Golf Tips: Best bets for Cognizant Classic and South African Open

• Steve thinks Lawrence is overpriced at 289/1290.00

• Dave says Berger is ready to win and backs him at 20/121.00

• Henley backed to make a fast start at 45/146.00

• Course info, players' form and outsiders to back at over 100/1101.00

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Cognizant Classic tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: Lowry the favourite in Florida

Steve Rawlings: "Having finished second, fifth and fourth in the last three editions of the Cognizant Classic, Shane Lowry is the narrow favourite over the 2014 winner, Russell Henley. Lowry finished only 39^th in the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines last time out but he doesn't have a great record there and he was third in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in his penultimate start.

"He's no bigger than 20/1 on the High Street so 23.0 is a very fair price but I'm happy to swerve him and all the market leaders before the off.

"Henley loves it here and has only missed the weekend once since taking the title 11 years ago, with a best subsequent finish being third in 2021. But he was disappointing last time out, finishing alongside Lowry at Torrey Pines.

"The 2022 winner, Sepp Straka, is currently third best at 28.0 but having finished fifth when defending in 2023, he missed the cut last year and last time out in the Genesis at Torrey Pines. That wasn't too surprising given his form figures there prior to the Genesis read 13-MC-32-16-MC and he could well bounce back here."

Each-way picks from 20/1 to 50/1

Dave Tindall: "Perhaps the tamer conditions make it more likely we'll get one of the favourites winning and, while respecting all of them, Daniel Berger looks the one most ready to win. Let's start with his current form which immediately takes the eye.

"Two tournaments ago, he played some excellent golf to finish runner-up, albeit a distant one to Thomas Detry, at the WM Phoenix Open. He ranked fist for Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and also 3rd for Driving Accuracy. With four previous top 11s in Phoenix, it reminded us that he has strong course horse tendencies. Hold that thought.

"Berger followed it with 12th at Torrey Pines and that was just as impressive in some ways. Why? It was his best finish in eight starts there in a regular PGA Tour event. Added to those ideal preps is a great course record at PGA National. Berger almost won here at a massive price as a youngster on debut back in 2015 while he's finished fourth in two of his last three visits, 2020 and 2022."

Find Me a 100 Winner: Three long shots chanced at between 119/1 and 289/1

Steve Rawlings: "It's never easy to make the transition from the DP World Tour to the PGA Tour and Thriston Lawrence has been disappointing in his first three starts - missing his first two cuts before finishing down the field last week in the Mexico Open - but this venue could be perfect for the 28-year-old South African.

The four-time DP World Tour winner came to the attention of wider golf audiences when he finished fourth in the Open Championship last year and he followed that with a second-place finish at both the British Masters and the prestigious BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

"Lawrence has committed to the PGA Tour, given he's missing the South African Open to play here, and that's an event he won three years ago. He will enjoy the Bermuda greens and I'm surprised to see him trading at such a huge price."

First-Round Leader Tips: A trio of picks from 45/1 to 100/1

Dave Tindall: "Russell Henley will be a very popular pick for punters and fantasy players this week but he has to appeal in this market too given that his first-round leader odds are double those of his outright offerings. And, he has that morning tee-time we're looking for: the American starts out from the 10th (as have five of the last seven Thursday leaders) at 07.40.

"Henley is a former winner here at PGA National and also has a third, an eighth and three other top 25s to his name. As for fast starts here, he's twice opened with 64s and that put him second after round one on both occasions. A fairly simple argument is completed by Henley being a FRL at Pebble Beach just two starts ago. In fact, he's been in the top 25 after 18 holes in each of his last eight events."

Course and current form stats

Andy Swales: "Although trees and dense vegetation are in short supply, it remains a parkland course that demands accurate tee-to-green golf and solid ball-striking.

"There are sizeable water hazards on 13 holes and since last year's event the fairways have been slightly narrowed. For 2025, fairway width will average 28 yards and although this is not overly tight, this low-lying layout is definitely no pushover.

"After a handful of weeks putting on Poa Annua greens, the players will face the more tricky Bermuda grass surfaces. The greens here are bigger than the PGA Tour average. And, for the first time since 2014, the Bermuda grass fairways at the Champion Course have been over-seeded with Ryegrass...

"In recent years, no one has performed more consistently well over PGA National's Champion Course than Shane Lowry 19/1. The Irishman's last three visits to this part of Florida have all yielded top-five finishes. He's also performed reasonably well during the past six months, and at the start of February finished second behind Rory McIlroy at Pebble Beach."

South African Open tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: Former Winner fancied at 54/1

Steve Rawlings: "Daniel van Tonder has begun 2025 brilliantly. After finishing runner-up on the Sunshine Tour, the prolific South African won back-to-back HotelPlanner Tour events and he's finished sixth and ninth in each of his last two starts.

"The 33-year-old finished 23^rd in the Suncoast Classic here way back in 2012 on his sole start at Durban Country Club but this looks a great fit if he holds his form. Having ranked inside the top-10 for Driving Accuracy in each of his last four starts and second, first, seventh and 20^th for Greens In Regulation, he should be able to keep himself out of trouble. He's been putting brilliantly too.

"He topped the Putting Average stats when finishing second in his first start in 2025 and in his four subsequent starts he's ranked third, eighth, 16^th and first."

Each-Way Tips: 66/1 Ramsay can make it two

Matt Cooper: "Richie Ramsay has finished first and fifth at Hillside, fourth and fifth at Murcar Links, ninth at Kennemer, and eighth and T12 at Golf Blue Green de Pleneuf Val Andre on the Brittany coast. That's in addition to a genuine links record that includes excellent returns in the Dunhill Links Championship, second at Portstewart and T22 at Royal Birkdale in the Open.

"Rather more straightforwardly he was ninth on the course in the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions and he won this championship in 2009 at Pearl Valley. He also found a bit of form in the Middle East. At Doha, where he's never made a top 30 in 11 tries, he was T42. But before then he was fourth in Bahrain."

Course and current form stats

Andy Swales: "With its tight, tree-lined fairways, the revamped layout will certainly test the course management skills of this year's competitors. At 6,780 yards, this week's layout will be one of the shortest courses used on the DP World Tour in 2025.

"The only occasion during the last eight years, in which Durban Country Club has staged an event on the Sunshine Tour, was in February 2022 when it hosted the Jonsson Workwear Open. This event was co-sanctioned with the Challenge Tour and played over two courses, with Durban hosting the final two rounds...

"The 38-year-old John Parry 25/1 is enjoying the best form of his career right now and in Kenya on Sunday finished runner-up in the country's national open... He's also one of the few golfers teeing-up this week who have played competitively at Durban Country Club, having tied-18th here three years ago in a co-sanctioned event on the Sunshine and Challenge Tours."

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