April 25, 2024
De Jonge drops
Michael Kariati
OP Zimbabwean professional golfer, Brendon de Jonge, has taken the biggest drop on the official PGA Tour money list.
The 34-year-old de Jonge, now living in the United States of America, is ranked 29th on the list with an estimated net worth of US$785 184 from events he took part in this year.
At the beginning of the year, de Jonge was at position six.
In all his career, de Jonge who turned professional in 2003 has participated in 248 events on the PGA Tour amassing a total of US$10,1 million.
Last year he made 31 appearances in the PGA Tour and amassed a total of US$1,2 million.
Consequently, de Jonge, who has not made it a secret that his predominant aim this year is to break into the World’s top 50 has also dropped heavily on the world rankings.
He is now ranked 87 with his highest world ranking having been 58 in 2012.
American professional golfer, Jimmy Walker, tops the PGA list with a personal fortune of US$2,3 million amassed from nine events while Bubba Watson who has amassed US$2,1 from five competitions is the second richest golfer.
Jason Day, Sang — Moon Bae and Brandt Snedeker are ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Robert Streb who pipped De Jonge to the McGladrey Classic title after a play off is on sixth position with a total of US$1,8 million from nine competitions.
The highest De Jonge has received this season was the US$492 800 he got after coming second in the McGladrey Classic.
De Jonge has so far taken part in the Frys.Com Open, the Shrines Hospital for Children Open, the McGladrey Classic, CIMB Classic, Sony Open, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the Farmers Insurance Open and the Northern Trust Open where he also missed the cut.
Apart from the second placing at the McGladrey Classic, his other best finish was a tied 13th position at the CIMB Classic.
De Jonge has taken over from Nick Price, Marc McNulty, and Tony Johnstone as Zimbabwe’s flag bearer in international golf.
But he still has a long way to go if he is to emulate the achievements of Price who was the world’s top golfer between 1993 and 1994.
Price also had the honour of winning the British Open tournaments, the oldest of all major championships in professional golf.
However, just like Price did in 1993, de Jonge was crowned Zimbabwe’s Sportsperson of the Year in 2012 after an outstanding season in which he catapulted himself to 58th in the world.
