South African Open 2026 Betting Tips: Five to star in Stellenbosch

Following the accomplishments of Jayden Schaper at the end of 2025, fellow South African youngster Casey Jarvis has been on many a radar as the next compatriot likely to break through. He did that in outstanding fashion last week, bookending the Kenya Open with eight-under 62s to win a first DPWT title by three shots at Karen Country Club.

Jarvis should be in confident mood as he heads home for his national open, as Stellenbosch Golf Club prepares to host the South African Open for just the second time in its history.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with his usual long-read preview of the event. He's picked out five players he likes the look of this week, so check out Jamie's thoughts and his South African Open 2026 Betting Tips below...

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*You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest South African Open Odds over on betfred.com

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

First held in 1903, the South African Open is one of the oldest professional tournaments in golf. It has been an active part of the DP World Tour (co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) since 1997 and returned to an early-year time slot in 2025.

South African legend Gary Player amassed an incredible 13 victories in the event between 1956-1981, making him the most successful player in the championship's history.

Fellow home icons Bobby Locke (1935-1955) and Sid Brews (1925-1952) come next on nine and eight wins, respectively. Meanwhile, the modern force has been the "Big Easy" Ernie Els, who secured five South African Open titles between 1992-2010.

Last five winners:

• 2025 (Durban Country Club)

Winner: Dylan Naidoo (-14, playoff)

Runner-up: Laurie Canter (-14)

• 2023 (Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate)

Winner: Dean Burmester (-11)

Runners-up: Renato Paratore, Jesper Svensson, Ryan Van Velzen (-8)

• 2022 (Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate)

Winner: Thriston Lawrence (-16)

Runner-up: Clement Sordet (-15)

• 2021 (Gary Player Country Club)

Winner: Daniel Van Tonder (-16)

Runner-up: Oliver Bekker (-15)

• 2020 (Gary Player Country Club)

Winner: Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-18)

Runner-up: Jamie Donaldson (-13)

Dylan Naidoo was a surprise winner of a weather-shortened 54-hole edition in 2025, beating Laurie Canter in a playoff at Durban Country Club. He returns to defend this week, aiming to extend the host country's run to eight successive winners.

THE COURSE

Stellenbosch Golf Club

• Original architect / Year completed: Ken Elkin / 1953
• Latest renovation: The course has been upgraded in preparation for this event, including the creation of a largely new 18^th hole
• Previous tournaments: South African Open (1999), Vodacom Origins of Golf – Sunshine Tour (2010, 2019)
• Par / Yardage: Par 70 / 7213 yards
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (144-208 yards)
  • 12x par 4s (385-495 yards)
  • 2x par 5s (529-585 yards)
• Course style: Subtly undulating, spacious parkland, set against the backdrop of spectacular mountain scenery
• Fairways:
  • Average-width fairways lined by kikuyu rough
  • Strategic bunkering is limited
  • Mix of opened and tree-lined holes
• Greens:
  • Small, contoured bentgrass greens
  • Fast and pure, they're described as the strongest feature of Stellenbosch GC
• Defences: Water is in play on four holes (2, 5, 12 and 18) and there are a few out-of-bounds areas, but punishment is generally lacking

Opening in 1904 as a nine-hole course before being extended to 18 in 1953, Stellenbosch GC is one of the oldest golf clubs in South Africa.

Normally played as a par 72, it has been altered to a par 70 this week, and though not too intimidating in terms of danger, it does contain a sizeable collection of par 4s, with six above 460 yards.

This, combined with those small, challenging greens, should keep scoring honest as it makes its return as host of this prestigious event

THE WEATHER

Light rain is forecast on Wednesday, which is predicted to continue into the opening round and again, briefly on Sunday. We are otherwise set for bright and warm conditions, which will be accompanied by strong, gusting winds of 20-32mph throughout the week.

KEY STATS

SG: Off-the-Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Distance

SG: Approach / Greens-in-Regulation (GIR)

Scrambling

Par 4 Scoring

Following a 27-year hiatus from hosting this event, we're a little in the dark as to what Stellenbosch will ask of the players. However, as a spacious and fairly long par 70, which serves up a generous test off the tee but requires precision to hit the small greens, powerful ball-striking types should find the layout to their liking.

