Big rankings boost for JC Ritchie after Cape Town Open win

Johannesburg — After winning the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open at the weekend, JC Ritchie has climbed inside the top 200 on the Official World Golf Ranking list this week, reaching his highest position in a year.

He climbed 92 places from 288th to 196th, a few places lower than the 182nd he achieved when he won it last year, but heading in the right direction towards his career-high ranking of 120th after the 2020 Dimension Data Pro-Am.

Ritchie is one of 16 South Africans inside the world top 200, with the country’s top-ranked player remaining Louis Oosthuizen in 13th. There are nine South African inside the top 100, with Justin Harding at 95th. Dylan Frittelli, who was the best South African finisher on the PGA Tour last week, rose four places to 120th.

The other South African to do well from his performance at Royal Cape Golf Club over the weekend was Zander Lombard, whose third-place finish propelled him 39 places up the lists into the world top 300 at 290th.

For those players from the DP World Tour inside South Africa’s top 10, and who were inactive last week because there was no tournament, there is another week to wait until the Magical Kenya Open.

But for locally-based players, there is the opportunity to rack up some decent points with the Jonsson Workwear Open co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the Challenge Tour at Durban Country Club and Mount Edgecombe.

South Africa’s top 10

1. Louis Oosthuizen (13 - unchanged)

2. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (58 – down 2)

3. Erik van Rooyen (64 – down 1)

4. Garrick Higgo (74 – down 2)

5. Dean Burmester (75 – down 2)

6. Shaun Norris (79 – down 4)

7. Daniel van Tonder (82 – down 1)

8. Branden Grace (89 – down 3)

9. Justin Harding (95 – down 1)

10. Dylan Frittelli (120 – up 4)

SA