With only three South Africans playing in the Masters last week, former winner Charl Schwartzel made the cut at Augusta National and managed to climb 18 places on the latest Official World Golf Ranking published on Monday.

The man who pulled on the green jacket in 2011 finished in a share of 50^th behind winner and new world number one, Jon Rahm of Spain, and it saw him climb back inside the world’s top 200 to 196^th.

It’s a climb that is unlikely to last long as he continues to miss out on the chance to climb as a result of his defection to LIV Golf. The rebel tour with its very limited 48-man fields and 54-hole shotgun starts is yet to attract official ranking points, and there is no clear timeline for that to happen.

Five other South Africans, none of whom were in the field for the Masters, climbed a few positions as players in the year’s first major championship shifted around on the list. They were Erik van Rooyen, Zander Lombard, Branden Grace, George Coetzee and Louis de Jager.

The country’s top-ranked player remains Christiaan Bezuidenhout, down two places this week in 74^th.

South Africa’s top 20:

1. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 74 (down 2)
2. Dean Burmester 82 (down 3)
3. Thriston Lawrence 89 (down 3)
4. Oliver Bekker 117 (down 2)
5. Erik van Rooyen 123 (up 2)
6. Louis Oosthuizen 127 (down 7)
7. Ockie Strydom 139 (down 1)
8. MJ Daffue 147 (unchanged)
9. Hennie du Plessis 181 (down 3)
10. Dylan Frittelli 182 (down 2)
11. Zander Lombard 185 (up 3)
12. Shaun Norris 190 (down 7)
13. Charl Schwartzel 196 (up 18)
14. Garrick Higgo 216 (unchanged)
15. Branden Grace 235 (up 2)
16. George Coetzee 237 (up 1)
17. JC Ritchie 255 (unchanged)
18. Louis de Jager 258 (up 2)
19. Justin Harding 260 (down 4)
20. Jaco Ahlers 278 (down 2)