This week the European Tour heads to Johannesburg for the South African Open and there’s a strong home contingent of golfers all vying for the honours at Randpark Golf Club.
That charge will be led by Louis Oosthuizen who went close last month at the Nedbank Challenge, but who will come out on top? Our golf betting expert gives you his best golf bets ahead of the tournament.
Home advantage could be crucial
There is a lot of talent at the top of the betting market for this event, which is being hosted at Randpark for the very first time after a five-year spell at Glendower Golf Club.
Golfers from the home nation have always fared well at this tournament, and Henrik Stenson brought an end to a run of 11 home winners in 12 events back in 2012.
Since the switch to Glendower though, there’s only been one South African winner of the tournament – Branden Stone in 2016, with England providing three of the last four winners in the shape of Andy Sullivan, Graeme Storm and Chris Paisley.
It would be foolish though to not expect a South African to be in contention come the final round.
Oosthuizen leads the market at 13/2, and there’s eight South Africans in the current top-10 of the betting, with England’s Matt Wallace (12/1) and France’s Romain Langasque (33/1) leading the European charge.
Van Rooyen to pick up maiden Tour win?
Home advantage over this course will help though and my main pick will be Erik Van Rooyen each-way at 25/1.
He is yet to win on the European Tour but has a good record at this course having finished runner-up in the Joburg Open last year, which was held on this course.
On that occasion he carded a final round of 66 as he tried, in vain, to chase down Shubhankar Sharma.
The 28-year-old will know this course better than most and after a solid 26th last time out in Dubai, he should go well here.
I will also plump for another South African in the field, and that is Thomas Aiken, who is available at 50/1 with Grosvenorsport.com.
His form appears to be picking up at just the right time with four top-25 finishes in recent weeks, while he has also been in the top-five in four of his last six years of this event, so the 50/1 on offer looks to represent good each-way value.
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