Nedbank Golf Challenge 2025 Betting Tips: Four for Sun City glory

The other half of the DP World Tour’s star-studded double-header takes place in Sun City at Gary Player Country Club, where a high-quality field will tee it up in the 43^rd edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with his usual long-read preview of the event and has picked out four players he likes the look of this week. Check out Jamie's thoughts and his Nedbank Golf Challenge 2025 Betting Tips below...

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

*You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest Nedbank Golf Challenge 2025 Odds over on betfred.com

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

Beginning as a five-man exhibition event in 1981, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has grown in stature since and is often referred to as "Africa's Major". It has been part of the DP World Tour (DPWT) schedule since 2013.

A glut of stars have won this title, including Seve Ballesteros (1983,1984), Bernhard Langer (1985, 1991), Nick Faldo (1994), Ernie Els (1999, 2000, 2002), and Lee Westwood (2010, 2011, 2018). However, just one player has recorded multiple victories here in the DPWT era, as Tommy Fleetwood walked away with the trophy in 2019 and 2022.

Last five winners:

• 2024

Winner: Johannes Veerman (-5)

Runners-up: Romain Langasque, Matthew Jordan, Aldrich Potgieter (-4)

• 2023

Winner: Max Homa (-19)

Runner-up: Nicolai Hojgaard (-15)

• 2022

Winner: Tommy Fleetwood (-11)

Runner-up: Ryan Fox (-10)

• 2019

Winner: Tommy Fleetwood (-12, playoff)

Runner-up: Marcus Kinhult (-12)

• 2018

Winner: Lee Westwood (-15)

Runner-up: Sergio Garcia (-12)

American Johannes Veerman overcame a five-shot 54-hole deficit to win his second DPWT title in last year's Nedbank Golf Challenge – the toughest renewal of the event in over 30 years. He returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

Gary Player Country Club has held each edition of the Nedbank Challenge. Located at the luxury Sun City resort, it opened for play in 1979 and was, of course, designed by the legendary Gary Player. It hosts several events on the Sunshine Tour and was also the stage for the 2020 (December) and 2021 South African Open.

The course is situated at altitude, which means that this mammoth 7819-yard par-72 layout will play closer to a still lengthy 7450 yards. It contains 4x par 3s (211-219 yards), 10x par 4s (424-503 yards), and 4x par 5s (547-601 yards); providing players with a demanding but fair all-round challenge, it averages a winning score of -14.4 across the 10 DPWT renewals.

Gary Player CC is a striking parkland course with most holes framed by dense bushland. Flat and tree-lined, it delivers a genuine ball-striking test, with water adding risk–reward elements on six holes.

The average-width fairways are intelligently bunkered, often narrowing the landing areas. Finding the bushland will almost always result in an instant penalty and with the infamously challenging kikuyu rough offering added protection, you have to be in control with the driver around here.

Possessing the eighth-lowest greens-in-regulation percentages on the DPWT, the small and sloping bentgrass greens are tough to find. These speedy, elevated surfaces display a variety of penalising pin positions, requiring players to show precision in approach to avoid tricky downhill putts.

Not only hard to hit, but most are also well bunkered, and with that kikuyu rough again coming into play, the scrambling challenge is the ninth-toughest on tour.

Genuine birdie chances are hard to come by. Each of the par 3s measure over 210 yards and the par 4s are all mid-to-long length. Whilst opportunities can be created on the par 5s, it rarely gives anything away for free, and these holes often come with significant danger.

Gary Player CC is a layout that demands patience to master, and it should once again provide us with one of the best tournaments of this end-of-year run-in.

THE WEATHER

Thunderstorms in the days leading up to the event may soften the course up, and whilst that threat lingers throughout the tournament itself, it is predicted to be largely clear.

With little in the way of wind, averaging speeds of 4-7mph, this week's field should find Gary Player CC at its most playable.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation

This week's field will have to show quality throughout the bag, but it's iron play into the small greens that is of most importance. Especially with potentially receptive surfaces to start the event.

