European Tour: South African Open Power Rankings

By Matt Coles | Jan 7, 2020

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 09: Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa kisses the trophy after victory in the final round on day four of the South African Open at Randpark Golf Club on December 9, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /

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MALELANE, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 26: Charl Schwartzel of South Africa in action during a pro-am event ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Golf Club on November 26, 2019 in Malelane, South Africa. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /

One of the elder statesmen on this Power Rankings list is Charl Schwartzel, who surprisingly, has never won the South African Open in his career, despite having such a good record on home soil.

He has twice finished as runner-up at his home national championship, in 2005 and in 2015, where he missed out on a playoff to Andy Sullivan at Glendower GC.

The South African also finished in a tie for 3rd at last year’s event, which was also held at Randpark GC, so he has a good affinity with the course.

Schwartzel is still on the road to recovery after an injury that saw him miss seven months of the 2019 season, following a run of four missed cuts in five PGA TOUR events prior to that.

He returned at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December and quickly showed the golfing world that he still had the talent to fight for titles, as he finished inside the top three, putting himself in a tie for 7th on the Race to Dubai leaderboard at this early stage.

The 2011 Masters Champion has been victorious eight times on home soil before, and he will be aiming to make it a ninth time this week, as well as lifting the South African Open trophy for the first time in his career.

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