Jayden Schaper might not have been the biggest South African mover on the Official World Golf Ranking list, but his nine-place climb to 298^th marked a return to inside the world’s top 300 as the 2024 action grinds into top gear.

His share of 38^th in the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic was a middle of the field showing, but it showed that he has settled on the tour and should be able to launch a campaign this year which will see him rise on the Race to Dubai rankings, as well as on the world list.

The biggest jump by a South African on the world rankings came from Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who finished second on the PGA Tour’s American Express. That saw him leap 51 places to 56^th on his way to reclaiming the highest spot by a South African from Thriston Lawrence. It also took him coser to the 50^th place that marks the cut-off inside which he wants to be at the beginning of April if he is to play the Masters.

Lawrence missed the cut in Dubai after his second-place finish the week before, and he slipped to places to 69^th.

Erik van Rooyen and Zander Lombard were each up by two places, to 84^th and 122^nd respectively after solid but unspectacular performances in the United States and on the DP World Tour.

South Africa’s top 20:

1. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 56 (up 51)
2. Thriston Lawrence 69 (down 2)
3. Dean Burmester 83 (down 7)
4. Erik van Rooyen 84 (up 2)
5. Zander Lombard 122 (up 2)
6. Louis Oosthuizen 131 (down 2)
7. Garrick Higgo 182 (down 6)
8. Hennie du Plessis 202 (down 5)
9. MJ Daffue 261 (down 3)
10. Louis de Jager 267 (unchanged)
11. Ockie Strydom 269 (down 9)
12. Casey Jarvis 288 (down 1)
13. Jayden Schaper 298 (up 9)
14. Charl Schwartzel 301 (down 5)
15. Jaco Ahlers 303 (down 6)
16. Jacques Kruyswijk 314 (down 5)
17. Darren Fichardt 316 (down 4)
18. Oliver Bekker 359 (down 12)
19. Wilco Nienaber 386 (down 6)
20. Deon Germishuys 397 down 5)