SUNDAY OCTOBER 7, 2012 – ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
• Gains his fourth European Tour International Schedule victory in his 70th European Tour event.
• Moves to €2,028,215 in The Race to Dubai.
• Moves into the top 40 in the Official World Golf Ranking, from 49th. He finished the season in 271st place.
• His fourth victory of the 2012 European Tour season. The first player since Martin Kaymer in 2010 (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, US PGA Championship, KLM Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship) to win four times in the same season.
• Having graduated from the 2011 European Tour Qualifying School, becomes the first graduate to win four times the year after graduation.
• His figure of €2,028,215 in The Race to Dubai is a record for a Qualifying School graduate the year after graduation, beating the previous best of €1,505,583 won by Johan Edfors in 2006.
• The first player in European Tour history to win his first four events in the same season.
• Joins Seve Ballesteros (1978, 85, 86, 88), Ernie Els (2003), Sir Nick Faldo (1983, 92), Miguel Angel Jiménez (2004), Martin Kaymer (2010), Bernhard Langer (1984, 97), Colin Montgomerie (1999), Lee Westwood (1998, 2000),Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 01, 02, 05, 06) and Ian Woosnam (1987, 90, 96), as players to win four or more official events in the same European Tour season.
• The equal seventh quickest player to win his first four events. He is behind: Tiger Woods (15 events), Seve Ballesteros (41), Sandy Lyle (47), Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia (58), José María Olazábal (66) and Martin Kaymer (70).
• The second wire-to-wire winner of the event in succession, following Michael Hoey last year.
OTHER FACTS
• Becomes the youngest South African to win four times in a single season, beating the mark of Ernie Els in 2003, who was 32 years and 325 days. Grace is 24 years and 140 days.
• Grace becomes the sixth youngest player to win his first four victories in European Tour history. He would follow: Seve Ballesteros (20 years and 161 days), Sergio Garcia (22 years and 109 days), Sandy Lyle (22 years and 141 days), José María Olazábal (22 years and 233 days) and Tiger Woods (23 years and 242 days).
• Maintains his 100% record of winning when leading or sharing the lead going into the final round on The European Tour. First, he led by three shots at the Joburg Open after 54 holes. He shared a one shot the lead with Nicolas Colsaerts at the Volvo Golf Champions, and he took a three shot advantage going into the last day of the Volvo China Open. He led by four going into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
• The first South African to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
• The youngest winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, aged 24 years and 140 days. Beats the previous record of Nick Dougherty in 2007 of 25 years and 136 days.
• This victory is the ninth for South Africa on The European Tour in 2012. They are: Louis Oosthuizen (Africa Open and Maybank Malaysian Open), Branden Grace (Joburg Open, Volvo Golf Champions , Volvo China Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship), Jbe’ Kruger (Avantha Masters), Darren Fichardt (SAINT-OMER OPEN presented by Neuflize OBC) and Ernie Els (The 141th Open Championship). This is the most of any country so far this season.
• The 110th South African victory in European Tour history.
• Gains his largest European Tour prize of €617,283.
• Moves over €2 million mark in European Tour Official Career Earnings.
• Gains his eighth win as a professional and second in consecutive weeks following the Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour Final on the Sunshine Tour.
• The 20th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player on the 2012 European Tour from 37 events so far. They are: Louis Oosthuizen (Africa Open and Maybank Malaysian Open), Branden Grace (Joburg Open, Volvo Golf Champions, Volvo China Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship), Robert Rock (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Omega Dubai Desert Classic), Justin Rose (WGC – Cadillac Championship), Julien Quesne (Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol), Michael Hoey (Trophée Hassan II), Thorbjørn Olesen (Sicilian Open), Bernd Wiesberger (Ballantine’s Championship and Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity), Ricardo Santos (Madeira Islands Open – Portugal), Nicolas Colsaerts (Volvo World Match Play Championship), Jamie Donaldson (Irish Open), Marcel Siem (Alstom Open de France), Richie Ramsay (Omega European Masters) and Peter Hanson (KLM Open).
• The 304th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
• The 42nd European Tour victory by a player who graduated from The European Tour Qualifying School and went on to win the following season.
