Meet Thirston Lawrence, the South African competing at the British Open

He may not be a household name in the U.S., mainly because he has only played 13 PGA Tour events, six of which were 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 PGA Tour).

Where is Thirston Lawrence from?

He was born in Mbombela, South Africa, the son of PGA professional Steven Lawrence. His birthplace was named Nelspruit after its Boer founders, but the South African government changed the name in 2019.

In the Siswati language, Mbombela means ‘many people in a small space’, and that’s probably how Lawrence felt as he cruised the fairways at Troon on Sunday, where thousands of fans were gathered.

How did Thirston Lawrence get started?

He turned pro in 2014 and played on professional tours in North Africa, the Middle East and South Africa before earning his Sunshine Tour card and winning the first of his three events there in 2019. He went on to win the JoBerg Open and the South African Open.