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Who is Thriston Lawrence? South African in contention in the 2024 British Open
Lawrence is in the mix in the final round at Royal Troon along with bigger names including Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.
A tightly-packed leaderboard in the final round of the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon contains world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, major champions Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele, eight-time PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel, and less well-known names such as Dan Brown and Thriston Lawrence.
While Brown grabbed many of the headlines after taking the lead at the end of his first ever round in a major championship on Thursday, Lawrence could get his hands on the famous Claret Jug in only his sixth appearance in such an event.
What tour does Lawrence play on?
The 27-year-old South African has been playing on the European Tour / DP World Tour since 2022 having previously featured on a number of lower-ranked tours after turning professional in 2014. They include the MENA Tour (Middle East and North Africa), the Challenge Tour (the second-tier tour in Europe), the Big Easy Tour (developmental tour in South Africa) and the Sunshine Tour (Southern and Eastern Africa).
Lawrence’s big breakthrough came in 2021, when he won that year’s Joburg Open, a Sunshine Tour event co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
Lawrence’s European Tour record: events, wins, cuts made, ranking...
That victory came after the current world No. 98 had already earned his card for the European Tour, where he has since played 74 events, making 53 cuts. Lawrence finished inside the top 20 in the Race to Dubai rankings in both 2022 (14th) and 2023 (19th), and is on track to do so once again this year (15th as it stands).
In his two full seasons on the European Tour, Lawrence has won four times, with his maiden victory in Johannesburg initially followed by triumphs at the 2022 Omega European Masters and the 2022 South African Open. His performance in his debut season saw him named the Rookie of the Year for 2022 and he has since added the 2023 BMW International Open to his list of honours.
Lawrence has made approximately €3.75 million ($4.08 million) since turning professional, a figure he could almost double if he wins The Open, where there is a $3.1 million top prize.
What is Thriston Lawrence’s best finish in a major?
In his previous major championship appearances, Lawrence finished in ties for 42nd and 74th at The Open, and in a tie for 62nd at the 2022 PGA Championship. He has also missed two cuts, at the 2023 US Open and this year’s PGA. Whatever happens at Troon on Sunday, a career-best finish looks to be guaranteed.