Joburg Open Preview and Fantasy Picks

The Joburg Open is likely to be dominated by three talented South African players.

Joburg Open defending champion Andy Sullivan is playing on Darren Clarke’s European Team at the EURASIA Cup this week, but there’s no shortage of local talent getting ready to tee it up at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club and looking to hoist the trophy on Sunday.

The East Course at Royal Johannesburg, which first opened in 1933, provides the setting for the contest. The par-72, 6940 yard track is a favorite among the players. The Royal Johannesburg has hosted the South African PGA Championship since 2005 and the Joburg Open since 2007, so it’s a well-known and often-played track for most.

The 10th and 11th holes are said to be the longest back-to-back par-4s in the world. Those two holes could prove the stumbling block for the shorter hitters in the field.

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The field will probably need their rain gear. The forecast is calling for precipitation and some thunderstorms, so expect another week of delays and reshuffling of the rounds at this Sunshine Tour-European Tour co-sanctioned event.

There’s a contest shaping up between three South African players that could produce some very good golf. Brandon Stone, who claimed his first European Tour victory last week at the BMW South African Open, is going to be coming into the Joburg loaded with self-confidence. That’s going to give him an edge over Jaco Van Zyl and Trevor Fisher, Jnr, but I don’t think it’s going to be enough to outplay them.

Van Zyl has been knocking on the door over the past year – at the Alstom Open de France and again at the Turkish Airlines Open. With 13 Sunshine Tour titles on his resume, Van Zyl is a favorite this week at Johannesburg, despite his lackluster finish last week at Glendower.