Thriston Lawrence has a special place in his heart for Leopard Creek and is one of the favourites to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship

There is a definite sense of coming full circle for Lowvelder, Thriston Lawrence, as he arrived at Leopard Creek on Tuesday for this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship looking to continue his form as South Africa’s latest DP World Tour champion.

The Mbombela Golf Club honorary member grew up in nearby Mbombela and has a special relationship with Leopard Creek in Malalane.

The tournament starts today and finishes on Sunday.

“This is a very special place for me. The Alfred Dunhill Championship was the first professional tournament I ever came to support. I remember seeing Ernie Els and all the others win here, and as a young amateur golfer standing next to the green asking for a ball. And to now be here myself is special,” said Lawrence.

The 26-year-old, who attended Laerskool and Hoërskool Nelspruit, returns as one of South African golf’s most exciting talents having won three times on the DP World Tour in the past 13 months and making history as the first South African to win the DP World Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.

Last week he added his name to the list of South African greats when he won the Investec South African Open Championship.

And this week Lawrence finds himself in illustrious company as he tees it up in an Alfred Dunhill Championship field that includes multiple Major winner and former world number one Ernie Els, fellow Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, and former Alfred Dunhill Championship winners Branden Grace, Brandon Stone, Richard Sterne and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

“It’s very exciting to be here. Everybody wants to get their hands on that leopard trophy,” said Lawrence.

Els is equally excited to be back at a venue he’s always had a special relationship with as the winner of the 2005 Alfred Dunhill Championship, and with South African golf in such a healthy place.

“Seeing Thriston do as well as he has done is great to see. It reminds us of the past players and what other South Africans have done. We have such a rich history in the game in this country and these young players are continuing that. The roots of the game are in place here with the amazing work done by GolfRSA, the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) and other foundations such as mine and those of other golfers. Golf is in a good state in South Africa,” he said.

The tournament has a purse of R26.8m and the winner will take home R4.6m.

Lawrence will playing in his fourth Alfred Dunhill Championship. In 2015, 2016 and 2018 he missed the cut.

He will tee of at 12:00 today with fellow South African and 2010 British Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen, and Spaniard, Adrian Otaegui.

• Lawrence tees off in the Alfred Dunhill Championship today, four days after winning the 112th Investec SA Open.

The victory took the Mbombela Golf Club honorary member to number one on the 2023 DP World Tour rankings, after finishing the 2022 season ranked 14th.

He is presently ranked number 64 in the world.

Lawrence finished the tournament at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate near Johannesburg with a score of 16 under par (64, 67, 67 and 74 for a total of 272) to win by one stroke over Frenchman Clément Sordet. The victory was a well-deserved birthday gift – he turned 26 on Saturday.

The win earned him R4.4m.

Lawrence carded an eight under par 64 on the first day, last Thursday, to take the lead. He never relinquished it, with a 67 on day two taking him to -13, and another 67 on the third round taking his score to -18.

He held a two-shot lead over Sordet going into the final round.

The fourth round was his poorest, with Lawrence shooting 74 and Sordet chasing his maiden pro win and the leader.

The Frenchman shot a final round of 73, but it was not enough, and Lawrence lifted the trophy of the second oldest Open championship in the world.

“I got the course record here a few years ago, and on Thursday I tied it. It was unbelievable.

“I played great after that, but had an unfortunate finish. I got too conservative down the straights and it cost me. I managed to hang in there. As a kid I dreamt of this moment and here I am. Words can’t describe it,” said Lawrence.

“Unbelievable. It’s a dream come true for me. This is the one you want to win – your national Open. It was so special to have Gary Player watching as well. He’s won 13 of these, and now I’ve got one as well. It’s what you dream of. This means everything to me. This is by far my best victory ever,” said a relieved Lawrence.

“During the middle of the round, it felt like it was going to be an easy victory for me, and then golf happens. You get ups and downs during your round.

“You get ups and downs during life. And it happened to me today. It felt like everything was falling apart, but I just hung in there. It felt like match play for me. Even with those stumbles, I was
still ahead, and then after 16 I told myself I was all square. I just tried to stick to my own game and stay calm,” said Lawrence.

“To be standing here with the trophy is an unbelievable accomplishment for me. I’m just so grateful. It wasn’t the prettiest finish, but a win is a win.

I’ll probably wake up tomorrow and still not believe it. This is what you work for. It’s the toughest thing in the world to win, and it’s been an unbelievable start to the new season for me.”