The 2024 winner Johannes Veerman excelled in other areas but was solid enough with his irons, ranking 26^th in SG: Approach and 13^th in greens-in-regulation (GIR). Runner-up Aldrich Potgieter ranked 4^th in SG: Approach and 3^rd in GIR, whilst fellow 2^nd-place finisher Matthew Jordan ranked 12^th in SG: Approach and 11^th in GIR.

Max Homa was top-class in approach when winning in 2023, ranking 6^th in SG: Approach and 5^th in GIR; Tommy Fleetwood shone in each area when winning in 2022, ranking 2^nd in both SG: Approach and GIR; 2018 champion Lee Westwood ranked 6^th in SG: Approach and 4^th in GIR; and back in 2017, Branden Grace led the field in SG: Approach and was 4^th in GIR.

• SG: Off-the-Tee/Driving Distance

The driver is also vital and while several accuracy-dependent players have contended, the majority of recent winners have been above average in driving distance.

Johannes Veerman ranked 1^st in SG: Off-the-Tee (SG: OTT) last year and was 10^th in driving distance. Runner-up Aldrich Potgieter also drove the ball superbly, ranking 6^th in SG: OTT and 2^nd in driving distance.

Max Homa ranked 9^th in SG: OTT in 2023, as 3^rd-place finisher Thorbjorn Olesen ranked 3^rd; Tommy Fleetwood was 2^nd in SG: OTT when winning the first of his titles in 2019; and Lee Westwood ranked 8^th in SG: OTT in 2018.

• Par 5 Scoring

Lastly, with birdie chances rare, it's imperative that players score on the par 5s. Four of the last five winners have ranked inside the top five in par 5 scoring, including 2019 champion Tommy Fleetwood and 2018 victor Lee Westwood, each ranking 1^st.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Alfred Dunhill Championship (Leopard Creek Country Club)

Also designed by Gary Player, Leopard Creek Country Club provides a similar test from tee-to-green. Its fairways are average in width, whilst its small, fast greens are difficult to hit and rate as the third-toughest to scramble around on the DPWT.

Notable correlating form:

Branden Grace:

Nedbank (1^st, 3^rd) / Alfred Dunhill (1^st, 3^rd)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout:

2020 South African Open (1^st) / Alfred Dunhill (1^st, 3^rd)

Johannes Veerman:

Nedbank (1^st) / Alfred Dunhill (7^th)

Marcus Kinhult:

Nedbank (2^nd) / Alfred Dunhill (2^nd)

Scott Jamieson:

Nedbank (2^nd) / Alfred Dunhill (3^rd, 3^rd, 4^th)

Ross Fisher:

Nedbank (2^nd, 4^th) / Alfred Dunhill (3^rd)

Louis Oosthuizen:

Nedbank (3^rd) / Alfred Dunhill (1^st, 2^nd)

Thorbjorn Olesen:

Nedbank (3^rd, 5^th) / Alfred Dunhill (2^nd)

Thomas Detry:

Nedbank (3^rd) / Alfred Dunhill (3^rd)

Ockie Strydom:

Nedbank (6^th) / Alfred Dunhill (1^st)

Joburg Open (Houghton Golf Club)

Houghton Golf Club can be found just a couple of hours south of Sun City and is another layout situated at altitude. Its kikuyu fairways are smartly bunkered, and the small bentgrass greens have similar GIR and scrambling percentages to Gary Player CC.

Notable correlating form:

Christiaan Bezuidenhout:

2020 South African Open (1^st) / Joburg (3^rd)

Dylan Frittelli:

2020 South African Open (3^rd) / Joburg (4^th)

Dean Burmester:

2020 South African Open (4^th) / Joburg (1^st)

Dan Bradbury:

Nedbank (5^th) / Joburg (1^st, 3^rd)

Darren Fichardt:

Nedbank (6^th, 9^th) / Joburg (2^nd)

Gavin Green:

Nedbank (7^th) / Joburg (7^th)

British Masters/2020 UK Championship (The Belfry – Brabazon Course)

The Belfry's Brabazon Course is flat, tree-lined parkland layout that provides an exacting all-round test. It ranks particularly close to Gary Player CC in ball-striking difficulty, and it also possesses similar birdie/bogey averages.