With some potentially challenging winds on the way, the putting surfaces may be hard to find, which will call on decent scrambling skills. In addition, scoring well on the 12 par 4s looks vital.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Joburg Open (Houghton Golf Club)

I have a trio of comp courses to look at, beginning with Joburg Open host Houghton Golf Club. Although at altitude, this par 70 course plays to a similar length as Stellenbosch.

With the kikuyu fairways possessing average numbers in driving accuracy, it provides a comparable test off the tee. Combined with the small, contoured bentgrass greens, the all-round ball-striking test mirrors what players face this week.

2024 Jonsson Workwear Open / 2013-2018 South African Open (Glendower Golf Club)

Glendower Golf Club is another that could work here. This subtly undulating, tree-lined course is not too penal off the tee and has slick and sloping bentgrass greens.

BMW International Open (Golfclub Munchen Eichenried)

Golfclub Munchen Eichenried is another straightforward, tree-lined parkland that provides players with plenty of room to attack. The fairways are average in width, and it also uses bentgrass on the putting surfaces.

THE FIELD

Patrick Reed makes his South African Open debut and arriving with form figures of 1-2-1, the world No. 18 is the star attraction in the field. He is one of three players from inside the top 100, alongside home favourites Jayden Schaper (No. 56) and Thriston Lawrence (No. 80).

Dylan Naidoo is the defending champion and is joined by a further nine previous winners: Dean Burmester (2023), Thriston Lawrence (2022), Daniel Van Tonder (2021), Branden Grace (2020), Brandon Stone (2016), Andy Sullivan (2015), Hennie Otto (2011), Ernie Els (2010, 2006, 1998, 1996, 1992), and Richard Sterne (2008).

Charl Schwartzel resumes that quest to land his home open championship; Casey Jarvis tees it up after storming to victory in Kenya; and among five amateur invitations is 2026 Africa Amateur champion Jack Buchanan.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Patrick Reed 9/1, Jayden Schaper 10/1, Angel Ayora 12/1, Branden Grace 16/1, Dean Burmester 18/1, Hennie Du Plessis 20/1

2 pts Thriston Lawrence each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 25/1

That run of seven consecutive South African winners is striking, and I think it has every chance of continuing this week. With that, there are four home favourites among my five selections, beginning with Thriston Lawrence. He won his first Sunshine Tour title at this venue in 2019, and having made an encouraging start to the new season, he's the pick from the top of the betting.

Lawrence added another DPWT title to his ever-growing tally in 2025, claiming a second European Masters success at Crans-sur-Sierre – his fifth win on the tour since 2021.

He ended the year strongly, including a 3^rd-place finish at the DP World India Championship among his final six appearances. Four quality rounds helped him into 10^th place at the Dubai Invitational and following a missed cut at the Desert Classic, he was a solid 29^th in Kenya.

His long game was tidy there, ranking inside the top 25 in SG: OTT and GIR. This is an extension of the type of ball-striking displays he was producing towards the end of 2025, ranking 11^th in SG: Approach and 19^th in SG: OTT in this field over the last six months.

That profile looks ideally suited to Stellenbosch and his game certainly seemed to match the demands of the layout in 2019, as he won a Vodacom Origins of Golf event here on the Sunshine Tour.

Lawrence has since added a DPWT victory at the potentially correlating BMW International Open. A runner-up finish at Glendower in the 2024 Jonsson Workwear Open also offers promise and having already proven that he can handle the pressure to win his national championship at Blair Atholl in 2023, he has the mettle to become a two-time champion.

1.25 pts Dan Bradbury each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 45/1

A solo Englishman alongside my South African quartet, I’m giving Dan Bradbury a chance to bounce back from his disappointing missed cut in Kenya. Ultimately, that extremely low-scoring contest didn’t play into the hands of this unreliable putter, and I expect him to appreciate returning to a purer ball-striking test in Stellenbosch.

Bradbury came to life at the end of last year, finishing 2^nd at the Nedbank Challenge and 13^th at the DP World India Championship across his final three outings. He made a steady start to this campaign, finishing 30^th and 41^st in the Dubai Invitational and Desert Classic respectively, but he blew those efforts out of the water when 5^th in Qatar three weeks ago.

Opening rounds of 68-70 didn’t cut it in Kenya at an event with a 25-under-par winning score, but I was pleased to see the long game remain strong. Ranking 2^nd in SG: Approach and 7^th in SG: OTT over the previous six months, it’s in these areas that he’s thrived since turning pro, which should be a major asset around this layout.

