SATURDAY JANUARY 30, 2016 - COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS
BRANDEN GRACE
• His seventh European Tour International Schedule victory in his 144th European Tour event.
• Moves to 765,254 points in The Race to Dubai.
• Remains 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking, but is getting very close to the top ten.
• His first victory since the 2015 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
• Creates history by becoming the first player to make a successful defence of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
• The first time during his career he has made a successful defence of a European Tour title.
• This victory beats his previous best 2016 European Tour performances of tied fourth in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni.
• His sixth consecutive top eight finish on The European Tour. Was third at the 2015 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, tied eighth in the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Championship, tied fourth in the 2016 Nedbank Golf Challenge, tied fourth in the 2016 BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ehurhuleni, tied fifth in the 2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and first in the 2016 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
• His second victory in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters comes in his fifth appearance. (Was also sixth in 2013).
• Has now won €826,422 from his five appearances in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
• Becomes the third player to record multiple victories in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, following Adam Scott (2002 and 2008) and Paul Lawrie (1999 and 2012).
• Becomes the fifth South African victory in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. They are: Darren Fichardt (2003), Ernie Els (2005), Retief Goosen (2007) and Branden Grace (2015 and 2016).
Becomes the first player to successfully defend a European Tour title since Henrik Stenson at the 2013-14 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
OTHER FACTS
• This latest victory by Branden Grace means that South Africa have won the event more times than any other country.
• Joins Martin Kaymer (2010-2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship), Stephen Gallacher (2013-2014 Omega Dubai Desert Classic) and Henrik Stenson (2013 and 2014 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai), as players to win the same Middle Eastern event in back-to-back years.
• Becomes the 13th different player to win multiple titles in Middle Eastern events.
• Becomes the first South African to successfully defend a European Tour event since Louis Oosthuizen (2013-2014 Volvo Golf Champions).
• Becomes the fifth South African in European Tour history to successfully defend a European Tour title.
• Becomes the fourth South African victory from the first seven events of the 2016 European Tour season. They are: Charl Schwartzel (Alfred Dunhill Championship), Brandon Stone (BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni), Haydn Porteous (Joburg Open) and Branden Grace (Commercial Bank Qatar Masters).
• Becomes the 135th South African victory in European Tour history.
• Moves into joint fourth place in the list of most prolific South African winners in European Tour history. He is level with Louis Oosthuizen on seven.
• Extends his European Tour exemption to the end of 2018.
• His tenth victory as a professional.
• The third former Challenge Tour player to win on the 2016 European Tour season. They are: Brandon Stone (BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni), Haydn Porteous (Joburg Open) and Branden Grace (Commercial Bank Qatar Masters).
• The 376th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
