Dean Burmester -11
Renato Paratore -8
Jesper Svensson -8
Ryan Van Velzen -8
Louis De Jager -7
Alejandro Del Rey -7
Frederic Lacroix -7
Matteo Manassero -7
Jayden Schaper -7
Francesco Laporta -6
Thriston Lawrence -6
Jayden Schaper 10/3
Dean Burmester 9/2
Louis De Jager 11/2
Ryan Van Velzen 6/1
Matti Schmid 8/1
Francesco Laporta 16/1
Jesper Svensson 16/1
David Ravetto 18/1
Matteo Manassero 20/1
Renato Paratore 28/1
Oliver Bekker 66/1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 80/1
Charl Schwartzel 100/1
Frederic Lacroix 125/1
Nick Bachem 150/1
Jacques De Villiers 200/1
Romain Langasque 200/1
Zander Lombard 200/1
Joakim Lagergren 250/1
Wilco Nienaber 250/1
Alejandro Del Rey 300/1
Andy Sullivan 300/1
Deon Germishuys 300/1
Gavin Green 300/1
Kalle Samooja 300/1
Casey Jarvis 400/1
Aaron Cockerill 500/1
Darius Van Driel 500/1
Darren Fichardt 500/1
Freddy Schott 500/1
Jacques Kruyswijk 500/1
Jeong Weon Ko 500/1
Jovan Rebula 500/1
Matthew Southgate 500/1
Scott Jamieson 500/1
Shubhankar Sharma 500/1
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The Co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tours stay in Johannesburg this week, but moves north to the Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservatory to one of the longest golf courses on the planet.
Weighing in at a mighty 8,300 yards the Blair Atholl was where Gary Player called home. Player remains passionate about the estate, and the championship course he designed was inspired by his love of Augusta National.
After acquiring some of the surrounding farmland the spacious layout undulates through rolling countryside and indigenous bush. There are over 250,000 trees on the property and like Augusta National, there are a surprising amount of elevation changes. The fairways are wide and the opening par 5 quickly disappears from view as the fairway falls steeply downhill to a green adjoining a large water hazard.
The Crocodile River runs along the 4th to the 6th holes and also alongside the 8th and 16th, whilst a 150-year-old canal flows behind the 8th green and beside the 9th tee, on its way to feeding the main dam in front of the 17th green.
The course comes to a climatic crescendo starting at the 14th, which starts a run of three par 4s all measuring over 500 yards from the tips. The 17th is a long carry over water to a well bunkered fairway, with the 18th playing uphill towards a green protected by a small creek at the front.
My tips to Win:
How much scar tissue will remain this week for Thriston Lawrence 14/1 – with 888Sport – who’s final round 75 see him slide out of contention last weekend at the Joburg Open remains to be seen. But, Thriston is the defending champion this week and let's not forget the great golf he played in Joburg to put himself into contention over the first three rounds. I feel he will be more determined after what happened and I expect him to be right back in the thick of the battle again come Sunday
I am not sure how aware Christian Bezuidenhout 16/1 – with BetVictor – is that he can go above some great South African golfers who have only won their national Open once, by winning it for a second time this week. As I said when tipping him last week it hasn’t been a great year for Bezuidenhout trying to establish himself on the PGA Tour, but a solid Top 10 last week at the Joburg Open will see him arrive with more belief in this golf game and I expect him to be challenging again come Sunday
Another one of our tips from last weekend was Zander Lombard 25/1 – with 888Sport – who is ending the year in great form. And a Top 5 finish at the Joburg Open will see him arrive at Blair Atholl in confident mood and I can see him being back in the thick of it again this weekend
Each-way tips:
Another player that seems to have found some form is Jayden Schaper 28/1 – with BetVictor – who started last season on the European Tour well and then seemed to lose his way. I am sure being back on home soil and a Top 10 finish at the Joburg Open has put all that out of his mind. Jayden will be coming back to a course where he had a Top 10 finish in this event last year and he will be looking to challenge again this week
I was asked about tipping Hennie Du Plessis 30/1 – with BetFred – last week and I said lets wait until we see how he performs in Joburg and his Top 25 finish and more importantly his final round 66, sees him make the list this week. Hennie had a Top 10 finish over the Blair Atholl course last year and he will be looking to better that finish this year
Outside tip:
I was very surprised to see Darren Fichardt 80/1 – with UniBet – this far down the betting odds so I would get on him quickly before that all changes. Darren comes into this week on the back of his runner-up finish at the Joburg Open and sits in third place on the Sunshine Tours OOM
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