European Tour Fantasy Golf Picks and Predictions for the 2017 Joburg Open
The Joburg Open Fantasy Preview
Following the success of last week’s bizarre but kinda workable Super 6 event in Perth, the European Tour remains in the Southern Hemisphere and heads to South Africa for the Johannesburg Open.
There’s plenty of motivation to do well in this event – high finishers can earn an exemption into The Open Championship – and that’s why it’s quite disappointing to see so few of the European Tour’s big names making the trip. With all due respect to them, Jordan Smith and Anthony Wall don’t really get the juices flowing.
This is a co-sanctioned event with the Sunshine Tour, and as such it is no surprise to see a deep South African contingent in the field. When you look at their success in this competition – seven of the ten winners have been South African, and 10 of the first 20 players home in 2016 were local – another homegrown talent will probably fancy their chances of getting their hands on the trophy.
The Royal Johannesburg and Kensington is a beautiful golf club, with its West and East courses both in action here. They share hosting duties on Thursday and Friday, with the tougher East getting the nod for the weekend.
The West track measures an average 7,203 yards for its Par 71 and plays as the easier of the two – a stroke index in the region of 69 is expected, while the East stretch, at a beastly 7,658 yards for its Par 72, will play at around 71. It is thought to contain the longest consecutive Par 4 holes in the world (its 10th and 11th combine at more than 1000 yards). That said, this event has turned into a birdie fest in the past few renewals, with winning scores ranging from -27 (Richard Sterne in 2013) to Andy Sullivan’s -17 in 2015.
In 2016, Hayden Porteous became the first champion in five years to rank outside the top-20 for Greens in Regulation, so typically hitting greens is key, while Driving Distance is another factor; Porteous ranked fifth for this. It’s worth remembering though that the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington club is at altitude, and so even the non-bombers can look long here. Finally, and as you might expect from any tournament winner, Porteous putted well, ranking second in Putts per Round.
He broke the mould for GIR stats as Porteous also ended another angle of only drafting players in form. He had missed his two prior cuts ahead of his triumph, but that could be an anomaly: Andy Sullivan, 2015 champ here, had won the South African Open and finished T4 in Abu Dhabi prior to his victory, while Richard Sterne had finished second the week before his win. Charl Schwartzel, a back-to-back winner here in 2010 and 2011, had won the South African Open a week prior to his lifting of the trophy here in ’10.
One final thought: the weather forecast for Jo’burg this week is frankly disgusting. There is no let-up in the rain from Thursday to Sunday, with every golfers’ worst nightmare – thunderstorms – predicted for Thursday and Saturday. There is unlikely to be a draw bias as the downpours appear to be relentless, but the contest may be greatly reduced. Sorry to put a dampener on things!
Nevertheless, here is six players to get on-side in your daily fantasy draft this week:
Our Joburg Open Fantasy Picks and Predictions
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