2020 European Tour: Recapping the start of the season
By Matt Coles
South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg
Following a two-week break for the Christmas and New Year period, the European Tour continued in the same nation where it had started the season, with the South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg.
Again, like the ADC and the Australian PGA, the field was made-up mostly of home hopes, with South Africans taking up most of the bill for the week, and it would be one of the favourites that won on home soil.
Branden Grace was the man to take the victory at Randpark GC, posting the lowest score to par of the season, as he succeeded with a final score of -21.
Going into the final round of the tournament, the South African sat three shots off the lead, behind compatriot, and former major champion, Louis Oosthuizen, but the deficit did not last long.
Grace fought his way to the top with a stunning final round of 62, with the nine-under-par round being more than enough to take the title, as he won out by three shots.
With the victory, and the added points from his performance at the season-opener at Leopard Creek, Grace took the top spot on the Race to Dubai leaderboard, but he would stay there for just seven days.
South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg Leaderboard:
1 (-21): Branden Grace (RSA)
2 (-18): Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)
3 (-16): Marcus Armitage (ENG)
Race to Dubai Standings (after 4/46 events):
1: Branden Grace (RSA) – 476.6
2: Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) – 460.0
3: Rasmus Højgaard (DEN) – 347.9
4: Adam Scott (AUS) – 335.0
5: Joel Sjöholm (SWE) – 323.6