The DP World Tour returns to South Africa for a two-week swing, starting with the iconic Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City. Known for years as “Africa’s Major,” this event has attracted many of the world’s best players since the early 1980s and remains one of the flagship tournaments on the calendar. In this preview, we look at the week’s golf from a betting angle and highlight a few suggested bets.
The Course
The Gary Player Country Club is a par 72 monster on the card at 7,834 yards (7,163 metres), but that number is slightly deceptive. The course sits at altitude, which means the ball travels further through the thinner air, effectively shortening the way it plays compared to sea level.
The fairways are generally generous, but accuracy off the tee is still essential. Miss too far and players find themselves in lush kikuyu rough, which makes controlling the ball into the green extremely difficult. Push it wider still and there is thick bush, where finding the ball can be almost impossible and occasionally risky given the wildlife on the estate.
Key features of the layout include:
- Tree-lined fairways that reward shape and strategy rather than blind power.
- Well protected greens, often elevated and guarded by bunkers, which place a premium on quality iron play.
- Kikuyu fairways and rough combined with quick, often firm putting surfaces, meaning approach shots must be precisely judged.
- Risk-reward par 5s where length is an advantage, especially at altitude, but wayward drives can quickly lead to big numbers.
In summary, Sun City tends to favour strong ball-strikers who drive it reasonably straight, hit a high percentage of greens in regulation and can handle fast, sloping putting surfaces. Distance is an asset at this elevation, but you will not survive four days here if you spray it off the tee.
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Tournament History
First played in 1981, the Nedbank Golf Challenge quickly developed a reputation as one of the premier events outside the majors, with a small, invitation-only field and huge purses for its time. Over the years it has been won by some of the biggest names in golf and has become a key stop for international stars visiting South Africa.
Recent winners reflect the quality of the field:
Previous Winners
2024 Johannes Veerman (United States) −5 1 stroke
2023 Max Homa (United States) −19 4 strokes
2022 Tommy Fleetwood (England) −11 1 stroke
2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Scoring can vary depending on wind and firmness. In softer years, winning scores can push well into double figures under par; when the course is firm and the wind picks up, anything in single digits under par can become very competitive.
Market Leaders
A strong field has assembled this week, and the bookmakers have set Viktor Hovland as the early favourite at 7.50. Christiaan Bezuidenhout returns to home soil and is trading at 13.00, alongside Marco Penge, who enjoyed a standout season on the DP World Tour.
Betting – Click here to bet
Viktor Hovland 7.50
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 13.00
Marco Penge 13.00
Thorbjorn Olesen 17.00
Jayden Schaper 17.00
Garrick Higgo 17.00
Angel Ayora 17.00
SELECTIONS
Marco Penge at 13.00
Penge broke onto the scene this year with a very impressive season on the DP World Tour where he finished second in the Race to Dubai rankings behind Rory McIlroy. In his last four starts on tour, he has secured two top twenty-fives, a top ten and a win at the Open de Espana back in October. Penge has a remarkable ball speed and at the altitude this weekend, if he can keep the ball in the fairway, he should be able to make the course play easy.
Marco Penge each way at 13.00
Angel Ayora at 17.00
Ayora had a very impressive end to his 2025 season and will look to continue this form going into the new season. In his last five starts, he finished in the top ten, a remarkable four times with his best finish being seventh place at the Korea Championship. This will be his first time playing in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and if he can continue this form, I think he stands a very good chance this weekend.
Angel Ayora each way at 17.00
Aldrich Potgieter at 29.00
Potgieter made his debut in the Nedbank Golf Challenge last year and what a debut it was. He led the tournament going into the last day, but his inexperience cost him as he shot three over to lose the tournament by a shot. Potgieter then went on to play in the PGA Tour where he secured a win and gained the experience he lacked at the end of last year. I think he will be back wanting to make up for last year and we may see something special from him this weekend in front of his home crowd.
Aldrich Potgieter each way at 29.00
Click here for all betting on the 2025 Nedbank Golf Challenge
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change