SUNDAY DECEMBER 4, 2016 – ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP
BRANDON STONE
• His second European Tour International Schedule victory in his 49th official European Tour event.
• Moves to the top of the Race to Dubai with to 190,200 points.
• Could move into the top 75 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 107th.
• His second European Tour victory in the calendar year of 2016, following his win in the BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni in January.
• His second consecutive European Tour season with a victory following on from winning the 2016 BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni.
• Now has won in his first two seasons on the European Tour since graduating from the European Challenge Tour in 2015.
• This victory comes in his second appearance in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
• This victory beats his previous best finish in the Alfred Dunhill Championship of tied 18th in the 2016 season (played in November 2015).
• Led by three shots going into the final round. Maintains his 100% record of winning both his European Tour titles when leading with 18 holes to play. Led by two after 54 holes of the 2016 BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni.
• Aged 23 years and 228 days becomes the youngest South African to win his first two European Tour events since Charl Schwartzel, who was 22 years and 241 days when he claimed his second title, the 2007 Open de España.
• Becomes the first South African to win his first two European Tour events on home soil since George Coetzee, who won the 2014 Joburg Open and 2015 Tshwane Open.
• Becomes the first player since George Coetzee (2014 Joburg Open and 2015 Tshwane Open), to win their first two European Tour events that were co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour.
OTHER FACTS
• Becomes the tenth different South African to record multiple European Tour victories in events that have been co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour.
• Becomes the sixth consecutive South African victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship. They are: Garth Mulroy (2011 – Nov 11, played twice that season), Charl Schwartzel (2013-14 and 16 seasons), Branden Grace (2015) and Brandon Stone (2017 season). (Event not played in the 2012 European Tour season).
• Becomes the ninth South African victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship since the event began in 2000. They are: Charl Schwartzel (2005, 2013-14 and 16 seasons), Ernie Els (2006), Richard Sterne (2009), Garth Mulroy (2011 – Nov 11), Branden Grace (2015) and Brandon Stone (2017 season).
• Becomes the 138th South African victory in European Tour history.
• Becomes the 24th different South African to record multiple European Tour titles.
• This victory extends South Africa’s run of consecutive winning years on the European Tour to 27, dating back to the 1991 season.
• Won the 2016 BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni, having graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2015. Becomes the first player to graduate from the Challenge Tour and win in his first two consecutive seasons after graduation since Julien Quesne. The Frenchman graduated in 2011 and went onto win the 2012 Open de Andalucia Costa del Sol and the 2013 Italian Open.
• His winning margin of seven shots is the biggest on the European Tour since Hideki Matsuyama won by seven at the 2016 WGC – HSBC Champions.
• Extends his European Tour exemption until the end of 2018 season.
• This victory is the 44th South African triumph in European Tour events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour. (Since 1995 this event is the 72nd between the European and Sunshine Tour).
• Claims his third victory as a professional. All have come in South Africa. The first was the 2015 Lion of Africa Cape Town, followed by the 2016 SA Open and now the 2017 Alfred Dunhill Championship.
• Becomes the first former Challenge Tour player to win on the European Tour in the 2017 season.
• Becomes the 392nd European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
