MyGolfLife Open: Form stats for this week's event in South Africa

The DP World Tour returns to South Africa for this week's tournament which takes place approximately 18 miles north of Johannesburg city centre.

When the Tour last visited the country in November, it turned out to be a calamitous start to the new season.

The Tour was due to contest three successive events in South Africa but, on the opening day of the Joburg Open, the recently-discovered Omicron variant was starting to take hold across the country.

This meant the tournament was reduced to just 36 holes, with many competitors withdrawing after the opening round.

The following week's South African Open was played in full, but only as a Sunshine Tour event, while the Alfred Dunhill Championship was scrapped altogether.

Just over three months later, the DP World Tour has arrived back in South Africa to stage two more co-sanctioned events.

The first of these is the interestingly-titled MyGolfLife Open, which takes place at Pecanwood Country Club.

Pecanwood is approximately 12 miles west of the country's executive capital Pretoria, and was opened 26 years ago.

This will be the first time that Pecanwood has featured as a DP World Tour venue.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the fairways are covered by Kikuyu grass, while the putting surfaces were laid with Bent.

Situated close to the banks of the Hartbeespoort Dam, Pecanwood is a generally flat course with generous fairways and water on seven holes.

World Ranking Points

Top 12 Points Scorers in DP World Tour/Sunshine Tour events
(Since 01.09.2021)
Pts
59.09: Shaun Norris
57.10: Adri Arnaus
50.91: Richard Bland
50.88: Dean Burmester
43.96: Laurie Canter
43.30: Joachim B Hansen
40.84: Marcus Helligkilde
40.12: Oliver Bekker
40.10: Daniel Van Tonder
38.93: Francesco Laporta
37.99: JC Ritchie
36.82: Adrian Meronk
Shows cumulative points gained in DP World Tour & Sunshine Tour events
Only those entered this week are included in table

Latest betting for this week's MyGolfLife Open

Five To Watch

Richard Bland: The 49-year-old Englishman has plenty of Sunshine Tour experience, that includes a tie-for-second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in November 2020.

Thomas Detry: Still awaiting his maiden DP World Tour title and this week's mediocre field provides the Belgian with a great opportunity to break that duck. He has twice stood on the podium in South Africa.

Zander Lombard: Has a solid record on home soil and earlier this year tied-for-third in the second of two DP World Tour events in Ras Al Khaimah.

Shaun Norris: Is a multiple winner on the Japan Tour, as well as his home Sunshine Tour. The 39-year-old, who resides in Pretoria, has also been knocking on the door in DP World Tour events, following a handful of podium finishes but as yet no victory.

JC Ritchie: The Sunshine Tour's form player with a brace of wins already under his belt for 2022. He is an eight-time winner on his home circuit since the start of 2017.

Latest betting for next month's Masters Tournament

Twitter: Golf Stats Alive

MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves

Key: 1: `21 Joburg Open; 2: `20 South African Open; 3: `20 Alfred Dunhill Ch`ship; 4: `20 Joburg Open; 5: `20 South African Open; 6: `19 Alfred Dunhill Ch`ship; 7: `19 Nedbank Challenge; 8: `18 Alfred Dunhill Ch`ship; 9: `18 South African Open; 10: `18 Nedbank Challenge.