FORBES AFRICA lists the top 10 contemporary South African golfers by their career earnings to date on the two major tours.



WHEN THE 103rd PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WAS played in May, South Africa boasted a record 11 entrants in the field, a sign of the competitiveness of the country’s golfers on the international stage and a nod to local courses that continue to develop outstanding players. South Africa currently has 10 golfers ranked in the top 100 in the world, behind only runaway leaders the United States, who have 46, and England’s 11.



But given the investment dollars spent on the game in the respective countries, it makes South Africa pound-for-pound arguably the second most successful golfing nation at present, a huge achievement that amplifies the success of the local Sunshine Tour.



FORBES AFRICA lists (in no particular order) the South Africans currently in the global top 10 by their career earnings to date on the two major tours*



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-louis-oosthuizen">LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52288" width="599" height="399" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $26,274,723 European Tour Earnings: $26,158,152



Oosthuizen has just recently surpassed his European Tour winnings on the United States-based PGA Tour, boosted by two second- placed finishes in consecutive Majors at the PGA Championship and the US Open.



Despite his eye-watering earnings, the Mossel Bay-born player has never actually won on the PGA Tour, losing three times in a play-off. But he did enjoy success by winning The British Open in 2010, which remains his sole triumph to date in one of the ‘big ones’ after those recent close shaves. In fact, he now has six runner-up finishes in Majors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BRANDEN GRACE</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52290" width="526" height="351" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $11,071,441 European Tour Earnings: $16,714,032



Grace has been a stalwart of both tours for some years and picked up his second victory on the PGA in April when he won the Puerto Rico Open to go with his 2016 success at the RBC Heritage.



He has nine further wins on the European Tour, including the South African Open in 2020. He finished tied for seventh at the US Open this year, but his best Major finish was at the 2015 PGA Championship when he finished third.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHARL SCHWARTZEL</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52289" width="543" height="362" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 543px) 100vw, 543px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $1,605,985 European Tour Earnings: $20,674,161



A heavy earner on the European Tour during his career, his one Major triumph actually came in the United States when he lifted the Masters trophy in 2011.



He has only one more win there in the last decade, but an impressive 10 on the European Tour, eight of which have come in South Africa and the other two in Spain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DYLAN FRITTELLI</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52295" width="654" height="435" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 654px) 100vw, 654px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $4,499,473 European Tour Earnings: $3,392,853



Fritelli’s one and only PGA Tour win came at the John Deere Classic in 2019, to go with two successes on he European Tour in the Lyoness Open in Austria and the Mauritius Open.



His best finish at a Major was tied fifth at the Masters in 2020.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><meta charset="utf-8">ERIK VAN ROOYEN</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52297" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $1,596,939 European Tour Earnings: $5,325,617 



Van Rooyen has shown great consistency despite a single professional win outside of South Africa in his career – at the Scandinavian Invitation in 2019. He is often found high up the leaderboard though, with his best Major finish an eighth place at the 2019 PGA Championship.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BRANDON STONE</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52296" width="556" height="371" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $295,257 European Tour Earnings: $4,980,169



Stone has three wins on the European Tour, though none since 2018. He claimed his first victory at the SA Open in 2016 and the closest he has come recently was a play-off loss in the Oman Open last year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHRISTIAAN BEZUIDENHOUT</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-1024x669.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52293" width="592" height="386" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-1024x669.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-1536x1003.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-2048x1337.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $974,608 European Tour Earnings: $4,107,928



An emerging star of South African golf, Bezuidenhout won three European Tour events between June 2019 and December 2020, but has yet to make his mark in the Majors. It feels like it is just a matter of time though. He was banned for two years in 2014 after testing positive for using ‘beta blockers’, which he claimed was to control his anxiety and a stutter. The sanction was later reduced to nine months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DEAN BURMESTER</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-1024x566.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52294" width="539" height="298" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-1024x566.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-300x166.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-768x424.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-1536x849.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-2048x1131.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px" /><figcaption>PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC &#8211; AUGUST 21: Dean Burmester of South Africa on the 14th hole during Day Three of The D+D Real Czech Masters at Albatross Golf Resort on August 21, 2021 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $46,826 European Tour Earnings: $3,931,356



Born in Zimbabwe but playing under the South African flag, Burmester claimed the European Tour’s Tenerife Open in May and has been a stalwart of the local Sunshine Tour.