Notable correlating form:

Alex Noren:

Nedbank (1^st) / British Masters (1^st)

Nicolai Hojgaard:

Nedbank (2^nd) / British Masters (2^nd)

Romain Langasque:

Nedbank (2^nd) / British Masters (8^th, 8^th)

Thorbjorn Olesen:

Nedbank (3^rd, 5^th) / British Masters (1^st)

Bernd Wiesberger:

Nedbank (3^rd) / UK Championship (5^th)

Richie Ramsay:

Nedbank (4^th) / British Masters (3^rd)

Sebastian Soderberg:

Nedbank (5^th, 6^th) / British Masters (2^nd)

Gavin Green:

Nedbank (7^th) / British Masters (8^th, 9^th)

Dubai Desert Classic (Emirates Golf Club)

Rating as the most demanding ball-striking challenge on the DPWT and comparable in length, it's no surprise that Emirates Golf Club possesses a tonne of correlating form with this week's host.

Notable correlating form:

Danny Willett:

Nedbank (1^st) / Dubai (1^st)

Lee Westwood:

Nedbank (1^st) / Dubai (2^nd, 2^nd)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout:

2020 South African Open (1^st) / Dubai (2^nd)

Alex Noren:

Nedbank (1^st) / Dubai (2^nd)

Johannes Veerman:

Nedbank (1^st) / Dubai (8^th)

Sergio Garcia:

Nedbank (2^nd, 2^nd) / Dubai (1^st)

Thorbjorn Olesen:

Nedbank (3^rd, 5^th) / Dubai (3^rd, 5^th)

Bernd Wiesberger:

Nedbank (3^rd) / Dubai (4^th, 6^th)

Jason Scrivener:

Nedbank (3^rd) / Dubai (6^th, 7^th)

Dylan Frittelli:

2020 South African Open (3^rd) / Dubai (6^th)

Haotong Li:

Nedbank (4^th, 5^th) / Dubai (1^st)

Dean Burmester:

2020 South African Open (4^th) / Dubai (3^rd)

Richie Ramsay:

Nedbank (4^th) / Dubai (6^th)

Matt Wallace:

Nedbank (5^th) / Dubai (2^nd)

THE FIELD

Nedbank Challenge debutant Viktor Hovland is the top-ranked player in the field at No. 13. The Race to Dubai runner-up Marco Penge comes next at No. 29, and one of 13 further top-100 players is Canadian Nick Taylor (No. 51) – both also making their debuts here this week.

Defending champion Johannes Veerman is the only past winner in attendance. However, the two players who won the South African Open at this venue will tee it up: Daniel Van Tonder (2021) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2020).

Will Zalatoris and Paul Waring each return after lengthy spells on the sidelines; 2025 PGA Tour winners Aldrich Potgieter and Garrick Higgo strengthen the home challenge; and the field features 21 players in total that won on the DPWT last season.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Viktor Hovland 7/1, Marco Penge 12/1, Christiaan Bezuidenhout 14/1, Thorbjorn Olesen 14/1, Garrick Higgo 16/1, Angel Ayora 16/1, Jayden Schaper 16/1

2 pts Kristoffer Reitan each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 22/1

Kristoffer Reitan has been one of the breakout stars of 2025 on the DPWT, and after finishing 8^th on the Race to Dubai, he'll be playing on the PGA Tour in 2026. He's got one of the most powerful and controlled ball-striking games on tour, which should take him a long way as he makes his debut at Gary Player CC.

Reitan enjoyed a steady start to the year, but he really took off at the end of April. He missed just one cut across his last 20 starts, picking up seven top-five finishes – including a maiden victory in the Soudal Open, and runner-up finishes in the Hainan Classic and Austrian Alpine Open.

Combining his top-15 power with a decent level of accuracy, the Norwegian is one of the absolute best drivers on tour, ranking 8^th in SG: OTT. He's also a solid iron player, ranking 38^th in GIR and 60^th in SG: Approach, and placed 34^th in SG: Putting, he has an ideal profile for this test.

Reitan hasn't played here before and has little comp form to speak of. However, he's performed well on all types of courses this season and possessing the long game often required to contend at Gary Player CC, I expect him to make an explosive debut.

