Five things to know: Thriston Lawrence

Thriston Lawrence took a one-shot lead into The Open's final nine holes Sunday, and he performed admirably in his first experience contending at a major. After shooting 4-under 32 on his front nine, he made eight pars and just a single bogey on Troon's difficult inward half. His final-round 68 left him at 6-under 278, three shots behind winner Xander Schauffele.

"I think I did pretty well out there," Lawrence said after his round. "I didn't actually put myself under the pressure that some people are supposed to. I just looked at it as a normal Sunday of a normal golf tournament. Yes, it is The Open, it is a bigger stage. But being in that moment, I felt so calm. It felt like a normal Sunday, me trying to win a golf tournament, trying to be creative, and I managed to accomplish that. So very proud of myself."

A strong par save on 18 earned Lawrence a solo fourth-place finish, one that could have big ramifications for the South African. He earned a return to next year's Open, as well as his first Masters invitation, and increased his chances of making this year's Presidents Cup team. He also earned enough non-member FedExCup points (325) to earn Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR for the remainder of 2024. And he put himself on the path to earning his TOUR card for 2025, as well.

Lawrence moved to fifth in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai standings with his fourth-place finish at Troon. He also is second in those season-long standings among players who are not exempt on the PGA TOUR. The top 10 finishers in the Race to Dubai at season's end who are not yet exempt on the TOUR will earn their PGA TOUR cards for 2025.

Here are five things to know about Thriston Lawrence after his career-changing performance in The Open:

1. Lawrence is a 27-year-old from Kempton Park, South Africa. He turned pro as a teenager back in 2014 after winning the South African Amateur in both 2013 and 2014, as well as the 2014 Lytham Trophy. He played on the MENA Tour in 2015 and the Challenge Tour in 2016. He won the MENA Tour Order of Merit in 2015 and won his first title as a professional at the 2015 Ras Al Khaimah Classic, in a five-man playoff with former Open champion Darren Clarke. Lawrence played on the Big Easy Tour in 2018, gaining his card for the 2019-20 Sunshine Tour season. He won his first Sunshine Tour event in 2019 at the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Stellenbosch.

2. Lawrence is the 98th-ranked player in the world. He qualified for this year’s Open by being among the top 30 finishers in the 2023 Race to Dubai, finishing 19th in the DP World Tour’s season-long rankings thanks to two victories. He is a four-time winner on the DP World Tour. Two of his victories have come in his native South Africa, at the 2021 Joburg Open and 2022 South African Open. He also won the 2022 Omega European Masters and 2023 BMW International Open.

In 2022, he became the first South African to win the DP World Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.

3. Lawrence became a DP World Tour member with his victory in late 2021 at the Joburg Open in his native South Africa, an event that is co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour. The event was reduced to 36 holes after the discovery of a new COVID variant and inclement weather. Lawrence had opened up a four-shot lead by shooting a pair of 65s in the first two rounds. The win earned him membership on the DP World Tour.

4. Lawrence is an avid fisherman who has an Instagram account dedicated to that pursuit (@golfergonefishing).

5. PGA TOUR fans could be seeing him more in the coming months and years. At year’s end, the top 10 finishers in the Race to Dubai who are not already exempt for the TOUR will earn PGA TOUR cards for 2025. With five top-10s this season, Lawrence is 15th in the Race to Dubai and ranked ninth among players without TOUR status. His performance this week will surely shoot him up the standings. It also could lead to a Presidents Cup bid. He entered the week ranked 23rd in the International Team’s standings but also could see another huge rise in the ranks.

With ten PGA TOUR cards available via the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex to the highest finishers not already exempt, Lawrence will hope to boost his development by becoming a dual member. With five top tens already so far this season on the DP World Tour, the 27-year-old sits 15th on the season-long standings. Going into The Open, he was ninth in the list of players who are not already exempt on the PGA TOUR, so with big points on offer at the final major of the season will be looking to improve his bid for status stateside with a strong final round in Ayrshire.