Dean Burmester -18
Darren Fichardt -15
Dan Bradbury -13
Jacques Kruyswijk -12
Zander Lombard -12
Nikhil Rama -11
Gavin Green -10
Thriston Lawrence -10
Christiaan Bezuidenhout -9
Jayden Schaper -9
Darius Van Driel -9
Thriston Lawrence 4/7
Dean Burmester 11/4
Jacques Kruyswijk 14/1
Zander Lombard 20/1
Nikhil Rama 33/1
Darren Fichardt 80/1
Daniel Brown 100/1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 125/1
Dan Bradbury 125/1
Jayden Schaper 200/1
Frederic Lacroix 250/1
Ross Fisher 300/1
Deon Germishuys 400/1
Dylan Frittelli 400/1
Louis De Jager 500/1
Andy Sullivan 750/1
M.J. Viljoen 750/1
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The European tour now splits in two with this section teaming up with the Sunshine Tour for several co-sanctioned events kicking off with the Joburg Open, which last year moved to Houghton Golf Club.
Houghton Golf Club was established back in 1926 and considered one of the best parkland courses in the Johannesburg area. The South African Open has been held here eight times between 1951 and 1992 and it has also hosted the Alfred Dunhill Tournament between 1996 and 2004.
Houghton sold the property and the Jack Nicklaus design group were commissioned to modernise the course and its facilities. The design is now a completely new golfing experience for those who have played the original layout – notwithstanding one or two holes that have been altered on the old course, everything else has undergone a complete transformation.
The course re-opened for play in 2009 and now weighs in at 7,279 yards from the back tees, playing to a par of 72, with holes laid out as two returning nines. The course is now not as spacious as it used to be, but they have made up for the lack of space and sometimes distance in the most part by heavily guarding the greens and fairways with deep soft bunkers, thick rough and selective undulations.
The parkland layout is dotted with ponds and dams and is situated adjacent to the greenbelt of The Wilds. The site is a perfect extension to Johannesburg’s natural fauna and flora and is a proclaimed bird sanctuary with Egyptian geese, guinea fowl, dikkops, plovers and a variety of waterfowl in being present.
My tips to Win:
It has been a tough year for Christian Bezuidenhout 18/1 – with PaddyPower – trying to establish himself on the PGA Tour and I am sure he will be looking forward to playing back on home soil this week. Having said that Christian did have a sixth-place finish in one of his three starts on the PGA Tours Fall Series and I am sure he will be looking forward to teeing it up at Houghton GC where he had a third-place finish last year
This weeks defending champion is Dan Bradbury 20/1 – with 888Sport – who comes into this week on the back of four Top 20 finishes from his last four starts including at Top 5 at Sun City two weeks ago and will arrive here in confident mood
We did tip Zander Lombard 40/1 – with BetFred – for his runner-up finish at the Open de España a few weeks ago and with his top 25 finish at this weekends World Tour Championship he should be looking forward to this week.
Each-way tips
It all started so well for Nick Bachem 50/1 – with LiveScoreBet – when he opened up with a round of 64 here last year, unfortunately for Nick it was all downhill from that point, but he did go on to win his first European Tour event later in the season. It has been a stop start season for Bachem on the European Tour, but I feel this could be one of those weeks where he challenges again
We did tip Louis De Jager 50/1 – with LiveScoreBet – to his Top 5 in this event last year. It has not been a great year for Louis on the European Tour. But, he did have a recent Top 5 finish at the Andalucía Masters and I am sure he will be looking forward to competing back on home soil this week
Outside tip:
Louis Albertse 125/1 – with UniBet – who has a win and a runner-up on the Sunshine Tour and arrives here this week on the back of four Top 25 finishes from his last four starts including two Top 10s. Louis currently sits in fourth-place on the Sunshine Tours Order of Merit
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