Branden Grace
Branden Grace | |||
---|---|---|---|
George, South Africa Tequesta, Florida | |||
Spouse |
Nieke Coetzee (m. 2016) | ||
Children | 1 | ||
Career | |||
Turned professional | 2007 | ||
Current tour(s) | |||
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Challenge Tour | ||
Professional wins | 15 | ||
Highest ranking | 10 (14 February 2016)[1] | ||
Number of wins by tour | |||
PGA Tour | 2 | ||
European Tour | 9 | ||
Sunshine Tour | 6 | ||
LIV Golf | 1 | ||
Best results in major championships | |||
Masters Tournament | T18: 2013 | ||
PGA Championship | 3rd: 2015 | ||
U.S. Open | T4: 2015 | ||
The Open Championship | T6: 2017 | ||
Achievements and awards | |||
|
Branden John Grace (born 20 May 1988) is a
On 22 July 2017, Grace became the first man to record a sub-63 score in a major when he shot a 62 (8 under par) in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
Amateur career
Grace was born in
Professional career
This section of a poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Branden Grace" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2021) |
Early years
Grace played on the
In 2009, Grace struggled on the European Tour but finished in a tie for second at the Africa Open on the Sunshine Tour, behind winner Retief Goosen. He finished in the top 10 in seven of the nine Sunshine Tour events that he played in en route to an 11th-place finish on the Order of Merit. He picked up his first professional win in 2010 at the Coca-Cola Charity Championship on the Sunshine Tour. In 2011 he finished 24th on the Challenge Tour's Order of Merit while recording five top-10 finishes. He also finished 7th on the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit. He went back to qualifying school to earn his European Tour card for 2012.
2012: Breakthrough season
In January he won the
On 22 April, Grace won his third tournament on the European Tour when he won the Volvo China Open. Only two players have won three European Tour titles in a single season at a younger age, Seve Ballesteros did it three times between 1977 and 1980, and Sandy Lyle did it in 1979. Grace also became only the third South African to win three times in a single season, joining Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. He also became only the second player in European Tour history to win three times in the season after graduating from qualifying school.[9]
In September, Grace captured his third Sunshine Tour title at the
2013–2016
Grace had a less successful season in 2013, finishing 18th on the European Tour's Race to Dubai,
In December 2014, as part of the
At the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, Grace held a share of the lead through 54 holes. On Sunday, he was in the penultimate group with eventual champion, Jordan Spieth, and was still tied for the lead heading to the 16th hole, until he blocked his drive to the right and out of bounds, forcing him to re-tee and eventually leading to a double bogey to spiral him out of contention to win. He finished with a final round 71, and a tied for 4th position. At the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits Grace placed in the top-five for the second time in his career at the major championships, when he placed third.
At the 2015 Presidents Cup, Grace would have a perfect week. On the opening day (Thursday foursomes), Grace teamed with fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen to defeat Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed in comfortable fashion 3 and 2. On Day 2 (Friday fourball), Grace would again team with Oosthuizen in a dominant performance against world number one Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson winning 4 and 3. On Day 3 (Saturday morning foursomes), Grace for a third time teaming with Oosthuizen, won in another comfortable match 3 and 2, defeating the team of Reed and Rickie Fowler. Later in the day during (Saturday afternoon fourball), teaming with Oosthuizen a fourth and final time, the team won its fourth match against the undefeated duo of Bubba Watson and J. B. Holmes. The fourball match being the only time Grace would see the 18th hole all week, his team winning 1 up at the last. On the final day of the event (Sunday singles), Grace played against Kuchar and started out red hot, dominating Kuchar on the front nine. Kuchar fought back from several holes down before losing 2 and 1. Grace's perfect record of 5–0–0 was the fifth such occasion in Presidents Cup history and just the second time for the International side.
On 30 January 2016, Grace defended his
Grace was able to play on the PGA Tour in 2016, in the "Top 125 Non-member" category. This followed his successes in the 2015 majors and other PGA-recognised tournaments. On 17 April 2016, Grace claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the RBC Heritage after shooting a final round 66.
