SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2013 – TSHWANE OPEN
• His first European Tour International Schedule victory in his 22nd European Tour event.
• Moves to just inside the top 220 in the Official World Golf Ranking, from 436th.
• This victory beats his previous best European Tour performance of tied third in the 2012 Joburg Open.
• Becomes the fourth first-time winner of the 2013 season. They are: Scott Jamieson (Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa), Chris Wood (Commercial Bank Qatar Masters), Matt Kuchar (World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship) and Dawie Van Der Walt (Tshwane Open).
• Following Matt Kuchar winning the WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship last week, this the first time there have been two consecutive first-time winners since, Danny Willett (2012 BMW International Open) and Jamie Donaldson (2012 Irish Open).
• Becomes the second player this season to make a jointly sanctioned event between the Sunshine and European Tour, their first European Tour victory, following Scott Jamieson (Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa).
• The fifth South African victory from the first ten events of the 2013 season. The victories are: Charl Schwartzel (Alfred Dunhill Championship), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Richard Sterne (Joburg Open), Darren Fichardt (Africa Open) and Dawie Van Der Walt (Tshwane Open).
• Is the first time he has led or shared the lead going into the final round of a European Tour event.
OTHER FACTS
• The 115th South African victory in European Tour history.
• The 32nd different South African to win on The European Tour.
• The 14th victory for South Africa since the start of the 2012 European Tour season. They are: Louis Oosthuizen (2012 Africa Open, 2012 Maybank Malaysian Open and 2013 Volvo Golf Champions), Branden Grace (2012 Joburg Open, 2012 Volvo Golf Champions, 2012 Volvo China Open and 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship), Jbe’ Kruger (2012 Avantha Masters), Darren Fichardt (2012 SAINT-OMER OPEN presented by Neuflize OBC and 2013 Africa Open),, Ernie Els (2012 The 141st Open Championship), Charl Schwartzel (2013 Alfred Dunhill Championship), Richard Sterne (2013 Joburg Open) and Dawie Van Der Walt (2013 Tshwane Open). This means the country have won 14 of the last 55 European Tour events.
• The fifth South African victory from the six to be held in South Africa in the 2013 season.
• The fourth of the five jointly-sanctioned between the Sunshine and European Tour in the 2013 season to be won by South Africans.
• The 33rd South African victory from the 53 events jointly-sanctioned between The European Tour and Sunshine Tour played, since the first one in 1995.
• The 14th different South African to win a European Tour event jointly sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour.
• Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2015 season.
• Gains his largest European Tour prize of €237,750.
• Gains his first Sunshine Tour victory.
• Gains a place in the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions.