Bradbury’s precise yet powerful ball-striking helped him to a victory at the Joburg Open back in 2022 (his first as a professional), and with that runner-up finish at the Nedbank another plus, he could just end that recent South African dominance.

1 pt Jacques Kruyswijk each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 60/1

Jacques Kruyswijk put up a stout defence of his Kenya Open title last week, finishing 18^th. This was his third top-20 in four 2026 starts as he looks to build on that breakthrough success last year, and with a game to suit the conditions, he could do just that by seizing his national title.

Kruyswijk’s win in Kenya was one of two in 2025, as he claimed the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Devonvale on the Sunshine Tour later in the year. He also went close to claiming a quick double on the DPWT, finishing 2^nd at the Joburg Open two starts after he won at Muthaiga Golf Club.

That promise has flowed into a notably consistent opening to 2026. He was 15^th in the Dubai Invitational to begin the year and backed that up with a 19^th in the Desert Classic the following week. A 57^th-place finish in Qatar was a downgrade, but he responded impressively at Karen Country Club, firing four rounds of 67-or-better to finish 18^th.

His irons thrived during those two events in Dubai, and while they’ve regressed a little in his last two appearances, he’s replaced it with improvement off the tee. I’m hoping he’ll be able to put all of that ball-striking quality together this week, and possessing a tidy short game to boot, his skillset stacks up well.

Kruyswijk’s standout South African Open display came at the correlating Glendower Golf Club in 2018, finishing 4^th. Having also finished 2^nd and 4^th at Houghton Golf Club in the Joburg Open, there is plenty to suggest he’ll relish this challenge.

1 pt Shaun Norris each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 70/1

Arriving here after shooting 90 in his latest competitive round, Shaun Norris is clearly not without risk. Yet he fired an equally ragged 91 in Japan late last year before finishing 5^th at the Nedbank Challenge and 2^nd at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on his next two completed starts. That ability to immediately bounce back makes him an interesting contender, and having finished 2^nd here previously, he’s a risk worth taking at the price.

Norris performed excellently in these co-sanctioned events in 2025, finishing 9^th in the South African Open and 2^nd at the Joburg Open early in the year, before signing off the campaign with those top-five finishes at the Nedbank and Alfred Dunhill. He looked decent at the Dubai Invitational to begin 2026, finishing 20^th, but he will need to respond positively from finishes of MC-MC-68 on his latest three appearances.

The short game has been key to him contending on the DPWT in recent seasons, ranking 2^nd in SG: Putting, 11^th in scrambling, and 16^th in SG: Around-the-Greens (SG: ATG) in 2025. That said, he found form with his irons at the end of 2025, and again looking sound in this area in Dubai, there is reason to be optimistic in this regard.

Norris finished 2^nd at Stellenbosch at the Vodacom Origins of Golf event in 2010. He’s also filled the runner-up spot at Houghton GC and Glendower GC, as well as hitting the top five at the BMW International Open.

Those results give me confidence that he can perform this week, and having claimed one of the most prestigious titles in his home country when landing the Alfred Dunhill at Leopard Creek in 2024, he has the pedigree and temperament to complete a memorable double.

1 pt Dylan Frittelli each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 90/1

As a PGA Tour winner who is performing with a rediscovered level of consistency, Dylan Frittelli represents value. This occasionally long but erratic driver should feel more confident with the club at this course, and with his irons looking largely positive, he can end an over 10-year winless run in South Africa at Stellenbosch.

Frittelli has missed just one cut across his last nine DPWT starts, stretching back to the Open de Espana in October 2025. He picked up a top-20 at the Alfred Dunhill back in December, finishing 14^th, and he has added two more in 2026, opening the year with a 10^th-place finish at the Dubai Invitational before placing 20^th in Qatar.

His stellar short game has been on display in the new season, with rankings of 3^rd in SG: ATG and 22^nd in scrambling a major advantage. His irons looked in great shape in Dubai and again over the opening two days in Qatar, whilst the often unreliable putter is currently behaving, ranking 35^th this campaign.

Sitting inside the top 20 in driving distance, Frittelli has the power to attack this layout, and with his 4^th at last year’s Joburg Open offering added encouragement, he can improve on his previous best of 3^rd at the 2020 South African Open.

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