2017
On 22 July, Grace shot a 62 in the third round of the Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, setting a record for the lowest round in a men's major championship.[14]
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Grace's score | −1 | −1 | −1 | −2 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −4 | −5 | −5 | −5 | −5 | −5 | −6 | −6 | −7 | −8 | −8 |
Birdie
In November 2017, Grace won the
2019
In January 2019, Grace started working with Scottish caddie, Craig Connelly.[15]
2020
In January, Grace fired a final round 62 to win the South African Open. The victory capped a unique milestone for Grace. Previously in his career, he had won every significant tournament in South African golf: Joburg Open (2012), Alfred Dunhill Championship (2014), the Dimension Data Pro-Am (2015) and the Nedbank Golf Challenge (2017). The national Open was the only one missing.[16]
2021
In February, Grace finished eagle-birdie at the Puerto Rico Open to claim his second PGA Tour victory.[17] In August, Grace tied for the lead with five other players after 72 holes at the Wyndham Championship. Kevin Kisner took the title in the playoff.[18]
Amateur wins
- 2006 SANLAM SA Amateur Stroke play Championship[19]
Professional wins (15)
PGA Tour wins (2)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 Apr 2016 | RBC Heritage | −9 (66-74-69-66=275) | 2 strokes | Luke Donald, Russell Knox |
2 | 28 Feb 2021 | Puerto Rico Open | −19 (67-68-68-66=269) | 1 stroke | Jhonattan Vegas |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2021 | Wyndham Championship | Kim Si-woo, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Na, Adam Scott, Roger Sloan |
Kisner won with birdie on second extra hole |
European Tour wins (9)
Legend |
Rolex Series (1) |
Other European Tour (8) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 15 Jan 2012 | Joburg Open1 | −17 (67-66-65-72=270) | 1 stroke | Jamie Elson |
2 | 22 Jan 2012 | Volvo Golf Champions | −12 (68-66-75-71=280) | Playoff | Ernie Els, Retief Goosen |
3 | 22 Apr 2012 | Volvo China Open2 | −21 (67-67-64-69=267) | 3 strokes | Nicolas Colsaerts |
4 | 7 Oct 2012 | Alfred Dunhill Links Championship | −22 (60-67-69-70=266) | 2 strokes | Thorbjørn Olesen |
5 | 14 Dec 2014 (2015 season) |
Alfred Dunhill Championship1 | −20 (62-66-72-68=268) | 7 strokes | Louis Oosthuizen |
6 | 24 Jan 2015 | Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
|
−19 (67-68-68-66=269) | 1 stroke | Marc Warren |
7 | 30 Jan 2016 | Commercial Bank Qatar Masters (2)
|
−14 (70-67-68-69=274) | 2 strokes | Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Thorbjørn Olesen |
8 | 12 Nov 2017 | Nedbank Golf Challenge | −11 (68-75-68-66=277) | 1 stroke | Scott Jamieson |
9 | 12 Jan 2020 | South African Open1 | −21 (64-70-67-62=263) | 3 strokes | Louis Oosthuizen |
1Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the OneAsia Tour
European Tour playoff record (1–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2012 | Volvo Golf Champions | Ernie Els, Retief Goosen | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
2 | 2013 | Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open
|
Phil Mickelson | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Sunshine Tour wins (6)
Legend |
Flagship events (1) |
Other Sunshine Tour (5) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 18 Nov 2010 | Coca-Cola Charity Championship | −7 (68-71-70=209) | 2 strokes | Ulrich van den Berg, Justin Walters |
2 | 15 Jan 2012 | Joburg Open1 | −17 (67-66-65-72=270) | 1 stroke | Jamie Elson |
3 | 28 Sep 2012 | Vodacom Origins of Golf Final
|
−10 (69-72-68=209) | 3 strokes | Allan Versfeld |
4 | 14 Dec 2014 | Alfred Dunhill Championship1 | −20 (62-66-72-68=268) | 7 strokes | Louis Oosthuizen |
5 | 22 Feb 2015 | Dimension Data Pro-Am | −11 (71-68-69-70=278) | 2 strokes | Keith Horne |
6 | 12 Jan 2020 | South African Open1 | −21 (64-70-67-62=263) | 3 strokes | Louis Oosthuizen |
1Co-sanctioned by the
LIV Golf League wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 Jul 2022 | LIV Golf Invitational Portland | −13 (69-69-65=203) | 2 strokes | Carlos Ortiz |
LIV Golf League playoff record (0–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2023 | LIV Golf Tulsa | Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith | Johnson won with birdie on first extra hole |
Playoff record
