Fantasy Golf Picks & Predictions for the 2018 BMW SA Open Championship
2018 BMW SA Open European Tour Fantasy Preview
This week in Golf marks the return of the European Tour for the first time in 2018, and what a way to kick things off!
Okay, so many of Europe and Asia’s leading names are off contesting the EurAsia Cup in Kuala Lumpur, but the BMW SA Open has a rather more African feel to it anyway.
Ask most Saffies and they will tell you the same thing: outside of the majors, this is the event that all South Africans want to win. It is ‘their’ major, by all accounts, and that is highlighted by a high quality local field that includes the likes of Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel, Dylan Frittelli and many more.
Branden Grace of South Africa poses with the trophy after his victory…
Branden Grace of South Africa poses with the trophy after his victory during the final round of the 2017 Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC on November 12, 2017 in Sun City, South Africa. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
But those who like to follow trends will note something very interesting. Between 2002-2012 the event was hosted by a variety of different venues, with ten of the twelve winners in that time hailing from South Africa.
In 2013 the tournament moved full time to Glendower Golf Club, and since then there has been a complete reversal with a Dane (Morten Orum Madsen) and two Englishmen (Andy Sullivan and Graeme Storm) joining Brandon Stone in the winner’s enclosure.
Typically, we see events on South African soil dominated by their national stars, but here perhaps we can open our minds a bit to other possibilities when drafting our roster.
Our hosts this week are the Glendower Golf Club in Edenvale, which is a million miles from Johannesburg. This is a long old stretch at 7,564 yards for its Par 72, and with plenty of rain around in the build-up the soft fairways could play even longer – that said, we are at an altitude of some 5,500 feet above above sea level.
This is a classic South African track, to some extent, although the tree-lined fairways do give the stretch a sort of vintage British parkland feel – perhaps that’s why Storm and Sullivan have been able to get over the line. The fairways are Kikuyu and the greens Bentgrass.
We expect long and straight hitting to prosper here, with more than 60 bunkers on site and water in play on eleven holes. With thick rough and dense trees adding to the difficulty, this is more than just a bomber’s paradise however.
With all of the above in mind, who makes the cut for our draft this week?
This Week’s BMW SA Open European Tour Fantasy Picks & Predictions
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