The Joburg Open Top 6 Power Rankings

Andy Sullivan hoisted the trophy at the 2015 Joburg Open but he’s facing some tough competition this year as he defends his title.

The European Tour’s South African swing continues in full swing this week with the 10th annual Joburg Open.

Since its inception, the tournament has traditionally recruited a strong field. Last year England’s Andy Sullivan notched the win that helped him catapult into an excellent year.

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The tournament will be held at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club in Johannesburg. The first two rounds will be played on the east and west course then the finishing 36 holes will be on the East Course. Some of the money that’s raised will be going to the Nelson Mandela’s Children Hospital.

There is a lot on the line as the top 3 finishers will be automatically have their tickets to punched to The Open in July.

After last week’s BMW South African Open, there will be some new names added to the power rankings this week. Here is how I have then ranked:

Jaco Van Zyl opened this past week with a blistering 65 at the BMW South African Open. He followed up with a disappointing 78 the very next day but still managed to finish -5 and a top 20 finish. Van Zyl has the firepower to shoot anything that can keep him in contention. He’s still near the top 10 for the rankings for the Race to Dubai. He will also compete for a win this week.

A lot of eyes on Fisher this year to be a force on the European Tour after his win at the 2015 African Open. Trevor Fisher, Jr. had a great week at the BMW South African Open, ending at 8-under par to claim a top 10 finish. He is climbing fast in the Race to Dubai rankings. Fisher also had a nice finish last year at 24th at the BMW Masters. Look for him to stay consistent all year long. Trevor will be a guy who will always be lurking in every tournament.

Congratulations to Brandon Stone for breaking through this week and winning the BMW South African Open this past week. Stone will likely enter the top 100 in the World Rankings and gain a full exemption through 2017 on the European Tour. He earned his right to be on the list this week. Very excited to see how he will handle winning this week at the Joburg Open. A win can do wonders for anyone.

How about this kid Daniel Im. He was the lone American to make the cut, and he flourished with the opportunity. He came in ranked 436th in the World Rankings. With a final round of 65 and a top 10 finish, IM is poised to really shock some people.

Dean Burmester is slowly making a name on the European Tour. With a top 10 finish this week, he earns his way on the list this week. Burmester may be only in the top 50 for the Race for Dubai, but he is progressing every week. Time will tell.

Last but not least is Christiaan Bezuidenhout. It may take a few times to get the name right but his runner up finish this past week earned him a spot here. A virtual unknown who finished just 2 shots back of winning, his nickname is Rambo. I’ll leave it at that.

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