Grace climbs rankings after solid Texas showing

Apr 5, 2021 | Featured, Rankings

He didn’t get himself into the Masters, but Branden Grace’s solid showing last week in the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour lifted him two places on the Official World Golf Ranking list to 78^th.

Grace finished in a share of 23^rd behind a resurgent Jordan Spieth, who has rounded nicely into what appears to be his best form ahead of the Masters. Spieth was irresistible with his closing six-under-par 66, while Grace signed for a four-under 68 to finish four-under for the week, 14 shots behind the winner.

Grace was one of two South Africans inside the world’s top 100 who improved his ranking – the other was Erik van Rooyen, who also had a good week in Texas, with his closing one-under 71 seeing him finish in a share of 14^th behind Spieth, and lifting him to 62^nd on the world rankings. That was a one-place climb.

The top-ranked South African, Louis Oosthuizen, slipped one position to 28^th, which is now six spots lower than his starting position for 2021. Christiaan Bezuidenhout remains South Africa’s second-ranked player at 35^th, with Dylan Frittelli, unchanged in 68^th, the fourth-ranked player behind Van Rooyen. All three of Oosthuizen, Bezuidenhout and Frittelli will be at Augusta this week, together with 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

Daniel van Tonder (74 – down one), George Coetzee (84 – down two) and Brandon Stone (97 – down one) remain inside the world’s top 100 despite a week on inactivity which was responsible for their losing ground.

There are three South Africans within striking distance of the world’s top 100: Garrick Higgo is unchanged in 114^th, Shaun Norris is down one in 119^th and Justin Harding is down one in 122^nd. Higgo and Harding will be in action in next week’s Austrian Open on the European Tour, which will give them a chance to get closer to the 100^th spot.

South Africa’s top 10: