Jayden Schaper Eyes World No.1 As South Africa’s Top-Ranked Golfer Targets Masters Debut

He’s currently South Africa’s top-ranked men’s golfer on the planet, but for Jayden Schaper, it’s just the start as he has ambitions of reaching as close as possible to that number one spot. 

Schaper won back-to-back events on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and then the Mauritius Open. Those triumphs were also Schaper’s first two on the DPWT for the professional who turns 25 in mid-March.

His play has seen him rise as high as 49th in the world earlier this year, and he currently holds the 57th position in the world.

Should he maintain a ranking inside the top 50 in the world by the end of March, he will earn an invite to play at The Masters at Augusta for the first time.

Climbing the Golf Rankings

“It's a nice little bonus that [moving up the rankings]. Obviously, you want to get up as high as possible, and crack that top 50 again and kind of get towards the number one. That’s where you want to be. That's why you play the game,” Schaper told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview.

“Playing at home for the last two weeks now and obviously coming in as the highest-ranked South African golfer is a pretty special feeling, and it's always nice to kind of sit back and know that you're up there."

“Yeah, you want to play in the majors. You want to win a major. I think that's the biggest goal in this game."

“It's a bonus. If it doesn't happen this year, I'll work towards it for the next couple of years.  I'm not going to force anything. You go out there, you have a good week, you find yourself in the top 50 again. If it happens, it happens. If not, there's always a next year.”

Schaper’s Journey to Consistency on the DPWT

Though Schaper’s success on the DPWT has been sudden, he has campaigned on the tour for three full seasons before he broke through. Ultimately, Schaper’s big goal is to compete more consistently, he explained.

“Yeah, it's good. I mean, obviously, it feels a little bit nicer coming into each week as a winner on the tour, especially a two-time winner."

“I mean it's still the same every time you come out here. You want to come out here and do your best, and you work for that win. So yeah, but it's been all good.  I've always looked at trying to be consistent on tour. Two wins back-to-back is obviously, I mean, it's quite special."

“I look at success as just kind of competing each week. Obviously, you play the game two in tournaments, and that's what gets you recognised."

“I like to be competing every week. Obviously, making cuts and kind of finishing top-10. I always base my season on how many top tens I've had and how many times I can kind of be up there competing."

“To have two wins early on in the season and kind of have a couple of other top fives, and I have some close calls, especially at the Nedbank, Dubai Desert Classic."

“So yeah, it's been a good run, and hopefully, we can continue that.”

Before the SA Open at the end of February, Ernie Els said Schaper was his favourite to win the title. 

The glowing praise from one of the legends of the game was special for Schaper.

“That's awesome. I mean, you look up to a guy like that. He's just a legend of the game, not only of South Africa, but he's a legend of the game, and it's a game that we all love."

“It's a game that we all work to achieve and do the things that he's done. And coming from him… I’ve always looked at his record that he's had of the most consecutive weeks in the top-10 in the world. It's impressive."

“That’s probably one of the most impressive stats that I've seen out there. For a guy like that to say something like that about you at a time before your home, your national events, and before an event like that on the DPWT is quite special, and he's just a legend.”