SUNDAY FEBURARY 10, 2013 - JOBURG OPEN
- His sixth European Tour International Schedule victory in his 204th European Tour event.
- Moves to the top of The Race to Dubai with €450,053.
- Moves into the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 94th and with it qualification for the WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship for the first time since 2009. (Prior to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic he was 165th in the Ranking).
- Continues his wonderful 2013 European Tour season. This victory represents his third consecutive top seven finish. He was tied seventh in the Alfred Dunhill Championship and second in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
- His first European Tour victory since the 2009 South African Open Championship (December 2008), a gap of four years and 51 days.
- Played in 54 European Tour events between victories. (Only played ten events between 2010-2011 inclusive due to injury).
- His winning total of 260 (-27) establishes a new 72 hole record for the lowest winning total and in relation to par, for the Joburg Open, beating the 261 (23 under par) of Charl Schwartzel in 2010.
- His winning total of 260 (-27) is the joint second lowest winning total in relation to par in the history of The European Tour.
- His winning margin of seven shots is the largest in the history of the Joburg Open, beating the six of Charl Schwartzel in 2010.
- His winning total of 260 (-27) is the lowest winning 72 hole total and in relation to par of the 2013 season to date. This beats the 264 (-24) by Charl Schwartzel at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
- His final round of 64 (-8) is the lowest final round by a winner this season, beating the 66 (-6) of Louis Oosthuizen at the Volvo Golf Champions.
- His final round of 64 (-8) is the lowest final round by a winner in the history of the Joburg Open, beating his final round of 66 (-6) in 2008.
- His opening round of 63 (-9) equals the lowest start by a winner and in relation to par, this season, matching the total of Stephen Gallacher at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
- His first wire-to-wire victory on The European Tour and the first in the history of the Joburg Open.
- Is the first wire-to-wire victory on The European Tour since Branden Grace at the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
- The first time a player has won on The European Tour dropping only one shot in the regulation 72 holes since Tiger Woods at the 2002 WGC - CA Championship.
- His last 13 consecutive rounds on The European Tour have now all been under par, stretching back to the second round of Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa.
- Is now a total of 56 under par for his last three European Tour events. He was ten under at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, 19 under at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and 27 under par at the Joburg Open.
- Has now won a total of €412,202 in his last two European Tour events; €206,152 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and €206,050 in the Joburg Open.
- The first of his six European Tour titles he has won when he has led or shared the lead going into the final round. Here are the five victories where he has made up a final day deficit: 2004 Open de Madrid (one), 2007 Wales Open (one), 2008 Joburg Open (five), 2009 Alfred Dunhill Championship (five) and 2009 South African Open Championship (six).
OTHER FACTS
- His second victory in the Joburg Open, following his triumph in 2008.
- Becomes the second multiple winner of the Joburg Open, following Charl Schwartzel (2010-2011).
- His second victory in the Joburg Open comes in his seventh appearance. (He has played in every edition of the tournament since it began in 2007).
- The third South African victory from the first seven events of the 2013 season. They are: Charl Schwartzel (Alfred Dunhill Championship), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions) and Richard Sterne (Joburg Open).
- The 113th South African victory in European Tour history.
- The 12th 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), Ernie Els (2012 The 141st Open Championship), Charl Schwartzel (2013 Alfred Dunhill Championship) and Richard Sterne (2013 Joburg Open). This means a South African has won 12 of the last 52 European Tour events.
- The fourth consecutive South African victory in the Joburg Open, following Charl Schwartzel (2010-2011) and Branden Grace (2012).
- The second official European Tour event where South Africa have won the same tournament four years in succession. The first was the SA Open Championship. The winners were: Tim Clark (2002), Trevor Immelman (2003-2004) and Tim Clark (2005). (South Africans went onto win the SA Open Championship for another four years in a row, with Retief Goosen (2006), Ernie Els (2007), James Kingston (2008) and Richard Sterne (2009).
- The fifth South African victory in the Joburg Open in the seven years the event has been played.
- The 31st South African victory in the 51 events co-sanctioned between The European Tour and Sunshine Tour played, since the first one in 1995.
- His ninth victory as a professional.
- Gains a place in the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions.
- Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of 2014.
- Moves over €5 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings.
- Becomes the fifth former Challenge Tour Member to win on the 2013 European Tour. They are: Scott Jamieson (Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Jamie Donaldson (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship) and Stephen Gallacher (Omega Dubai Desert Classic) and Richard Sterne (Joburg Open).
- The 312th European Tour victory by a former European Challenge Tour player.
