Charl Schwartzel’s slow week at the Valspar Championship has cost him his place inside the world’s top 50 golfers with the latest rankings released on Monday.
The 2016 winner, who finished sixth last year, was unable to arrest his slide at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course this weekend. The 2011 Masters winner turned in rounds of 70, 73, 70 and 73 to share 49th place.
That result has seen the 33-year-old drop two places to 52 in the world; his lowest ranking since November 2015.
Branden Grace’s top 10 at the Valspar Championship lifted him one place to 27th with Louis Oosthuizen went up one to 29th.
Third-ranked South African Dylan Frittelli, who remains unchanged in 45h, skipped European Tour action this week to prepare for the WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay in Austin, Texas. It seems now almost a certainty that Frittelli will join Oosthuizen, Grace and Schwartzel at Augusta National in April with the final ranking deadline for The Masters set for 25 March.
George Coetzee remained in the top 100, dropping one place to 100th.
Valspar winner Paul Casey moved up five places to 12th with Sergio Garcia up from 11th to ninth after finishing a sole fourth at Copperhead courtesy of a final round 65; the tied low round of the week.
Tiger Woods’ comeback was not capped by a win as he finished one shot short of Casey’s mark but the result was good enough to see him climb 239 places to 149th in the world.
Top 10 South African rankings:
Branden Grace – 27
Louis Oosthuizen – 29
Dylan Fritelli – 45
Charl Schwartzel – 52
George Coetzee – 100
Shaun Norris – 109
Dean Burmester – 137
Richard Sterne – 148
Erik van Rooyen – 154
Haydn Porteous – 182
Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