Challenge Tour playoff record (0–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2008 | Ypsilon Golf Challenge | Seve Benson, Rafa Cabrera-Bello | Benson won with birdie on third extra hole Grace eliminated by birdie on second hole |
Results in major championships
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T18 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T27 | T24 | ||||
U.S. Open | T51 | CUT | T4 | T5 | T50 | T25 | ||||
The Open Championship | T43 | T77 | T64 | T36 | T20 | T72 | T6 | CUT | ||
PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | T46 | 3 | T4 | CUT | T27 |
Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T58 | ||||
PGA Championship | CUT | T38 | CUT | ||
U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | T7 | CUT | |
The Open Championship | T51 | NT | CUT | CUT |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 6 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 8 |
Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 38 | 23 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (2016 U.S. Open – 2017 Open Championship)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (six times)
Results in The Players Championship
Tournament | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Players Championship | T48 | T42 | T57 | T48 | T46 | T72 | C | CUT | T53 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Cancelled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Results in World Golf Championships
Results not in chronological order prior to 2015.
Tournament | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Championship
|
T35 | T49 | T40 | 54 | T23 | T32 | T30 | T33 | T42 |
Match Play
|
R64 | R64 | R16 | T18 | T39 | T29 | R16 | NT1 | |
Invitational
|
T36 | T65 | T23 | T17 | T10 | T28 | T63 | ||
Champions | T39 | T5 | T30 | T15 | T41 | NT1 |
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied
Team appearances
Professional
- Presidents Cup (representing the International team): 2013, 2015, 2017
- World Cup (representing South Africa): 2013
See also
- 2008 European Tour Qualifying School graduates
- 2011 European Tour Qualifying School graduates
- List of golfers with most European Tour wins
References
- OWGR. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- ^ a b "With This Win – Branden Grace". PGA European Tour. 7 October 2012.
- ^ Kaspriske, Ron (February 2013). "Think Young, Play Hard: Branden Grace". Golf Digest.
- ^ "Branden Grace takes SANLAM SA Amateur Strokeplay". South African Golf Association. 8 March 2006. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Branden Grace player profile". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ a b c "Branden Grace Career Record". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ "Benson claims second Challenge Tour title". PGA European Tour. 19 March 2010.
- ^ "Four Scots secure Euro Tour cards". BBC Sport. 19 November 2008.
- ^ "Amazing Grace Creates History in China". PGA European Tour. 22 April 2012.
- ^ "Phil Mickelson wins first individual title in Britain at Scottish Open". The Guardian. London. Press Association. 14 July 2013.
- ^ "Branden Grace – Profile". PGA Tour.
- ^ "Grace wins Alfred Dunhill Championship by 7 shots". The Times of India. Mumbai. 14 December 2014.
- ^ "Qatar Masters: Branden Grace completes one-shot win in Doha". BBC Sport. 24 January 2015.
- ^ Harig, Bob (22 July 2017). "Branden Grace shoots first 62 in a major". ESPN. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "Top new bag for Scottish caddie Connelly". bunkered. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ Herrington, Ryan (12 January 2020). "A Sunday 62 gives Branden Grace the South African Open title and a unique career milestone". Golf World. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Woodard, Adam (28 February 2021). "Just weeks after his father's death, Branden Grace finishes eagle-birdie to win Puerto Rico Open". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "Kevin Kisner wins record-tying 6-man playoff at Wyndham Championship". ESPN. Associated Press. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "Branden Grace takes SANLAM SA Amateur Strokeplay". South African Golf Association. 8 March 2006. Archived from the original on 26 September 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
External links
- Official website
- Branden Grace at the European Tour official site
- Branden Grace at the Sunshine Tour official site
- Branden Grace at the PGA Tour official site
- Branden Grace at the Official World Golf Ranking official site