European Tour rookies Dylan Frittelli and Dean Burmester failed to pull off the win on Sunday, but enjoyed a healthy rankings leap after the DP World Tour Championship.
The pair were both in line to at least force a playoff with eventual winner Jon Rahm, before finding the hazard that runs up the 18th fairway. Their impressive form over the previous 71 holes and the fact that both saved par late on Sunday helped the South African duo finish in a share of fourth with Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose.
Frittelli remains SA’s fourth-highest ranked player, but is now 10 spots better off, as he climbed to 68th position after a stellar season on tour that included five top 10s to go with his maiden win at the Lyoness Open. Tshwane Open winner Burmester is tracking back towards the top 100, and moved up 35 places to 126th. The result in Dubai helped Burmester move past countrymen Richard Sterne, George Coetzee and Brandon Stone in the rankings.
At the top of the standings, Jon Rahm moved to fifth ahead of Hideki Matsuyama. The Japan star failed to win on home soil as Brooks Koepka stormed to the Dunlop Phoenix title by nine shots. The win helped Koepka up to seventh in the world ahead of Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy.
Top 10 South African rankings:
Louis Oosthuizen – 22
Branden Grace – 29
Charl Schwartzel – 33
Dylan Fritelli – 68
Dean Burmester – 126
George Coetzee – 135
Richard Sterne – 136
Brandon Stone– 162
Haydn Porteous – 174
Darren Fichardt – 189
Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
