Alfred Dunhill Championship First-Round Leader Tips: Picks from 40/1 to 90/1

• 40/141.00 Brandon Stone is a course winner with strong recent form

• 80/181.00 Pablo Larrazabal has impressive FRL history here

• 90/191.00 Oliver Bekker has come back to form again

Weather forecast for Thursday

It's going to be a hot one at Leopard Creek on Thursday.

The morning starters tee off with temperatures in the late 70s but the mercury rises to over 100 degrees in the afternoon.

In terms of winds, it's very calm early and picks up to around 10mph in the afternoon.

It's a two-tee start and times span from 06.20 to 13.20.

Brandon Stone @ 40/141.00

Brandon Stone's best golf is way better than most in this field and he's been showing flashes of that for the last few months.

The South African has reeled off five straight top 20s - Open de France, Andalucia Masters, Genesis Championship, Abu Dhabi Championship and Nedbank Golf Challenge - and more of that will make him a title contender here.

He certainly has some history at Leopard Creek and although his last couple of visits were disappointing - not surprising given his lack of form at the time - Stone won this event by six shots in 2016, the second of his three DP World Tour titles.

The 31-year-old has twice been in the top four after 18 holes here while he's been showing good FRL form in the latter part of 2024, landing in the top 11 after the opening lap in four of his last eight events.

Put it together and he's well worth a first-round leader punt at 40/141.00 from his 11.20 tee-time.

Pablo Larrazabal @ 80/181.00

Two of Pablo Larrazabal's nine DP World Tour wins have come in South Africa and they include this event in 2019 following a top 10 the year before.

He's had a tough trot of late but the Spaniard is coming off a good week at the Nedbank Golf Challenge even though it ended in poor fashion.

Larrazabal was seventh with a round to go before closing with 77 but after his eventual finish of 24th he took to social media to say he was "taking the positives" and also revealed that he was proud after moving into the top 40 all-time career money list earners on the DP World Tour.

"We are working hard for more, the journey didn't finish yet," he vowed.

As for first-round leader credentials there is lots to like.

In four of his six starts at Leopard Creek, Larrazabal has FRL positions of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th.

And in his latest two DP World Tour outings he was eighth after 18 holes of the Genesis Championship and third after the opening lap of last week's Nedbank Golf Challenge.

An 11.40 starter, he's well worth a play at 80/181.00.

Oliver Bekker @ 90/191.00

I want a morning starter on my team and the one I've landed on is Oliver Bekker at 90/191.00.

The big hitting South African, who hits off at 07.30, was in dreadful form after a run of 10 missed cuts in 11 starts. Even a return home couldn't stop the rot.

But after seeming to hit rock bottom with 76-81 for another early exit from the Sunshine Tour's Blue Label Challenge, he came out next time and fired a 62 in the Vodacom Origins - Final to take the first-round lead.

Speaking there, Bekker revealed: "I got some new irons on Tuesday and they seem to be working. I got a new broomstick putter in the bag for the first time and I made a few nice putts. It came out of nowhere, but I was also quietly confident after I got my new irons. I hit a couple of quality shots with them and was just building momentum on that." He ranked 3rd for GIR there.

Bekker finished 13th at the Vodacom and built on it with a fifth place in the South African PGA Championship a couple of weeks ago where he was 3rd for both Driving Distance and Putting Average.

At this course, he was fourth two years ago while his ninth in 2018 was fuelled by an opening 66 which secured the first-round lead.

With his confidence restored after those equipment changes, the eight-time Sunshine Tour winner is worth a play at 90/191.00.

Now read Steve Rawlings on the Dunhill Championship