PREMIUM!
SA Open champ Bezuidenhout up to 35 in the world – and the bank balance is growing as well
Back-to-back wins on the European Tour have rocketed the young South African up the world rankings.
SA Open winner Christiaan Bezuidenhout has enjoyed a remarkable run of form which has also seen him win the Alfred Dunhill Championship in the last two weeks. Picture: Getty Images
In-form South African golfer Christiaan Bezuidenhout has enjoyed a bumper last four weeks, which have included back-to-back wins at the co-sanctioned European Tour-Sunshine Tour tournaments, the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek and the SA Open at Sun City.
And as a result, the 26-year-old has moved up to a career-high 35 in the world golf rankings.
In total, Bezuidenhout has pocketed a cool R8.58 million from his last four events.
His amazing run of good form started a month ago at The Masters in Augusta where he finished in a tie for 38th place, which netted him R792 000 and, after flying ack to South Africa and arriving on the morning of the tournament, he teed it up at the Joburg Open, where he finished tied-15th for R248 000.
Then followed his commanding performance at Leopard Creek at the Alfred Dunhill Championship where he bagged the winners’ cheque of R4.58 million and he followed that up with an equally dominant showing at the SA Open at Sun City this last weekend, romping home by five strokes. He collected R2.96 million in the process.
It has been a remarkable run by the man who as a toddler swallowed rat poison by accident; the ordeal leaving him with a stammer and severe anxiety.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout: ‘There was a bottle of rat poison … I took a sip’ https://t.co/RW4z60NPzV
— The Guardian (@guardian) May 18, 2020
One of the first people to congratulate Bezuidenhout on his win at the SA Open was this country’s greatest ever player, Gary Player.
“He truly has been a cut above the rest and is a deserved champion,” Player tweeted. “Welcome to the South African Open club, I hope it’s the first of many.”
Mark Immelman, the well-known PGA Tour television commentator and brother of former Masters champion, Trevor, was also full of praise for Bezuidenhout.
“It’s time to pay attention … He. Is. Legit!” he tweeted.
Golf fans, In case you weren’t paying attention, @BezChristiaan just pulled off a dominating win in the @SouthAfricaOpen.
It’s his second win in the last two weeks and he is surging up @OWGRltd.
It’s time to pay attention…
He. Is. Legit!
????????????????— Mark Immelman (@mark_immelman) December 6, 2020
Bezuidenhout will get another chance to impress this weekend at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where a whopping total purse of R131 million will be played for by the qualified players.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
