Jaco Ahlers was one of only two players in South Africa’s top 20 to climb on the latest Official World Golf Ranking list this week as he jumped 45 places to 302^nd.

That was as a result of his share of third in the Asian Tour’s St Andrews Bay Championship, and he leapfrogged a number of players to be ranked 13^th in South Africa according to the list.

Also benefitting from his performance in that tournament was Dean Burmester, and he was up one position to 116^th as he attempts to stave off the damage caused to his world rankings caused by his defection the LIV Golf. He is South Africa’s third-best player according to the rankings.

The top two South Africans were each down one place: Thriston Lawrence slipped to 100^th and Christiaan Bezuidenhout to 102^nd.

South Africa’s top 20:

1. Thriston Lawrence 100 (down 1)
2. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 102 (down 1)
3. Dean Burmester 116 (up 1)
4. Garrick Higgo 155 (down 2)
5. MJ Daffue 172 (down 2)
6. Ockie Strydom 186 (down 1)
7. Oliver Bekker 197 (down 8)
8. Hennie du Plessis 234 (down 2)
9. Erik van Rooyen 235 (down 8)
10. Zander Lombard 246 (down 4)
11. Casey Jarvis 260 (down 2)
12. Deon Germishuys 279 (down 6)
13. Jaco Ahlers 302 (up 45)
14. JC Ritchie 317 (down 5)
15. Dylan Frittelli 320 (down 7)
16. Louis de Jager 323 (down 7)
17. George Coetzee 324 (down 3)
18. Daniel van Tonder 359 (down 14)
19. Louis Oosthuizen 363 (down 10)
20. Charl Schwartzel 374 (down 7)