He has yet to crack it in the United States, and has not yet played at either the British Open or the Masters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GARRICK HIGGO</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52292" width="541" height="360" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $1,358,316 European Tour Earnings: $1,076,625



The ‘next big thing’ in South African golf, and possibly the global game, Higgo has had his breakthrough year in2021andattheageofonly22is as exciting a prospect as you will see on tour.



All four of his professional wins outside of South Africa have come since September 2020, and in June, he won the Palmetto Championship in just his second start in the United States.



Higgo has been mentored by nine- time Major winner Gary Player and turned professional in 2019.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DANIEL VAN TONDER</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52291" width="487" height="325" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



PGA Tour Earnings: $31,300 European Tour Earnings: $562,094



A player who has enjoyed great success on the Sunshine Tour, especially recently with four wins in 2020 alone.



His single success on the European Tour came at the Kenya Savannah Classic in March this year.



By Nick Said



*Earnings as of July 5, 2021

Close-up of golf bag with people in background

South Africa’s Highest-Earning Current Golfers

In an exclusive interview with FORBES AFRICA, golf legend Gary Player speaks about the greatest community golf course he has worked on, and it’s in Soweto.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Golf legend Gary Player has thrown his weight behind a project in South Africa’s Soweto township that he believes should be viewed as a game-changer in how to integrate courses into local communities and is perhaps the first step in producing a black golfer capable of winning a Major title for the country. 



Player, 83, who was recently honored with the title of World Golf Course Designer of the Year, is best known for the nine Major titles he won in an illustrious playing career that included 165 professional victories.



He has been key in the rejuvenation of the Soweto Country Club, a sea of green among the sprawling township, and says it is so much more than a place to enjoy a round of golf.



“We originally designed this course in the 1970s, but this new course we have been working on for two years now,” Player tells FORBES AFRICA. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“It’s a miracle, it’s the greatest community golf course we have done and we’ve done hundreds around the world. </blockquote>



“I have never seen anything to compare to Soweto Country Club. There is a vibe here that is unmatched anywhere in the world.”



Player says a big part of the project has been to include locals in the development and running of the course, to help them feel part ownership of the project and provide a needed sanctuary for many in the community. 



“We had young guys here in Soweto with no jobs and we have brought them in and trained them to cut greens. We have incentivised people,” Player says.



“We have old ladies that are lonely and suffering from neglect, we bring them here to have a cup of tea and give them some love in their lives. 



“We want to get elderly gentlemen to come and make a seniors division and play a bit, even if it is only three holes. We want to include everyone.



“We want to create something for the community that benefits everybody. Even the houses along the road next to the golf course, they are painting them and rebuilding because they are going up in value.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“What we can do through golf is amazing. It is not just the elitist sport that people used to say it is.”</blockquote>



Player, whose views on the game are sought all over the world, feels that the threat to golf in the future does not come at the top of the sport in the professional game, but rather that it becomes inaccessible to amateur players. 



“In professional golf, they have never played for such fantastic amounts of money. These days, in two tournaments, some of the pros earn what I managed to win in all my life,” Player says.



“Professional golf is so popular, especially with Tiger Woods coming back now. But what we need is to build golf courses for the average man, the pros are not so important.



“Because it is the average man that comes here to enjoy the
game and have fun. Amateur player numbers are down because firstly, it is too
expensive and secondly, the game is too slow. We need to change that.”



Woods has been an icon for golf for two decades, despite injuries that kept him out of the game for long periods.



His attacking style of play and immense ability have drawn a huge fan base, including many people who would not be considered traditional golf fans.



Player believes that somewhere out there is South Africa’s own Tiger Woods and that it is only through facilities like the Soweto Country Club that they can be found.



“It depends if a person has got what I call ‘it’ and very few do have that. In the history of golf, there have probably been about 14 superstars, which are players that have won at least six Majors in my opinion. They had something that was different to others. 



“Clubs around the country should tell aspiring young players from poor backgrounds that they can come play early in the morning, or late in the evenings, whatever the case may be, to help them improve. 



“And with the right coaching, I am very hopeful that we can produce a champion.”



South African golfers have won 22 Major titles, the fourth highest of any nation behind the United States (270), Scotland (55) and England(35).



Player heads the list with his nine triumphs, followed by Bobby Locke and Ernie Els with four each, Retief Goosen (two), Trevor Immelman, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel are the other winners.



The Soweto Country Club may be the best chance yet to produce a first black champion.



-Nick Said

Tag: Louis Oosthuizen

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

South Africa’s Highest-Earning Current Golfers

Grass Is Greener In Soweto For Golf Legend Gary Player