Johannesburg - While there was not much movement by South Africa’s top players in the latest world rankings released on Monday, Hennie du Plessis made a significant rise of five places to 197th.
The 25-year-old began the year ranked 219th, but now holds a new career-high world ranking. Du Plessis finished third in the SA Open Championship at Sun City in December, which was his highest ever points haul of his career. His previous best, came at the Joburg Open a week prior at the end of November, when he finished seventh at Randpark Golf Club.
After the Joburg Open, Du Plessis was ranked 314th in the world and following the SA Open he rose 101 positions to 213th.
Du Plessis is also now the 15th-ranked SA player in the world.
At the top of the SA list is Louis Oosthuizen who is 12th in the world. The 2010 Open champion is yet to tee it up in 2022.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout is the SA number two, dropping two positions to 52nd in the world. Bezuidenhout finished in a tie for 40th at the US PGA Tour event The American Express on Sunday.
Despite a tie for 12th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, Erik van Rooyen remained in 63rd place in the world rankings. Garrick Higgo, meanwhile, missed the cut in Abu Dhabi and has dropped five positions to 65th in the world.
Dean Burmester, tied for 25th in Abu Dhabi, and rose one spot to 69th in the world.
The trio of Shaun Norris (71st), Daniel van Tonder (75th) and Branden Grace (77th) complete the eight SA players in the top-100 in the world rankings.
Former world number six and 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel finds himself ranked 119th in the world.