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Strong course management skills required
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Rozner 20/121.00 can claim fourth DP World Tour title
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Young Ryan 50/151.00 a solid e/w option on home soil
Tournament and Course Notes
• The SDC Championship is the second of three consecutive DP World Tour events on the continent of Africa. And, for the second year in a row, the tournament takes place at St Francis Links which made its 'Euro' debut 12 months ago;
• Opened in December 2006, the course is located around one mile from the coast and has kikuyu grass fairways and bent grass putting surfaces;
• The venue is almost as far south as you can travel in the vast Rainbow Country, with this week's SDC Championship also doubling up as a tournament co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour;
• The undulating fairways need to be treated with respect, as there is plenty of dense vegetation waiting to gobble-up any errant drive or approach. Water comes into play on five holes, most of these late in the round;
• The majority of fairways on the par 4s and 5s change direction, some more sharply than others, putting an emphasis on good course management;
• This Jack Nicklaus-designed course has been a regular location for members of South Africa's Sunshine Tour.
Latest betting for this week's SDC Championship
Good Current Form
In a tournament where there is no golfer ranked inside the world's top 60, Zander Lombard 16/117.00 is the standout entry this week.
The No 98 has contested six events so far this year, has posted a trio of top-six finishes, and nothing worse than tied-16th.
The 29-year-old from Pretoria is chasing his first victory on the DP World Tour, and second on the Sunshine Tour.
Frenchman Antoine Rozner 20/121.00 played well during the Middle East segment of this year's DP World Tour, improving week-by-week. He also tied-third at St Francis Links 12 months ago.
Another podium finisher in this event last year was Ewen Ferguson 18/119.00 who arrives in the Eastern Cape on the back of a brace of top-10s.
Tom McKibbin 18/119.00 has gone about his business quietly and efficiently this year, highlighted by a top-five finish in Qatar.
And then there's Connor Syme 28/129.00, who sprung to life last week in Kenya with a tie-for-seventh.
Both McKibbin and Syme were top-20 finishers at St Francis last year.
Latest betting for this year's Masters Tournament
Good Course Form
Three South Africans with decent histories, regarding Sunshine Tour events staged here, are: Jaco Ahlers 100/1101.00, Jayden Trey Schaper 33/134.00and Ryan Van Velzen 50/151.00.
Ahlers can add a brace of T-5s to the podium finish he had here 12 months ago when this event joined the DP World Tour schedule.
Schaper has posted three Sunshine Tour top-10s at St Francis, while Van Velzen has stood on the podium once.
The 22-year-old Van Velzen has made a strong start to 2024 on his home tour, winning once and finishing runner-up a few weeks later.
He also tied-11th at last week's Kenya Open on the DP World Tour.
Note: Regarding 'Course Form' table, there is an additional alphabetical list of players who have posted Top-12 finishes in Sunshine Tour events staged at St Francis Links since 2015.
Note: List Contains Leading Reserves
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