It has been a successful few days all round for Members of The European Tour after this weekend saw multiple wins around the globe.
By the end of play yesterday, five European Tour Members had recorded victories across four continents, reflecting the truly international scope of The European Tour’s Membership.
In Europe, Michael Hoey grabbed a two shot victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews on The European Tour, while England’s Matthew Baldwin triumphed after play-off drama in the Challenge Tour’s Fred Olsen Challenge de España in the Canary Islands.
Paul Casey didn’t disappoint as the showpiece attraction in the Korean Golf Tour’s Shinehan Donghae Open after eventually prevailing by one shot, while New Zealander Danny Lee picked up his first win in America on the Nationwide Tour at the WNB Golf Classic.
Meanwhile, on Saturday in South Africa, Hennie Otto won on home soil in the Sunshine Tour’s Platinum Classic at the Mooinooi Golf Club on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
The victories were bound to have a substantial effect on the Members’ various World Ranking positions, and this was confirmed after the release of the weekly Official World Golf Rankings early this morning.
Hoey, now a three-time champion on The European Tour after his brilliant win in Scotland, moved into the top 100 for the first time in his career after shooting 173 places up the Ranking, moving from 271st place up to 98th.
The most dramatic ascent up the Ranking went to Baldwin after his success in the Challenge Tour event in La Gomera. The victory not only earned him his first professional victory but propelled the Englishman to 283rd in the World Ranking, after beginning the week at 476th – a jump of a colossal 193 places.
Casey began the year at eighth in the World Ranking and won the Volvo Golf Championship in Bahrain in January, however he has since then struggled for form so a victory in the 27th Shinehan Donghae Open will come as a welcome boost to the eleven-time European Tour winner. The title has elevated Casey back into the top 20 and he will be hoping he can push on for a strong finish to year and an improvement on his current Race to Dubai ranking of 32nd.
At the tender age of 18 years and 213 days Danny Lee became the youngest-ever victor on The European Tour after winning the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic, a record surpassed by Matteo Manassero in 2010, and his victory in the Nationwide Tour’s WNB Golf Classic, in what was only his 19th entry, has taken the Korean-born 21 year old to 190th in the World Ranking, a rise of 76 places.
Hennie Otto’s two stroke victory in the Platinum Classic on the Sunshine Tour earned him R500,000 but unfortunately no World Ranking points. Part of South Africa’s Winter Series and only played over three rounds, Otto, winner of the 2008 Italian Open, was simply happy to see his hard work paying off, citing a desire to “find my game”.
