SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2016 – TSHWANE OPEN
CHARL SCHWARTZEL
• His 11th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 283rd European Tour event.
• Moves to 530,984 points in The Race to Dubai.
• Could move back into the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 43rd.
• His second European Tour title of the 2016 season, following the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
• The first multiple winner of the 2016 season.
• The third time during his European Tour career he has recorded multiple victories in the same season. The previous years were 2010 and 2011.
• Continues with his wonderful recent European Tour form. This latest performance is his fourth consecutive top nine finish. Was tied fourth in the 2015 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, first in the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Championship, tied ninth in the 2016 Nedbank Golf Challenge and now first again in the 2016 Tshwane Open.
• Victory comes on his debut in the Tshwane Open, in what is his first event of the calendar year.
• Becomes the third different South African to win the Tshwane Open in the four years the tournament has been played. He joins Dawie Van der Walt (2013) and George Coetzee (2015).
• This victory means that seven of his last eight European Tour victories have come on home soil, dating back to the 2010 Africa Open. (The only European Tour success not to come in South Africa since 2010 was the 2011 Masters Tournament).
• Has now won eight of his 11 European Tour titles in South Africa.
• This eighth win on home soil sees him stretch his lead at the top of the list for most European Tour victories in co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour. Ernie Els is next with six. Also is the most number of European Tour wins by a South African on home soil.
OTHER FACTS
• Has now won four different European Tour titles to be played in South Africa. They are: Alfred Dunhill Championship (2005, 2013, 2014 and 2016), Africa Open (2010), Joburg Open (2010 and 2011) and Tshwane Open (2016). Becomes the first player to win four different European Tour events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour.
• Becomes the fifth South African winner of the 2016 European Tour season to date. They are: Charl Schwartzel (Alfred Dunhill Championship and Tshwane Open), Brandon Stone (BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni), Haydn Porteous (Joburg Open) and Branden Grace (Commercial Bank Qatar Masters).
• This is the first time that South Africa have won five of the first nine European Tour events.
• Playing in his first event of the calendar year. The second time during his career he has won his first event of the calendar year. The first time was the 2010 Africa Open.
• The 136th South African victory in European Tour history.
• This victory is the 43rd South African victory in European Tour events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour. (Since 1995 this event is the 71st between The European and Sunshine Tour).
• Led by one shot going into the final round. Becomes the seventh of the nine winners on the 2016 European Tour to date to win when leading or sharing the lead going into the final round.
• Has now seven of his 11 European Tour events when leading going into the final round, including the last four.
• His eight shot victory is the largest in the history of the Tshwane Open, beating the three of Ross Fisher in 2014.
• His eight shot victory is the largest of the 2016 European Tour season, beating the six shots of Marc Leishman at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
• His 72 hole winning total of 264 (-16) is the lowest winning total in the history of the Tshwane Open, beating George Coetzee’s total of 266 (-14) in 2015.
• His 72 hole winning total of 264 is the lowest of the 2016 season so far.
• His 14th win as a professional and ninth in his homeland overall.
• Goes through €15 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings.
