There will be exciting European Tour action to look forward to this weekend, as one of the Sunshine Tour events takes place in South Africa. The Alfred Dunhill Championship makes its long-awaited return to the schedule after a two-year absence, as it was last competed in 2020 when Christiaan Bezuidenhout claimed victory. The South African is among the favourites to successfully defend his title, but can he achieve that feat this weekend?
Latest Odds
There is a stacked field of quality players set to line-up for the Alfred Dunhill Championship this weekend, and the BetXchange betting markets for the prestigious event are already open. Christiaan Bezuidenhout currently heads the betting, as he looks to successfully defend the title he won in 2020, and he is available at 9/1.
Meanwhile, fellow South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel are both 11/1 chances. Elsewhere in the betting, Deal Burmester and Branden Grace are both 18/1 shots, while Thriston Lawrence is a 20/1 chance.
Event Details
The Alfred Dunhill Championship is staged at Leopard Creek Country Club, and is played over a total length of 7,249 yards. This event is a par 72, and is part of the Sunshine Tour and European Tour.
A purse of €1.5 million is available to players this weekend, and it has been a regular part of the schedule since 2000. The tournament record scores are currently held by Charl Schwartzel, who finished with an aggregate score of 264 and -24 when winning the tournament in 2012.
Leading Contenders
South African players have an excellent recent record in this flagship event on the Sunshine Tour. Seven of the previous nine winners have been South African players, with Bezuidenhout claiming victory on the previous occasion it was held in 2020. On that occasion, he finished four shots clear of the field, and the betting certainly gives him every chance of repeating that feat this weekend.
However, cases can be made for many of the other top players in the better. Oosthuizen has enjoyed another fine year, and has been one of the most consistent players since joining the LIV Tour. But, whether he may be slightly rusty after a long period away from the greens remains to be seen.
Charl Schwartzel makes a very obvious claim this weekend, as no player has won the Alfred Dunhill Championship more regularly. The South African has claimed victories on four previous occasions, with his previous win coming back in 2015, as he finished four shots clear of Gregory Bourdy. Branden Grace also looks to make a serious challenge this weekend, after winning a huge event on the LIV Tour back in July in Portland, as he finished two shots clear of Carlos Ortiz.
Alfred Dunhill Championship Prediction
This looks set to be a thrilling event on the Sunshine Tour this weekend, and we believe the winner will be one of the big South African players involved. However, the slight preference is for Schwartzel, who boasts an incredible record at the course, and has tasted success in this event on four previous occasions.
