There is no offseason on the European Tour. Just a few days after the dramatic conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship and the 2018-19 season it’s back to work. The new Euro Tour season gets underway this week in South Africa with the playing of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club. American David Lipsky broke a string of South African dominance at this event that had been in place since 2011 with a 2-shot victory last year. Carl Schwartzel, who has won half of the last six playings and four overall, is the betting favorite to return the trophy to the motherland. With the holiday season upon us many of the bigger names on Tour have packed their clubs giving us a great money making opportunity at online sportsbooks. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds and to place your wager.
Odds to Win Alfred Dunhill Championship at BookMaker.eu
Charl Schwartzel +866
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +966
Branden Grace +1181
Brandon Stone +1283
Eddie Pepperell +1600
George Coetzee +1600
Ross Fisher +2132
Zander Lombard +2346
Richard Sterne +2346
Justin Harding +2455
Calum Hill +3280
Francesco Laporta +3556
Dean Burmester +4050
Matthew Jordan +4250
Alexander Bjork +4850
Pablo Larrazabal +6393
Renato Paratore +6400
Justin Walters +6450
Oliver Wilson +6550
Adrian Meronk +6700
Jeff Winther +6800
Richard Bland +7200
Jack Singh Brar +7200
Haydn Porteous +7200
Cormac Sharvin +7600
Edoardo Molinari +7700
Hugo Leon +7750
Julien Guerrier +7900
Jack Senior +8100
Jaco Van Zyl +8250
Oliver Farr +8300
Jaco Ahlers +8450
Benjamin Poke +9050
Darren Fichardt +9050
Louis De Jager +9050
Ben Stow +9300
Niklas Lemke +9550
Oliver Fisher +9550
Oliver Bekker +9550
David Drysdale +9550
Ernie Els +9550
James Morrison +10000
Alejandro Canizares +10000
Thomas Aiken +10000
Connor Syme +10000
Jake McLeod +10000
Wil Besseling +10000
Johannes Veerman +10000
Odds Analysis
Charl Schwartzel +866
At any other time I wouldn’t hesitate throwing down on Schwartzel considering his past success at Leopard Creek. Over his career he has four wins, including three in the last six playings, four runner-up showings and a fourth. But he’s been inactive for several months due to a wrist injury and it’s a lot to expect for him to come in and resume where he left off. Reports have him playing practice rounds since last month, which is an encouraging sign. But it’s hard to imagine him competing at a high enough level despite the watered down field. Besides, there are much better value picks down the odds board.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +966
Given the local talent competing and the success South Africans have enjoyed at this event it’s hard not to at least consider backing one. Bezuidenhout checks all the boxes, though he hasn’t had the upper crust finish of some of his fellow natives. He is coming off a season that saw him finish 18th in the Race to Dubai with a breakout win at Valderrama. He secured his R2D standing with a T12 in Dubai last week. He’s played Leopard Creek three times with a best of T18 last year, so he is trending in the right direction.
Ross Fisher +2132
Fisher enjoyed a solid but unspectacular season on Tour that doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in his ability to get a win. But we’ve seen a lot of things happen over the years and his winning a title wouldn’t even be the most surprising. His last start at Leopard Creek was a T3 in 2013 and he also has a T4, so he clearly enjoys the layout. Another positive is a T10 in his last start at the Turkish Open.
Dean Burmester +4050
Another local player trending up is Burmester, who is 4 for 4 in his last four Euro Tour starts with a best of T14 at the Portugal Masters last month. It also looks like Burmester has found his groove at Leopard Creek. After a rough early going he has a T11 and T17 in two of his last three visits. He’s also been a solid player on home soil with three top-4s and a T11 in his last six starts in South Africa.
David Drysdale +9550
I’m taking a leap on Drysdale since his game has been in the tank for a while. He’s spent more time off the course than on it since a solo second here last year, that’s probably why his odds are as high as they are. But he loves playing Leopard Creek and a return to a layout that’s brought him success could be what shakes him out of his funk. And there’s a huge payout if he does that.
Course: Leopard Creek Country Club – 7,249 yards, par-72
The course was shut down two years ago for renovations to make it more challenging for the pros. I guess it worked. Lipsky won at -14 last year, the worst winning score since Pablo Martin’s -11 in 2010. It remains a golf course that requires players to strike the ball accurately and the distance plays well for big hitters. The track sits on the edge of Kruger National Park and the Crocodile River winds through several holes, adding another hazard that could include the wildlife that make the surrounding area home. Three par 5 holes are on the last six of the layout and they’re all scoreable, giving golfers a chance to make up shots late.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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