1.75 pts Haotong Li each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 28/1

Following his impressive fightback after a slow start in the DP World Tour Championship to finish 8^th, Haotong Li got rewarded for his excellent season by wrapping a PGA Tour card for 2026. He’s hit the ball better than ever this year and with two top-five finishes to his name around this layout, I’m keen to have him on side this week.

Haotong was in flying form at the beginning of 2025, winning his fourth DPWT title in the Qatar Masters, and he again went close when finishing 2^nd in the Turkish Airlines Open. He’s been a touch more inconsistent over the second half of the year but has still had several eye-catching performances, none more so than his 4^th-place finish in The Open Championship.

He's enjoyed a standout year with his irons, ranking 4^th in SG: Approach and 9^th in GIR. The driver has been another key element to his results, ranking 18^th in SG: OTT and 19^th in driving distance. Meanwhile, he was much improved with the putter when we last saw him in Dubai.

Li debuted at Gary Player CC in 2016, finishing 20^th, and then followed that with back-to-back finishes of 4^th in 2017 and 5^th in 2018. He hasn’t played here since 2022, but now back to something resembling his best, I fancy this former winner of the Dubai Desert Classic to be a major player.

1.75 pts Laurie Canter each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 30/1

With finishes of 2^nd and 3^rd across his last three starts, there’s nobody arriving here in stronger form than Laurie Canter. He’s no doubt feeling content after returning to LIV – rejecting a PGA Tour card for the second time in the process – and as a regular contender in South Africa, that comfort makes him a dangerous beast this week.

Canter’s golf was electric at the start of the year. He finished 3^rd in the Dubai Desert Classic on his first outing and built on that on his following start by winning his second DPWT title in the Bahrain Championship. Just two appearances later, he then finished 2^nd in the weather-shortened South African Open.

The Englishman struggled as major season came around, recording just one top-20 from April to September. However, he burst into life in the Genesis Championship three starts ago, finishing 2^nd, and he signed off the season with a fine effort in the DP World Tour Championship, finishing one shot outside the playoff in 3^rd.

He continues to thrive with the driver, ranking 11^th on the DPWT last season, and he’s been in complete control of his power of late, ranking 12^th in driving accuracy and 18^th in driving distance over the last three months. The irons haven’t been quite as dialled as he’d like year-long, but they’ve really come to the fore in recent weeks, and he does rank a handy 14^th in GIR for 2025.

That ball-striking prowess helped him to an encouraging 21^st-place finish on his Nedbank debut last season. He’s always looked right at home in South Africa, winning the 2010 edition of the prestigious South African Amateur Championship, finishing 3^rd in the 2022 Alfred Dunhill Championship, and 2^nd in this year’s South African Open.

Canter’s also finished 3^rd and 4^th in the Dubai Desert Classic, and with his long game currently looking in peak condition, he can earn the biggest win of his career in Sun City.

1 pt Adrien Saddier each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 55/1

Adrien Saddier has been one of the most improved players on tour this year, and finishing 9^th on the Race to Dubai, he’s another heading for the PGA Tour in 2026. With his long game in fine shape at the end of the season, I’m confident he has the skillset to upgrade his previous effort at Gary Player CC.

Saddier has 10 top-25s in 24 appearances in 2025 and he’s remained largely consistent throughout. He made his DPWT breakthrough at the Italian Open in June, and he has picked up a further four top-five finishes, including a 5^th in the Irish Open and 2^nd in the BMW PGA Championship back-to-back in September.

His results weren’t quite as impressive over the final events of the season, but he did respond from a poor start in the DP World Tour Championship to finish 24^th, and his ball-striking continued to shine. Sitting among the top-10 tee-to-green performers in this field over the last three months, the Frenchman is well equipped to handle this demanding layout.

Saddier may have missed the cut on his only previous start here but he’s a different player now. He has had several positive performances in South Africa, including finishing 7^th in the 2018 South African Open, and having been bang in contention in this year’s Joburg Open – sitting 2^nd entering the final round before eventually finishing 19^th – he can now capitalise on his enhanced level of play.

You can access all our latest Golf Odds over on Betfred.com

You can find all Jamie's latest Golf Betting Tips over on our dedicated golf Insights hub