23rd January 2012

GEORGE, South Africa - South African Branden Grace beat his more experienced countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a playoff to win the Volvo Golf Champions on Sunday.

Grace birdied the first playoff hole at The Links at Fancourt — the par-five 18th — to earn his second consecutive victory on the European Tour, having won last week's Joburg Open. Both Els and Goosen parred the hole.

The three players had finished the final round in a tie on 12-under 280.

Facts:

- Gains his second European Tour International Schedule victory in his 51st European Tour event.

- Moves to €570,000 and extends his lead at the top of The Race to Dubai.

- Moves to inside the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking, from 164th. Prior to winning the Joburg Open seven days ago, Grace was 258th.

- Becomes the first player to win back-to-back European Tour events since Sergio Garcia in 2011 at the Castelló Masters and Andalucia Masters.

-Became the first Qualifying School graduate to win back-to-back events the year after graduation.

- Graduated from the 2011 European Tour Qualifying School. Becomes the first Qualifying School graduate to win twice the year after graduation since Johan Edfors in 2006 who won three times at the TCL Classic, British Masters and Scottish Open.

- Becomes just the fourth Qualifying School graduate to record multiple victories they year after graduation. He follows Gordon Brand Jnr (1982 -  Coral Classic and Bob Hope British Classic), José María Olazábal (1986 -  European Masters and Sanyo Open) and Edfors in 2006.

- Becomes just the sixth player to win their first two European Tour events in back-to-back tournaments. He follows: Graham Marsh (1972 - Swiss Open and German Open), Jack Newton (1972 - Dutch Open and Benson and Hedges Festival), Charles Coody (1973 - W.D and H.O Wills and John Player Classic), Baldovino Dassu (1976 - Dunlop Masters and Italian Open) and Fred Couples (1995 - Dubai Desert Classic and Johnnie Walker Classic).

- Becomes the second youngest player in European Tour history to win their first two European Tour events in back-to-back events, aged 23 years and 247 days. The youngest was Jack Newton, who was 22 years and 202 days in 1972.

- Becomes the fifth South African golfer to win back-to-back European Tour events. He follows: Dale Hayes (1978 Italian Open and French Open), Ernie Els (2005 Dubai Desert Classic and Qatar Masters), Richard Sterne (2009 Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open Championship) and Charl Schwartzel (2010 Africa Open and Joburg Open).