Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the South African Open at Blair Atholl on the DP World Tour.
where to see
Live on Sky Sports Golf from 10am on Thursday
best bets
Charl Schwarzel
4 points each way 22-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
Dean Burmester
4 points per stretch 12-1 overall
Tom McKibbin
1 point in either direction 90-1 bet365
Jayden Schaper
1 point each way 60-1 Betfred
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Branden Grace is commanded a great deal of respect in the South African Open market but he suffered from an injury in the final weeks of the LIV Golf season and threw in a stinker of a final round last time out while fighting for the Nedbank Challenge.
Grace doesn’t object at 12-1 as he attempts to win a second SA Open, while Thriston Lawrence is likely to run out of energy at the end of a busy campaign.
Lawrence finished sixth in a Sunshine Tour event at this week’s venue last year so deserves respect, but competing in the Nedbank Challenge, DP World Tour Championship, Joburg Open and SA Open is a hectic schedule for the big man.
Steve Palmer’s top tip
Charl Schwarzel 22-1
The DP World Tour floodgates open with LIV golfers who have recently won trophies. Adrian Otaegui won the Andalucia Masters in October, Cameron Smith triumphed in the Australian PGA on Sunday and this week Charl Schwartzel could win silver at the South African Open.
Schwartzel is desperate to win his national title at some point in his career, having come close to it on a number of occasions, and motivation is high as he heads to his native city this week. The Johannesburg native will be delighted that Blair Atholl has been chosen to host the event.
This course is new territory for most of the field but Schwarzel used to live on the property and is still a member of the club and knows the layout like the back of his hand. He’s the unofficial course record holder after carding a round of 60 in a social fourball with some friends.
Blair Atholl’s length is no problem for Schwarzel, who remains one of the longest drivers in the game and his LIV Golf form suggests he can make a serious impact this week. He won the first LIV event in London and recently finished seventh in Chicago and ninth in Jeddah. The 38-year-old played well in the Miami LIV Finals and his putting stroke looked solid.
The former Masters champion has won eight DP World Tour titles in South Africa, including two Joburg Opens, and there is nobody in this field with such an impressive resume.
Next best bet
Dean Burmester 12-1
The chances of a showdown between Schwartzel and Dean Burmester on Sunday seem high. Spectators were treated to the sight of these two powerful South Africans making their way along this massive facility.
Burmester has not played in South Africa since finishing second at the Steyn City Championship in March. He was disappointed to be beaten by Shaun Norris in the process – and Burmester lost his form for a while – but since July this racquet has taken his game to a new level.
Two top five finishes in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals meant Burmester earned a PGA Tour card and started the new season fourth in the Sanderson Farms Championship. He was 11th at the Open in the summer and has moved up to 60th in the world.
The 33-year-old has won eight times on the Sunshine Tour, including the 2017 Tshwane Open, which was co-sanctioned with the European Tour. A third DP World Tour title could be coming on Sunday considering how dreamy this setup is for the Bloemfontein-based bomber.
Burmester is moving to Florida in the new year to focus on the PGA Tour and he could head to the Sunshine State as the South African Open champion.
Other selection
Tom McKibbin 90-1
Jayden Schaper 60-1
Complete a four-pronged assault with two talented youngsters – Tom McKibbin and Jayden Schaper.
McKibbin plays at Holywood Golf Club, which is where Rory McIlroy first made his name, so comparisons between the two Northern Irish lads are inevitable. Time will tell if McKibbin is the new McIlroy, but the 19-year-old is certainly gifted with bundles of skills.
He has made great strides this year and his progress started in South Africa where he finished third at the Cape Town Open in February and seventh at the Jonsson Workwear Open in Durban. It was followed by a brilliant summer on the Challenge Tour, he finished tenth at the ISPS Handa World Invitational on the DP World Tour, then McKibbin was back in South Africa last week to finish 18th at the Joburg Open.
McKibbin has a DP World Tour card in his pocket for this season, so he’s unlikely to feel as much jitters as fellow 19-year-old Casey Jarvis did when he topped the top spot in Johannesburg over the weekend. Jarvis, ninth at the Joburg Open, could be doing well again this week but Schaper, who finished a strong 18th at Houghton GC on Sunday, has the upper hand.
Nobody beat Schaper in the last round of the Joburg Open, and this Sunshine Tour leaderboard regular can stay among the birdies. Last year he finished 12th at the Blair Atholl Championship on the Sunshine Tour.
players to consider
Wilco Nienaber
Blair Atholl’s dimensions provide Nienaber with the perfect stage to show off his amazing length. He is without a DP World Tour card.
James Hart du Preez
Another powerhouse set to celebrate its national Opens is taking place in Blair Atholl. A 300-1 chance worth considering.
Blair Atholl course guide
course Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate, Lanseria, Johannesburg, South Africa
prize money $1.5 million ($250,000 for the winner)
length 8,233 meters
par 72 – five par fives; eight par fours; five par threes
Set up 156 The cut The top 65 and ties qualify for the third round
Highest ranking players in the field (world rankings in brackets) Dean Burmester (60), Thriston Lawrence (90), Adrian Otaegui (95), Rasmus Hojgaard (109), Oliver Becker (112)
Course records – 72 holes 276 Luke Brown (Blair Atholl Championship 2021) 18 holes 64 Thriston Lawrence (Blair Atholl Championship 2021)
Participating course winner Luke Brown (Blair Atholl Championship 2021)
when to bet Thursday at 4 p.m
when to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 10am on Thursday
time difference South Africa is two hours ahead of Great Britain and Ireland
Last week – Johannesburg Open 1D Bradbury (225-1), 2S Valimaki (50-1), T3C Bezuidenhout (7-1), D Van Tonder (40-1), 5L De Jager (33-1), T6D Whitnell ( 45-1), H Bruiners (300-1), JJ Senekal (500-1)
course type parkland
Course Overview Blair Atholl is the third longest course in the world, designed by Gary Player, who lived on the estate for over 20 years. The venue is high which means the balls fly farther, but the holes obviously require some fun hitting. The 14th, 15th and 16th are the longest collective trio of par fours in the world (524, 566 and 560 yards respectively) and put players to the test on the course. Four of the five par fives are at least 606 yards each. The shortest par 3 is 197 yards. Wide fairways help participants, but the Crocodile River flows through the course and 11 holes feature a water hazard, and there are several elevation changes that add to the challenge. The 2021 Blair Atholl Championship on the Sunshine Tour was the first professional event held there
history of the past year Daniel van Tonder beat Oliver Bekker with a shot at Gary Player Country Club in an event sanctioned only by the Sunshine Tour
weather forecast Sunny with a light breeze for the first two days, with wind picking up slightly over the weekend and temperatures consistently around 25°C
Player type suited to the challenge The altitude isn’t enough to disguise the fact that this huge track requires long shots. Smaller riders seem to be left behind, which could explain why Christiaan Bezuidenhout snubbed the tournament
key attribute perfomance
Spotlight insight The last four South African Opens have been won by a South African
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FIRST RELEASE ON NOVEMBER 29, 2022 AT 1:12 PM
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