Top 10 Greatest South African Golfers Of All Time

South Africa has a protracted historical past of producing world-class golfers able to be wining all around the world. Bobby Locke paved the best way for Gary Participant, who paved the best way for the likes of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and so forth and so forth.

With a brand new era of expertise rising onto the principle excursions of their droves, we check out 10 of the very best South African golfers of all time…

Gary Player

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Born: 1935
Pro wins: 163
Majors: 9

Probably the most profitable golfer ever from the nation of South Africa, Gary Player redefined what the time period ‘world golfer’ actually meant. He gained tournaments all around the world, together with 24 occasions on the PGA Tour, 63 occasions on the Sunshine Tour, 18 occasions on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and numerous others in nations like Brazil, China, Japan and so forth.

He’s additionally one of many only a few golfers to have accomplished the Profession Grand Slam by profitable all 4 Main championships. A proud South African, he additionally represented his nation 16 occasions on the World Cup.

Ernie Els

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Born: 1969
Pro wins: 75
Majors: 4

Theodore Ernest Els, the person with one of the aesthetically pleasing swings in golf, had a massively profitable profession – made much more spectacular by the very fact he performed through the period of Tiger Woods’ dominance.

In all, Els gained 71 occasions as knowledgeable together with 4 Majors (two US Opens and two Open Championships), gained the European Tour Order of Advantage twice and bought to World No. 1.

He additionally performed for the Worldwide crew within the Presidents Cup eight occasions, with the 2003 version being of explicit notice. Each groups had been tied on 17 factors and Ernie battled Tiger in a sudden-death playoff to determine the winner. The pair halved three holes earlier than a draw was famously agreed upon by captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Participant as a result of unhealthy mild.

Bobby Locke

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Born: 1917 – 1987
Pro wins: 74
Majors: 4

Arthur D’Arcy ‘Bobby’ Locke was a massively prolific winner throughout his enjoying profession, particularly at The Open Championship. In a nine-year stretch from 1949-1957, he gained the Main 4 occasions, and that included 4 different top-10s.

Locke sits third all time for Sunshine Tour wins in his native South Africa with 30. Gary Participant and Mark McNulty are the one gamers forward of him. Certainly Participant himself as soon as mentioned of Locke: “One six-foot putt, for my life? I’ll take Bobby Locke. I’ve seen all of them, and there was by no means a putter like him.”

Retief Goosen

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Born: 1969
Pro wins: 38
Majors: 2

One other South African golfer who was on the prime of his sport throughout Tiger’s dominance, Goosen was a participant extensively regarded as unflappable as proven by his 2004 US Open efficiency at Shinnecock Hills. As everybody complained concerning the unfairness of the set-up, Goosen stored ploughing alongside to win by two strokes from Phil Mickelson.

Goosen would go on to win a number of occasions on a number of completely different excursions and made a surprising begin to his PGA Tour Champions profession, profitable his first senior Main on the 2019 Senior Gamers Championship.

Like Ernie, Goosen performed on a number of Presidents Cup matches and contributed three large factors to assist the Worldwide crew tie in 2003.

Louis Oosthuizen

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Born: 1982
Pro wins: 14
Majors: 1

The height of Louis Oosthuizen’s golf profession undoubtedly got here on the 2010 Open Championship the place he destroyed the sphere to win by seven strokes at St Andrews. Then, 5 years later he practically gained the match once more however narrowly misplaced in a playoff alongside Zach Johnson and Marc Leishman.

Actually, Oosthuizen’s report in golf’s 4 marquee occasions may be very spectacular, ending second is each Main at the very least as soon as. The image above is from the 2012 Masters the place, regardless of his albatross on the second gap, he misplaced in a playoff to Bubba Watson.

Charl Schwartzel

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Born: 1984
Pro wins: 16
Majors: 1

Charl Schwartzel grew to become the third South African winner of The Masters in 2011 because of a final-round 66 that noticed him overturn a four-stroke deficit. This included 4 birdies in a row from the fifteenth gap.

The victory has been the apex of a profession that has additionally included 14 different skilled victories.

Trevor Immelman

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Born: 1979
Pro wins: 11
Majors: 1

Not many golfers can say they made a double-bogey through the ultimate spherical of a Main, battled Tiger Woods and nonetheless emerged victorious. On the 2008 Masters Event Immelman did simply that as he shot a final-round 75 to win by three.

So as to add to that he has gained on a number of excursions and represented his nation on quite a few events.

David Frost

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Born: 1959
Pro wins: 29
Majors: 0

One other golfer who spent quite a lot of time enjoying internationally, Frost has gained 29 occasions professionally, together with 10 occasions in the USA. He additionally represented the Worldwide facet on the Presidents Cup twice.

Branden Grace

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Born: 1988
Pro wins: 15
Majors: 0

Again in 2017, Grace grew to become the primary participant to shoot a sub-63 spherical in a Main, posting a 62 on the Open Championship held at Royal Birkdale.

Nevertheless, his most interesting season up to now got here in 2012 when he gained 4 occasions on the European Tour, together with two tournaments in a row on the Joburg Open after which the Volvo Golf Champions.

Tim Clark

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Born: 1975
Pro wins: 12
Majors: 0

Our ultimate participant on this listing is Tim Clark. The 2010 Gamers champion has gained 12 occasions up to now regardless of niggling accidents which have usually hindered his profession. His greatest end in a Main got here the 2006 Masters because of holing out for birdie on the 18th gap. He completed two behind Phil Mickelson.