SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2013 – AFRICA OPEN
• His fourth European Tour International Schedule victory in his 233rd European Tour event.
• Moves to 13th with €234,544 in The Race to Dubai.
• Moves into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking, from 146th.
• His second consecutive European Tour season with a victory following the 2012 SAINT-OMER OPEN presented by Neuflize OBC.
• His first European Tour victory on home soil.
• This victory beats his previous best finish in a European Tour event staged in South Africa of tied second in the 2000 South African Open Championship.
• Victory comes in his fourth appearance in the Africa Open.
• Victory beats his previous best finish in the Africa Open of tied 18th in 2012.
• Is playing in his eighth European Tour event of the 2013 season. (He is the only player to have competed in all eight tournaments so far in the 2013 European Tour International Schedule).
• Continues his 100% record of winning all four of his European Tour events when he has led or shared the lead going into the final round. He led by three at the 2001 Sao Paulo Brazil Open (reduced to 54 holes); led by three at the 2003 Qatar Masters; five at the 2012 SAINT-OMER OPEN presented by Neuflize OBC and two at the 2013 Africa Open.
• Becomes the second consecutive South African winner on The European Tour, following Richard Sterne at the Joburg Open. This is the first time South Africans have achieved this feat since Louis Oosthuizen (2012 Maybank Malaysian Open) and Branden Grace (2012 Volvo China Open).
• South Africa have won the Africa Open for the fourth consecutive season, following Charl Schwartzel (2010) and Louis Oosthuizen (2011-2012). (This is the fourth year that the Africa Open has been part of The European Tour).
OTHER FACTS
• The 114th South African victory in European Tour history.
• The fourth South African victory from the first eighth events of the 2013 season. They are: Charl Schwartzel (Alfred Dunhill Championship), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Richard Sterne (Joburg Open).and Darren Fichardt (Africa Open).
• The 13th 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) and Richard Sterne (2013 Joburg Open). This means the country have won 13 of the last 53 European Tour events.
• The second consecutive European Tour event where South Africa have won for four successive seasons. This follows the Joburg Open, where the winners were: Charl Schwartzel (2010-2011), Branden Grace (2012) and Richard Sterne (2013).
• The 32nd South African victory in the 52 events co-sanctioned between The European Tour and Sunshine Tour played, since the first one in 1995.
• Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of 2014.
• Gains a place in the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions.
• Gains his 20th win as a professional.
