After his good finish last week in the DP World Tour’s Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett, JC Ritchie climbed to 145^th on the Official World Golf Ranking for week 19 this year.

While that’s not the highest he’s reached in his career – he got to 122^nd after his win in the Sunshine Tour’s Tour Championship in 2020 – he has reaped the rewards of the weight of his good performances to rise from 304^th which was where he finished 2021. It is the highest position he has occupied this year after he reached 147^th after his share of 14^th in the Mangaung Open in early March.

Ritchie finished the British Masters in a share of eighth. It was his fifth top-10 finish for the year, which includes two victories in tournaments co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the Challenge Tour – the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open and the Jonsson Workwear Open in Durban.

Oliver Bekker, who got into the top 100 in the world last week, had a solid performance in the British Masters, finishing in a share of 27^th and maintaining his position at 89.

Justin Walters, who came close to winning in the British Masters, jumped 64 places on the rankings to 314^th.

Garrick Higgo didn’t play last week, and slipped to 100^th on the list. He’s the last of seven South Africans in the world’s top 100, with Daniel van Tonder (103^rd), Justin Harding (104^th) and Branden Grace (110^th) the closest to taking the number up to 10.

Louis Oosthuizen remains unchanged in 15^th place, and is South Africa’s top golfer.

South Africa’s top 10

1. Louis Oosthuizen (15 – unchanged)
2. Erik van Rooyen (63 down 2)
3. Shaun Norris (65 – down 2)
4. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (70 – down 1)
5. Dean Burmester (72 – down 1)
6. Oliver Bekker (89 – unchanged)
7. Garrick Higgo (100 – down 3)
8. Daniel van Tonder (103 – unchanged)
9. Justin Harding (104 – unchanged)
10. Branden Grace (109 – down 1)