Thriston Lawrence led the British Open at the turn at Royal Troon on Sunday.
He may not be a household name in the U.S., mainly because he’s only played 13 PGA Tour events and six have been major championships. But the 27-year-old South African is well-known in his native country and on the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour).
Lawrence was born in Mbombela, South Africa and is the son of a PGA professional, Steven Lawrence. His home town was named Nelspruit, after the Boer founders but the South African government changed the name in 2019.
In the Siswati language, Mbombela means “many people together in a small space,” a feeling Lawrence likely had when touring the fairways of Troon lined with thousands of fans on Sunday.
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How did Lawrence get his start?
He turned pro in 2014 and played on professional tours in Northern Africa, the Middle East and South Africa before earning his Sunshine Tour card and winnng the first of his three events there in 2019. He went on to win the JoBerg Open and the South African Open.
How well did Lawrence play on the DP World Tour?
Pretty darn good. He was the Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in 2022 after winning the Omega Masters in a playoff against Matt Wallace. Lawrence has won four times on the DP World Tour and this year is 15th on the season-long Race to Dubai Series.
His best finish in a PGA Tour event is a tie for 36th this season at the Myrtle Beach Classic. He has made five of 13 cuts and earning $213,500.
He has not contended prior to this week but he’s made the cut in four of six starts. He tied for 42nd in the Open Championship in 2022 and for 74th in 2023 and tied for 62nd in the PGA in 2023.