SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2011 – SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
• Gains his second European Tour International Schedule victory in his 222nd European Tour event.
• Moves to €523,232 in The Race to Dubai and would move into the top 60 from 80th.
• This victory is his first on The European Tour since the 2008 Italian Open, a gap of three years and 201 days.
• In that time he played 87 European Tour events between European Tour victories.
• This victory beats his previous best 2011 European Tour performances of tied seventh in the Alstom Open de France and Alfred Dunhill Championship (Nov 2011).
• The second consecutive South African victory on The European Tour, following Garth Mulroy at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
• Continues South Africa’s wonderful run of success in the South African Open Championship. This would be the country’s tenth triumph from the last 11 stagings of the event. He follows: Tim Clark (2002, 2005), Trevor Immelman (2003-2004), Retief Goosen (2006), Ernie Els 2007, 2011 (Dec 2010), James Kingston (2008) and Richard Sterne (2009).
OTHER FACTS
• Wins the South African Open Championship in his 16th appearance in the event.
• This victory beats his previous best performances in the event of fifth in 1999 and 2001.
• Becomes the seventh South African victory of the 2011 season. They are: Ernie Els (South African Open Championship – Dec 2010), Louis Oosthuizen (Africa Open), Charl Schwartzel (Joburg Open and Masters Tournament), Thomas Aiken (Open de España), Garth Mulroy (Alfred Dunhill Championship – Nov 2011) ) and Hennie Otto (South African Open Championship – Nov 2011).
• South Africa’s 101st win in European Tour history.
• Gained a European Tour exemption until the end of 2012.
• His 14th professional victory.
• His third victory in 2011, following the Dimension Data Pro-Am and Platinum Classic on the Sunshine Tour.
