Christiaan Bezuidenhout won the South African Open by five shots at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday for his second victory in as many weeks; credit Perfect Exposure.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout won the South African Open by five shots at
the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday for his second victory in as many
weeks; credit Perfect Exposure.

SA Open winner Bezuidenhout reaches career-high ranking, banks R3 million

Christiaan Bezuidenhout’s back-to-back victories on the Sunshine/European Tours has seen him vault to a new rankings high.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout won the South African Open by five shots at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday for his second victory in as many weeks; credit Perfect Exposure.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout won the South African Open by five shots at
the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday for his second victory in as many
weeks; credit Perfect Exposure.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout’s back-to-back victories in the most recent co-sanctioned Sunshine Tour and European Tour events has seen him vault to 35th in the latest world rankings.

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Bezuidenhout completed a five-shot win at the SA Open at Sun City on Sunday, a week after he landed the Alfred Dunhill Championship title at Leopard Creek.

Bezuidenhout, still only 26-years-old, became the first player since SA-born Englishman Justin Rose back in 2017 to win consecutive European Tour titles.

Monday’s updated world golf rankings saw Bezuidenhout move to a new career-high position.

He remains SA’s second-highest ranked player behind Louis Oosthuizen in 21st place.

FIFTH PLACE IN RACE TO DUBAI STANDINGS

Bezuidenhout’s win at the Gary Player Country Club was worth a cool €160 889.47 (R3 million) while his triumph at Leopard Creek was even more lucrative – to the tune of €252 639.21 (R4.7 million).

The two wins were enough to move Bezuidenhout into fifth place in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings.

The top 60 eligible players in those rankings will tee off in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, starting on Thursday.

South Africa’s greatest two golfers, Gary Player and Ernie Els, paid tribute to Bezuidenhout following his latest win.