahlers 339 (down 8)
18. Daniel van Tonder 345 (down 15)
19. Louis Oosthuizen 353 (down 10)
20. Shaun Norris 364 (down 15)