After the dramatic Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, a number of players made significant moves in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex. From the man who jumped up into the top 10 to the players who made the top 60 to qualify for next week’s DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, europteantour.com looks back on the biggest movers.
Branden Grace
Start of the week: 34th
End of the week: 9th
It was a week Branden Grace will never forget. The 29 year old from Pretoria became the first South African in ten years to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge and in the process secured his eighth European Tour win. A tense three-way battle for the trophy with Scott Jamieson and Victor Dubuisson ended with Grace reigning victorious in front of his home fans and leaping into the top ten on the Race to Dubai Rankings and in position to claim a share of the $5 million Bonus Pool at the end of the season.
Scott Jamieson
Start of the week: 75th
End of the week: 23rd
What a week it was for Jamieson. As he went hunting for his second European Tour win, the Glaswegian put in a valiant display on Sunday, but was ultimately beaten to the trophy by a single shot by Grace. Before a ball was struck, Jamieson wasn’t on course to play in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, but following his outright second place finish in Sun City, he comfortably secured his place in the elite field heading to Dubai.
Victor Dubuisson
Start of the week: 73rd
End of the week: 38th
At the beginning of the week, Dubuisson made it clear his goal was to qualify for Dubai for the sixth year running. He duly performed like a man on a mission and continued his superb end-of-season record on tour. For the second year running he finished in third place in South Africa and will head to Dubai hoping to add to the three previous top fours he has in the final event of the year in the Middle East.
Haydn Porteous
Start of the week: 65th
End of the week: 57th
Maybe home comfort played its part, but Porteous battled hard to ensure he’d be in the field for Dubai for the very first time. A tie for 12th on a course he played often as a younger man means this year’s D+D REAL Czech Masters champion will tee it up in Dubai aiming to further enhance his growing reputation. Performing well under such pressure will no doubt add to the 23 year old’s confidence heading into 2018.
Richard Sterne
Start of the week: 61st
End of the week: 60th
Talk about sneaking over the line. Richard Sterne knew the margins would be tight this week and that any movement in the right direction could take him over the line given his position just outside the top 60. He hovered in 59th place on Saturday evening and showed character to post a battling round of par and book his flight to Dubai.
