The European Tour remains in South Africa for the final event of 2018 when the field tees it up at Leopard Creek Country Club for the Alfred Dunhill Championship. The event returns after a one-year hiatus for a makeover of Leopard Creek, so recent form here may not be as relevant as other events. Still, the native contingent will be well represented and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a South African claim the prize, much like Louis Oosthuizen did last week at the South African Open.
Fresh off his 6-shot victory at Randpark, Oosthuizen came off as the betting favorite at +460 and looks for his first Alfred Dunhill Championship title. Winning here hasn’t been a problem for Charl Schwartzel, who has claimed the top spot four times during his career, including three times in the last five playings. Schwartzel is the second favorite at +735. The most recent success belongs to Brandon Stone, who won in 2016 and has odds of +2500.
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Odds to Win Alfred Dunhill Championship at BookMaker.eu
Louis Oosthuizen +460
Charl Schwartzel +735
Branden Grace +810
Matt Wallace +1100
Dylan Frittelli +1400
Dean Burmester +2500
Brandon Stone +2500
Romain Langasque +2500
Thomas Aiken +2800
Erik Van Rooyen +2800
Victor Perez +3300
Chris Paisley +3500
Kurt Kitayama +4000
Shaun Norris +4500
Richard Sterne +5000
George Coetzee +5000
Haydn Porteous +5000
Ernie Els +6000
Sean Crocker +6000
Tapio Pulkkanen +6000
Jaco Van Zyl +6600
Matthieu Pavon +6600
Jeff Winther +7000
Darren Fichardt +7000
Oliver Bekker +7000
Pablo Larrazabal +7000
Mikko Ilonen +8000
Scott Vincent +8000
Marc Warren +8000
Bernd Wiesberger +9000
Zander Lombard +9000
Trevor Immelman +9000
Scott Jamieson +10000
David Drysdale +10000
Masahiro Kawamura +10000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +10000
Adilson Da Silva +10000
Adri Arnaus +12500
Alejandro Canizares +12500
Alex Haindl +12500
Keith Horne +12500
Dimitrios Papadatos +12500
Gregory Bourdy +12500
Oliver Wilson +12500
Odds Analysis
Charl Schwartzel +735
He is one of the betting favorites for the simple reason that he owns the course. Titleist in three of the last five playings and four total, Schwartzel has finished lower than fourth just once in his last seven starts at Leopard Creek. But as we mentioned, course form may not be as strong an indicator due to the renovations. Still, the native is playing solid golf and could be more determined after letting a second-round lead escape him at last week’s SA Open. He could also be the beneficiary of Oosthuizen’s victory hangover. A native has won each of the last six playings and Schwartzel has three over that span. Why not another?
Louis Oosthuizen +460
He’s the betting favorite for a reason and that’s because he’s definitely a hometown player. The native South African is loaded with confidence after thrashing the field by six-shots at last week’s South African Open. “My putting has been as good as it’s ever been,” he said after last week’s victory. And there’s no arguing with him after he ranked second for the entire field in that category. He has two runner-up finishes at Leopard Creek, but also six missed cuts with a withdrawal since 2005, so his course form is puzzling. However, recent form says he should again be in contention.
Erik Van Rooyen +2800
We wanted to keep an eye on Van Rooyen at last week’s SA Open, but he pulled out apparently due to an illness rather than an injury. He is scheduled to compete this week and will look to follow up on a nice Tour season that ended with four rounds in the 60s and a T26 at the DP World Tour Championship. He hasn’t had much success here with a T31 and T32 his last two starts, but he’s a big hitter who averaged nearly 310 yards off the tee, and that distance will help on the stretched out course.
Ernie Els +6000
We’ve seen a lot of the four-time Major winner lately as he prepares for the Senior Tour next year when he turns 50, and he’s served as an inspiration for many of the country’s younger golfers. Now it’s time for those youngsters to provide some motivation for the veteran. He had his best showing recently last week with a T15 at the SA Open and has finished among the top six for greens in regulation in his last two starts. It’s been nearly a decade since he teed it up at Leopard Creek, but he enjoyed plenty of success in the day and he has plenty of value at his current price.
Course: Leopard Creek Country Club – 7,287 yards, par-72
The course was shut down last year for renovations to make it more challenging for the pros, so recent form is probably not as good an indicator as it typically is. Still, it’s 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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