Richard Sterne’s runner-up performance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship saw him rise to his best Official World Golf Ranking in a year, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
READ: You won’t believe how much Sterne made this week
The 37-year-old fell one stroke short of forcing overnight leader Shane Lowry into a playoff, but will be consoled by a remarkable return to form, a healthy pay cheque and a 146-place jump in the latest rankings.
Sterne, now ranked 135, finds himself as the eighth-best South African, falling in behind Brandon Stone, who dropped three places to 111.
Louis Oosthuizen, who finished in solo fourth, remains SA’s best, and along with Sterne was the only player from South Africa in the top 10 to show a positive move. The reigning SA Open champion, in action this week in Dubai, rose one place to sit in 25th, with Branden Grace moving one place down to 52nd.
Shaun Norris (77), Dylan Frittelli (83), Justin Harding (87) and Charl Schwartzel (90) were all in action this week [see how they fared HERE!] but the quartet all failed to improve their standings.
Norris dropped six places, Frittelli moved down nine, Harding slid four places and Schwartzel, who missed the cut on the PGA TOUR, woke up six places lower in 90th.
Stone is seventh in South Africa, with Sterne, Erik van Rooyen and Dean Burmester rounding out the top 10.
