The DP World Tour's new 2024-25 season continues with yet another high-profile event in South Africa - the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
Following immediately on the heels of the exclusive 66-man Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player Country Club, a full field will be in action in the north west of the country which is set to include defending champion Louis Oosthuizen as well as his South African LIV peers, Charl Schwartzel and Dean Burmester.
Each of those will hope to follow in the footsteps of Elvis Smylie, Ryggs Johnston, and Johannes Veerman in becoming the latest winner on the DP World Tour this term.
The Alfred Dunhill Championship has become almost as famous for its off-course sights as well as the on-course action, with the tournament's location just outside the Kruger National Park making it a real treat for those who have a keen interest in wildlife.
Keep reading to discover who the Golf Monthly news team believe will snap up the lion's share of this week's prize money as well as all of the odds for the leading players in the field.
ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP: THE COURSE
Not to be confused with the similarly-titled Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which takes place across three iconic courses in Scotland during the latter stages of the campaign, this week's tournament is exclusive to the one of the best courses in South Africa, Leopard Creek Golf Club, during the early stages of the new term.
Leopard Creek hosts a 7,112-yard par 72 which sits right on the bank of the aptly-named Crocodile River, home to plenty of the sharp-toothed descendants of dinosaurs as well as plenty of hippo and other recognizable creatures.
As far as the course goes, water and trees regularly guard narrow fairways and awkwardly-shaped greens throughout, so the emphasis will be one accuracy and purity of ball striking.
Aside from the 18th, the signature hole is arguably the 13th which has a raised green and gives players a superb view of the neighboring Kruger National Park.
ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIOUS WINNERS
There was no tournament in 2021 due to Covid-19 and no tournament in 2017 due to course renovations.
ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING ODDS
The odds to win outright are via FanDuel Sportsbook
- Louis Oosthuizen (+850)
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+1000)
- Dean Burmester (+1200)
- Thriston Lawrence (+1600)
- Laurie Canter (+2200)
- Charl Schwartzel (+2500)
- Matti Schmid (+2500)
- Tom McKibbin (+3300)
- Brandon Stone (+3300)
- Jorge Campillo (+3500)
- Romain Langasque (+3500)
- Alex Fitzpatrick (+4000)
- Jayden Schaper (+4000)
- Erik Van Rooyen (+4000)
- Julien Guerrier (+4000)
- Shaun Norris (+4500)
- Joost Luiten (+5000)
- Adrian Otaegui (+5000)
- Oliver Lindell (+5500)
- Francesco Laporta (+5500)
- Wenyi Ding (+5500)
- Aldrich Potgieter (+5500)
- Richard Mansell (+6000)
- Angel Ayora (+6000)
- Andy Sullivan (+6000)
- All other players priced at +7000 or higher
ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING PICKS
FAVORITE: Charl Schwartzel (+2500)
The South African recently finished second at the International Series Qatar before missing the cut by a single stroke in Saudi last week, where he was two-under-par after 36 holes. I’ll let him off for that and back him to win at a championship he has won four times and been runner-up at five times, including last year when his Stinger GC teammate Louis Oosthuizen beat him by two.
OUTSIDER: Jayden Schaper (+4000)
Promising South African Jayden Schaper has quietly had a good run in his last three events, culminating in a T17th in Saudi last week where he shot 64-67 over the weekend to end just six back of first place.
Schaper was T7th here last year and T2nd in 2020. He is yet to fulfil his early potential but definitely looks to be playing well enough to contend at Leopard Creek this week.
FAVORITE: Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+1000)
The South African comes into the event in fine form following a tie for sixth at the Nedbank Golf Challenge last week, with Bezuidenhout possessing an excellent run of results when he was last back in his home country 12 months ago.
In 2023, he finished ninth at the Joburg Open, T17th at the SA Open Championship and, importantly, solo third at this week's Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
What's more, he is a former winner of this tournament back in 2020, and his recent results seem to be consistent as ever, so I fully expect him to be competing come Sunday.
OUTSIDER: Robin Williams (+9000)
I've gone with another South African here and, for his price, I think Robin Williams offers great value in what is a competitive field. Firstly, he's won in his last four starts, coming at the Fortress Invitational, while his overall game seems to suit Leopard Creek.
Looking at past form, Williams finished in a share of 20th in this tournament last year and, had it not been for a poor weekend, he would have likely challenged following a seven-under-par opening round of 65. The 23-year-old is in good form and I think one to watch this week.
FAVORITE: Laurie Canter (+2200)
Canter's recent form is solid if unspectacular, with a hat-trick of top-25s between the DP World Tour playoffs and last week's Nedbank Golf Challenge. But what makes me like his chances this week is that he is A) supremely accurate off the tee and into greens and B) he ended solo third here last year.
In a field as close as this one, the winning player will be the ones who makes those marginal gains on the rest. If Canter enjoys a good putting week and avoids any disasters around the greens, his supreme accuracy should help him challenge.
OUTSIDER: Francesco Laporta (+5500)
Considering the typical characteristics of his game and recent form, Laporta could well be described as representing good value. He has three T6th results in his past six starts and hasn't missed the cut in any tournament since early September. His game is based on pinpoint accuracy, vital for this week, and he has been a wizard around the green in recent weeks (also key).
However, his record at Leopard Creek is quite ugly - having missed three of four cuts and finishing T48th in the other. That's why his price is as high as it is.
Nevertheless, I'm willing to ignore his downside as he was a different player back then and I'd like to think his painful past experiences could help him this year. Coming off a top-10 at the Nedbank, Laporta is in good form and can surprise a few with another strong performance at Leopard Creek.
HOW TO WATCH ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP
USA (ET)
- Thursday, December 12 - Round One: 5:00am - 10:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Friday, December 13 - Round Two: 5:00am - 10:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Saturday, December 14 - Round Three: 4:30am - 9:30am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Sunday, December 15 - Round Four: 4:30am - 9:30am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
UK (GMT)
- Thursday, December 12 - Round One: 10:00am - 3:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Friday, December 13 - Round Two: 10:00am - 3:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Saturday, December 14 - Round Three: 9:30am - 2:30am (Sky Sports Golf)
- Sunday, December 15 - Round Four: 9:30am - 2:30am (Sky Sports Golf)
