Stark breaks into top five
17 Feb 2021
The Men
Performances of the week
Kozan and Phillips share Gators glory
Americans Andrew Kozan and Trent Phillips were inseparable at the conclusion of the Florida Gators Invitational in Gainesville, Florida. They were the only players in the stellar field to break 200, posting matching 11-under 199 aggregates to share victory by a shot.
Auburn student Kozan jumps 143 spots to a career best 166th on this week’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®. Phillips is 27 places better off in 46th.
Dobbelaar earns Antipodean double
Victory in the Australian Men's Amateur Championship at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide gave Louis Dobbelaar a unique Antipodean double. The Queenslander added his national title to the 2016 New Zealand Amateur he won as a 15 year old. Dobbelaar ran out a two-shot winner after a 10-under 278 aggregate thanks to rounds of 69, 71, 68 and 70. He attains his highest WAGR® status with a 66-ranking rise to 197th.
Jarvis makes SA history
South Africa’s Casey Jarvis made history by winning the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship. The 17 year old is the first player to win South Africa’s three flagship tournaments; he won the South African Stroke Play and South African Amateur Championships last year. He added the third leg of the triple crown in record style, fashioning a 21-under 267 around his home course of Glendower to break the previous record of 14 under.
Jarvis moves into the top 40 for the first time by advancing nine spots to 40th.
Top 50 movers
Australian Elvis Smylie joins Trent Phillips in the top 50 with a move of three rankings to a personal best of 48th after finishing second among the professionals in the TPS Victoria, Hosted by Geoff Ogilvy. There are no new top 20 players this week.
Biggest ranking improvement
Trinidad & Tobago’s Chris Richards Jnr soars 1,319 positions to a career high of 5,236th after winning the Trinidad & Tobago South Open Championships.
The Women
Performances of the week
Stark breaks into top five
Maja Stark makes a three-ranking jump to fifth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® after a dominant six-shot victory in the Heroes Ladies Intercollegiate at the Founders Club in Sarasota, Florida. The Oklahoma State student was the only player to break 70 in all three rounds. She led wire to wire thanks to a pair of 6-under-par 66s, followed by a closing 69 for a 15-under 201.
Olankitkunchai becomes Thailand’s number 3
Virunpat Olankitkunchai is now Thailand’s third best player on the WAGR® table after winning the FAU Paradise Invitational by six shots. Olankitkunchai, who attends the University of Maryland, sandwiched a second-round 67 between a pair of 69s to post an 11-under total at Boca Lago Country Club in Florida. She jumps 35 places to 107th.
Kim returns to top 50
Grace Kim reserved her best golf for the opening and closing rounds of the Australian Women's Amateur Championship at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide with a pair of 68s. Middle rounds of 75 and 74 let her down, but she still won be seven shots. A 3-under 285 aggregate means Kim adds her national title to the NSW Amateur she won at the end of last month. She moves back into the top 50 with move of four places to 50th.
Top 20 movers
American Allisen Corpuz makes a five-ranking improvement to 17th, her highest ranking, after a one-shot victory in the Lamkin San Diego Invitational.
Top 50 movers
Cassie Porter also attains her highest status with a two-ranking jump to 49th to join fellow Australian Grace Kim in the top half century.
Biggest ranking improvement
Victory in the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour Leg 3 sees India’s Avani Prashanth break into the top 500 for the first time with a move of 757 positions to 416th.
