South African Open: golf betting guide

South African Open: golf betting guide

The 2013/14 European Tour season gets underway this week with the South African Open Championship at Glendower Golf Club near Johannesburgh.

It is the first of 48 events in the new season, which will take in 26 different countries over a 12-month period.

The South African Open is an event co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, and provides a chance for those players, as well as European Tour Q-School graduates, to make an early-season impression.

Charl Schwartzel - a man who spoke out recently about the European Tour Final Series - headlines the field this week, and he's joined by a number of other famous names.

Unsurprisingly, the 2012 Masters champion is the 3/1 favourite this week, but those odds are just too low to consider.

Ross Fisher, at 12/1 with Ladbrokes, looks a good bet this week. The Englishman has been in good form of late, finishing second at the ISPS Handa Perth International, 10th at the Turkish Airlines Open and 26th at the DP World Tour Championship, where he shot a sublime second-round 64. He's an aggressive player and conditions in South Africa should suit his game.

Jaco Van Zyl, at 33/1 with Ladbrokes, tends to do well when the European and Sunshine Tours convene. Indeed, he finished second in last year's Africa Open and eighth at the Nelson Mandela Championship - both co-sanctioned events. He also won twice on the Sunshine Tour last season and finished third on the Order of Merit.

Alejandro Canizares, at 40/1 with Ladbrokes, is well priced given his recent form. He led the Turkish Airlines Open at the halfway stage and contended at the DP World Tour Championship until a final-round 75 put paid to his chances. If he can string four good rounds together, he'll have a good chance.

Carlos Del Moral, at 66/1 with Ladbrokes, will be one of the most confident and carefree players in the field. He finished first at European Tour Q-School Stage 2 and romped to victory in the final stage just a few days later. He also notched a top-15 finish at the Nelson Mandela Championship at the start of the year.

Charl Coetzee, at 200/1 with Ladbrokes, is a decent outside bet this week. The South African held the halfway lead at the Tshwane Open en route to a tie for fifth and he's recorded two top 10s in his last four starts on the Sunshine Tour. Tshwane Open advised bets:

3pts each way on Ross Fisher at 12/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Jaco Van Zyl at 33/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Alejandro Canizares at 40/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Carlos Del Moral at 66/1 with Ladbrokes 1pts each way on Charl Coetzee at 200/1 with Ladbrokes