Richard Sterne

Richard Sterne (born 27 August 1981) is a South African professional golfer.Sterne was born in Pretoria. He was runner-up in the Boys' 15-17 Division at the 1999 World Junior Golf Championships and turned pro in 2001. He played on the European Challenge Tour in 2002 and graduated to membership of the main European Tour in 2003. He won his first European Tour title at the 2004 Open de Madrid and his second at the 2007 Celtic Manor Wales Open. In 2008 he picked up his third victory at the Joburg Open which is co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour, and at the end of 2008 won a further two European Tour tournaments in South Africa.His best year-end ranking on the European Order of Merit is 14th in 2007. His Celtic Manor win moved him into the top forty of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time.He has had five wins on the Sunshine Tour, and won that tour's Order of Merit in 2008. In January 2008 he reached a career high of number 29 in the Official World Golf Rankings.Sterne is friends with South African golf icon, Gary Player (to whom he is often compared because of their similar small stature) and has played several times in the Gary Player Invitational charity event to help raise funds for less fortunate children's education.