Erik van Rooyen continued to accumulate earnings in his maiden European Tour season and is now R1 262 925 richer after he finished as SA’s best at the HSBC Champions in China.

Van Rooyen was part of an all-Saffa final round trio alongside Branden Grace, who is gearing up for his defence of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and Justin Harding, currently enjoying a successful start to life on the Asian Tour.

But it was Van Rooyen, who has come close to winning this year at the Joburg Open and Irish Open, who finished the strongest as he closed with a 70 to finish in the pile sharing 22nd place.

That result earned him over a million rand and also took his season earnings to over one million euros. Van Rooyen has now earned €1 030 739 or R17 140 873 which moves him into 34th place in the Race to Dubai rankings as the season works its way towards the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

Grace banked R949 023 for his week’s work in China and sits in 36th place in the season’s rankings, one place ahead of Dylan Frittelli, who was on PGA TOUR duty this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He finished T54 before he re-joins the European Tour with just three events to close out the 2018 season.

Scottish Open winner Brandon Stone remains South Africa’s leading player in 18th place.

Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images