4th January 2012
Branden John Grace (born 20 May 1988) is a professional golfer from South Africa. He was born in Pretoria and turned professional at the end of 2007, since when he has played on the Sunshine Tour. His best finish on tour through 2009 came at the 2009 Africa Open, where he finished tied for second, one stroke behind winner Retief Goosen. He equalled that finish at the 2010 Nashua Masters before recording his first win two weeks later at the Coca-Cola Charity Championship.
A great last round of 68 saw Branden Grace finish 9th in the SA Open at the Serengeti Golf Club.
European Tour members George Coetzee, Jaco van Zyl, Jbe Kruger and Branden Grace will go head-to-head with defending champion Louis Oosthuizen and 2009 winner Retief Goosen as they chase a fast start in The 2012 Race to Dubai when the €1-million tournament returns to East London Golf Club for the fourth successive season.
Although Coetzee finished the 2011 season ranked 26th in The Race to Dubai following an impressive campaign which included seven top ten finishes and earnings of €913 128, a maiden European Tour title has thus far eluded him.
The 25 year old from Pretoria underlined his credentials with third place finishes in the Portugal Masters, the Barclays Scottish Open, the BMW International and the Alfred Dunhill Championship, and came mightily close to capturing his maiden title at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, where he was pipped to the prize in a playoff by Denmark’s Thomas Björn.
Grace secured his European Tour card in a return trip to the Qualifying School Final in December, and is now raring to get his 2012 campaign underway.
“It was a frustrating season,” said the 23 year old from Knysna. “I had some really good results and some pretty poor ones, so I’m keen to start with a clean slate. I love the track in East London. It’s the kind of course where the wind plays such a big factor and it’s never over until the last putt drops.”
Grace hopes to convert two ties for eighth place and a runner-up finish in 2009 into his first European Tour victory come January.
“It took me a couple of years to break through on the Sunshine Tour, and I feel the time is now right for me to challenge for my first European Tour win. East London and I have a good history, so I hope I can cash in on three solid performances and pull it through this time.”
The field will be further boosted by three 2011 European Tour champions in SSP Chowrasia of India and South Africans Thomas Aiken and Garth Mulroy, as well as 2011 Challenge Tour winners Benjamin Hebert from France and England’s Sam Little.
