EXCLUSIVE: Branden Grace still wants to win a major
Branden Grace remains determined to win a major championship despite challenges from his LIV Golf commitment, as recent changes in tournament structure have improved his world ranking and motivated him to pursue top finishes. Picture: LIV Golf/Southern Guards GC
Image: LIV Golf/Southern Guards GC
As Branden Grace made a solid start to the new season with a share of ninth at the LIV Golf Riyadh event over the weekend, the South African has insisted he still thinks he can win a major.
That will be especially difficult, especially given the 37-year-old’s plummeting world ranking due to his commitment to LIV Golf.
However, this season LIV Golf events are finally receiving world ranking points as the tournaments are now four rounds instead of three. This was a major sticking point before, and the Saudi-funded breakaway tour had little choice but to increase the number of rounds per tournament to comply.
It’s meant that Grace has actually risen 62 spots from last week to 401st in the world. For the former world number 10, that’s a significant rise and would also serve as motivation to keep up the top performances.
Branden Grace Aims for Major Wins and Top Finishes
“I feel in a better space heading into this season. Hopefully, I can get a couple of wins out there,” Grace told IOL in an exclusive interview.
“I definitely want to try to qualify for a couple of majors. I think that’s always part of my thing. I still believe I can win a major. So just trying to give myself the best chance to get into those as well.”
Grace has finished in the top six in three of the four majors, and actually held the lead at the 2015 US Open before a bad tee shot cost him his shot at glory as he would go on to settle for fourth place.
There’s always been the belief that Grace was a potential major-winner, as his nine wins on the DP World Tour seem to suggest.