Branden Grace

Although Branden was born in Pretoria, his amateur career blossomed at the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation in George. His amateur career was capped off with victory in the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2006, and he turned pro the following year. Grace played on the Challenge Tour in 2007, and recorded two top-10 finishes in eight events. In 2008 he played on the Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour. He finished 35th on the Challenge Tour's Order of Merit and earned his European Tour card for 2009 through qualifying school. Despite struggling on the European Tour that year, he was able claim a finish in a tie for second at the Africa Open on the Sunshine Tour, and also finished in the top 10 in seven of the nine Sunshine Tour events that he played in en route to a 11th place finish on the Order of Merit. His maiden victory as a professional came in 2010 at the Coca-Cola Charity Championship on the Sunshine Tour. He consolidated in 2011, finishing 7th on the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit and decided to go back to qualifying school to earn his European Tour card for 2012. And it paid rich dividends as 2012 was without question his breakthrough year. He claimed four European Tour wins including the the Joburg Open , Volvo Golf Champions (the following week to make it back-to-back European Tour victories, beating his veteran compatriots Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a playoff), the Volvo China Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Grace became the first player since Fred Couples in 1995 to follow his first victory with another consecutively. His victory at the Dunhill included a European Tour record equaling 60 at Kingsbarns during the first round. Grace moved to third in the Race to Dubai and also to a career high 37th in the Official World Golf Ranking after the win.