The welcome to the DP World Tour may not be the fanfare that organisers were hoping for, but viewers are in for a visual treat over the next three weeks, as the Sunshine Tour co-sanction three events that give true meaning to the phrase ‘natural beauty’.

Away from the actual play, Randpark, the Gary Player, and Leopard Creek give commentator Tony Johnstone a chance to gush over the delights of his homeland, a true listening pleasure for those lucky to receive it.

These previews are not intended to be the formal structure of many, so straight into it.

The Joburg Open itself has taken in various sites, including using Firethorn’s sister course Bushwillow, but this year will use just the hardest track on the course. At altitude, the official 7500-plus yards course plays nowhere near that length and whilst Firethorn will be the more forgiving of the three courses; it will place as much emphasis on the short game as it does the bombing prowess.

Previous winners of this event, in all its guises, include the likes of home stalwarts Charl Schwartzel, Brandon Grace and George Coetzee whilst when the course held the South Africa Open, as it did in 2018 and 2020, add the names Retief Goosen (beat Ernie Els), Louis Oosthuizen and Grace once again. Experience of the Kikuyu fairways and bentgrass greens does help, and whilst the course has had its changes (2017), I’m expecting a similar score of around 19-under and a quality winner with proven past form.

As always in these events, there is a fair amount of deadwood and whilst many are capable of sneaking into a top-10 place, the winner is likely to be based well under the three-figure price range.

Full respect to the short-priced favourite, Dean Burmester. There is no arguing that he deserves to be a single figure price in this field. He is the only entrant in the world top-100, is a recent winner at home and finished sixth to Collin Morikawa in Dubai just five days ago. There is nothing new there, and at 10-1 (+10000), he is well worth a saver to the main bets.

Jayden Schaper Win/Top 5 +4000/+800

At 16 years of age, the junior superstar completed the Grand Slam of South African ‘Nomad’ titles – at under-13, 15 and 17 level whilst also going back-to-back at under-19 – and it’s been only a matter of time before he makes the top league.

Indeed, so quick was Schaper’s rise that within a few months of completing the five-timer, he won the Junior Players at Sawgrass and ended the 2019 season with a 26th at Galgorm Castle on the full European Tour and a place just outside the top-40 in the prestigious Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

Despite the interruption to the 2020 season, he returned in August to record three top-10 and four top-20 finishes in a run of nine events before catching the eye of the golfing world when finishing runner-up to Christiaan Bezuidenhout at Leopard Creek. Back then, Schaper took a lead into the back-9 before playing three balls off the 10th tee and finishing with a 75, disappointing but hugely encouraging and a sign there were big things ahead.

2021 didn’t start in great fashion, but since August, the future star has recorded two top-five finishes, a trio of top-10s and a 12th place in just eight starts and, given the way he improves at a course, can be expected to leave last year’s 18th place behind.

Let’s sum it up with the facts.

On the Sunshine Tour, over the past three months, the 19-year-old ranks first for driving distance, fourth for total driving, 28th for greens, sixth for scrambling, ninth for putting average, fifth for par-fours and 12th for par-fives.

It won’t be if, it will be when.

Marcus Helligkilde Win/Top 5 +4000/ +800

Another youngster and one, aged 25 that is coming to the fore three years after starting out on his professional career on the Nordic Tour having won a couple of European amateur titles.

A trio of wins and numerous top-10 finishes in his native area was sandwiched with an initial learning period on the Challenge Tour, but it’s in the past nine months or so that he has shown the form that gives him every chance in this grade.

An early runner-up in Sweden preceded an eye-catching top-25 in Denmark on the main tour, a final-round 64 launching him from outside of the top-50, but it was the wire-to-wire win in Finland in August that gave him the confidence and belief. Back then, he stated, ”the biggest factor was my mental game and how I managed myself around the course.”

That mental fortitude was in evidence when fighting through the entire weekend at the BN-L Trophy in the Netherlands (lost in a playoff) before receiving an invitational to the Dutch Open on the main tour where he held second place from the second round until just lacking experience through the latter stages of Sunday. 17th tee-to-green and fifth around-the-green on the European Tour, around a tricky track, is never going to read badly.

Continuing to grow his game, Helligkilde had five remaining events on the feeder Challenge Tour, the second place in Spain surrounded by two wins, including the Challenge Tour Grand Finale, when he comfortably held off quality opposition to win the tournament and the overall title.

As a convoluted piece of evidence, take a look at his win at the Swiss Challenge. Whilst admittedly at a different track, previous runners-up in that event include Bryce Easton (seventh in the Joburg Open 2020), Romain Langasque (runner-up at Firethorn in the 2018 SA Open) and Brandon Stone (huge form in his home country and two top-seven finishes here).

This fella has a game plan lacking in so many and is ready to win once more.

One to put in your 10-to-follow lists whatever happens this week.

Bryce Easton Win/Top 5/Top 10 +7000/+1200/+550

Possibly one for your prop bets in the top-10/20 market given his win record of three in 260 starts (and none since 2018) but there are signs he has the game to be better than that, and he brings a course record of 7/mc/3/mc suggesting if he was to show top form, here may be the place.

I doubt there is any improvement in the 34-year-old but given his form here and on the European Tour this year, he is worth a small punt.

Top-25 in Portugal probably puts him close to the top page this week, but that looks average compared with his eighth at the London Club in July and most recent seventh in Mallorca when he led at halfway with a stunning display of putting.

Easton’s short game continues to impress, and with many in this field seriously lacking in short game skills, a repeat of any of these better efforts should see him go closer than the market expects.

Jaco Ahlers – Win/First Round Leader +6600/+5000  

The first-round leader market is a chancy one but have a couple of shekels on the 39-year-old who can celebrate his (and mine) recent birthday with a lead after day one and be a genuine contender for the overall title.

Despite getting it done on eight occasions from 253 starts, Ahlers is often heralded as a ‘thinker’ when in front, especially in this slightly higher class, however in the last three seasons, the Sunshine Tour stalwart has picked up four runner-up finishes (three this year) and 18 further top-10s, suggesting he is a prop bet cash machine at the prices.

This season, best effort numbers read well but look further, and we see a flying second place behind George Coetzee and a most recent tied-fifth behind Burmy, the hot favourite this week. Level with Schaper on that occasion, he rates fifth on overall ranking over the past three months (according to tour-tips.com), comprising top-25 in total driving, 23rd in ball-striking, 14th in total putting and fifth in par-five performance, an asset given a boost when considering the top-three on last year’s leaderboard ranked first or second in that regard.

Ahlers just may be in the right type of form to continue his current number one ranking for first-round scoring average, and with his last ten opening 18-holes giving clues – four top-10’s and four further top-20 first-round finishes – here’s hoping a relatively early tee time on Thursday brings rewards.

Enjoy.