Louis Oosthuizen’s 244-place jump on the latest Official World Golf Ranking list graphically illustrated just how much players outside the ranking ‘establishment’ are disadvantaged by the current system.

Oosthuizen’s first win in five years when he took the title on Monday in the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned Alfred Dunhill Championship was certainly one which should have reversed a downward tend for the 2010 Open champion. The question to be asked is how his fall after he joined LIV Golf, which offers no ranking points, became so precipitate. It beggars belief that he was ranked 441^st in the world, and it up to 197^th this week. Indeed, it beggars belief that he is ranked only 197^th after his win.

The other South African major winner who has fallen down the lists and was in action at Leopard Creek, Charl Schwartzel, climbed a dizzying 207 places to 289^th after his runner-up finish behind Oosthuizen. He also plays on the splinter LIV Golf circuit.

The other two South Africans on the LIV Golf tour, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester had mixed fortunes on the official list after Leopard Creek: Grace fell seven places to 628^th after missing the cut, and Burmester, unable to repeat his heroics of the past two tournaments, nevertheless rose two places to 75^th with his share of 44^th.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who finished third in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, got  nice boost to 101^st, edging closer back towards the world’s top 100.

Jayen Schaper and Casey Jarvis both got good bumps after good showings over the weekend. Jarvis was up 29 spots to 295^th and Schaper was up 46 to 347^th. As an indication of the disconnect between the official rankings and reality, a website called ‘The Universal Golf Rankings’, which has its own set of blind spots and shortcomings, has Schaper ranked 189^th, up 23 places.

Deon Germishuys dropped 82 places to 415^th on the official list and is now outside South Africa’s top 20 players, along with Shaun Norris, who was down four places to 403^rd..

South Africa’s top 20:

1. Dean Burmester 75 (up 2)
2. Thriston Lawrence 82 (up 2)
3. Erik van Rooyen 87 (unchanged)
4. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 101 (up 13)
5. Zander Lombard 141 (up 5)
6. Garrick Higgo 173 (up 2)
7. Hennie du Plessis 196 (up 1)
8. Louis Oosthuizen 197 (up 244)
9. MJ Daffue 249 (down 3)
10. Ockie Strydom 254 (down 3)
11. Louis de Jager 268 (down 23)
12. Jaco Ahlers 286 (up 6)
13. Charl Schwartzel 289 (up 207)
14. Casey Jarvis 295 (up 29)
15. Jacques Kruyswijk 314 (up 8)
16. Oliver Bekker 343 (down 48)
17. Jayden Schaper 347 (up 46)
18. Darren Fichardt 350 (down 4)
19. George Coetzee 385 (down 13)
20. Wilco Nienaber 395 (up 6)