The European tour is back in South Africa this week. This will actually be the sixth tournament hosted in the country this year and the last event of the calendar year on the Tour. The new Race to Dubai is already up and swinging and this will be the fourth tournament in the new 2018 season which will count towards that challenge. Even though this is a European Tour event, it has combined with the Asian and Sunshine Tours for this Joburg tournament.
This tournament was usually played in the early stages of a new calendar year, but it got a switch back to December and this is being played on the Randpark Golf Club as the usual venue of Royal Johannesburg is getting a makeover at the moment. The tournament is being played over two courses because there is a massive field turning up at the event, a total of 240 players. The courses are Firethorn and Bushwillow.
Oosthuishuizen heads the SA challengers
With a strong contingent of home-grown South African players, naturally, you are going to find some serious challengers for a home victory in this one. Louis Oosthuizen is the 11/2 favourite and up at the head of the market as he was last week in Mauritius. It is interesting because he has been well backed despite some inconsistent form this season.
He is playing some really strong stuff in between some real lapses of concentration and touch, which have set him back. He was ahead in Mauritius and just could not build on the early strengths and just lackadaisically seemed to capitulate and not be overly bothered about it at the same time. There wasn’t a lot of fight from him in trying to get out of the weeds.
Dylan Frittelli has been in pretty strong consistent form but the question is whether or not he quite has the clinical ruthlessness to actually put a tour win on the board. The former winner from back in 2015 of the Joburg Open, Haydn Porteous is a good solid option for at least a top-five finish. He was ticking over in the top fifteen last week before slipping back in the final round. He will likely be a better fit on home soil.
Refund Offer
If your player loses in a playoff in the Joburg Open this week, then you will get a lost stake refund from the operator Stan James!
Terms of the offer
Go and bet £5 or more on the Tournament Outright market at the end of round 3 and before the start of round 4. Then, if your selected player losses in a play off then you will get money back as a free bet up to £25. Note the promotional period to strike the qualifying bet, which is again, from the end of play in the third round and before the start of play in the fourth round. Only bets placed at odds of evens money or greater will qualify for this promotion. The offer will apply to only your first qualifying bet on the tournament in the promotional period. The minimum free bet award is £5 and the maximum is £25.