South African Open 2025 Tips: Can Jacques go back-to-back in Durban?

Jacques Kruyswijk became the fourth first-time winner of the DP World Tour season last week, as he impressively converted his 54-hole lead to beat England’s John Parry in the Kenya Open.

The South African will now carry increased confidence into this week’s event and it couldn’t be more timely, as the historic Durban Country Club returns to host the 114^th edition of the South African Open – the first time it’s done so in 15 years.

As always, here is Jamie Worsley's comprehensive preview and his South African Open 2025 Tips. He's likes the chances of a home grown winner and has picked out five players ranging from 28/1 to 125/1!

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The South African Open was first staged in 1903 and is one of the oldest professional golf tournaments in the world. It became and has remained an active part of the DP World Tour schedule – co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour – since 1997 and is back in an early-year slot this time around, having been held at the end of the year for the last four editions.

Legendary South African golfer, Gary Player is the most successful player in the history of the event, winning his national open championship 13 times between 1956-1981.

Four-time Open Championship winner, Bobby Locke comes next, recording nine wins between 1935-1955. Closely followed by Sid Brews, who won eight titles from 1925-1952.

The more recent history of the championship belongs to another revered South African golfer in Ernie Els; the “Big Easy” won five times between 1992-2010, with the last of those victories coming here at Durban Country Club.

Last five winners:

• 2023 – WINNER: DEAN BURMESTER (-11)

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

• 2022 – WINNER: THRISTON LAWRENCE (-16)

Runner-up: Clement Sordet (-15)

• 2021 – WINNER: DANIEL VAN TONDER (-16)

Runner-up: Oliver Bekker (-15)

• 2020 (DEC) – WINNER: CHRISTIAAN BEZUIDENHOUT (-18)

Runner-up: Jamie Donaldson (-13)

• 2020 (JAN) – WINNER: BRANDEN GRACE (-21)

Runner-up: Louis Oosthuizen (-18)

Due to the change in date, there was no South African Open held in 2024, which means 2023 winner, Dean Burmester is this week’s defending champion. He was the sixth different South African winner in a row and will be aiming to continue his country’s dominance in the event, by becoming its first back-to-back winner since Trevor Immelman in 2003/2004.

THE COURSE

The South African Open rarely stays in the same place too long and after the previous two editions were held at Blair Atholl, it returns to Durban Country Club this week.

This course is one of the most highly regarded on the African continent and has hosted the South African Open on 18 previous occasions. Most recently in 2010, as Ernie Els recorded the last of his five victories in the event.

Meanwhile, among many other events, it hosted the 2013 and 2014 editions of the Volvo Golf Champions on the DP World Tour; was the stage of the prestigious 2018 South African Amateur Championship; and also held the 2022 Jonsson Workwear Open – an event co-sanctioned between the Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner (Challenge) Tour.

Durban Country Club was initially designed by Laurie Waters and opened for play in 1922, though it has also been worked on by Bob Grimsdell and S.V. Hotchkin in its long history.

It returns this year after going through further changes at the hands of Golf Data in 2023, which was brought about by the course suffering flood damage in 2022. This extensive renovation included the rebuild of all greens, on which they replaced the previous bermudagrass with bentgrass.

All bunkers were also rebuilt; some fairways were raised; a burn was created, weaving its way through several holes; and a large amount of native shrubbery was removed, opening up the playing corridors and making the course a little more forgiving off the tee.

That being said, this is still a diminutive and tight course, measuring just 6780yds and playing as a par 72. It possesses 4x par 3s (148-179yds), 10x par 4s (318-477yds) and 4x par 5s (507-574yds).

Situated not far from the Indian Ocean – which can cause punishingly high winds – and built on sandy, undulating ground, Durban Country Club plays somewhat linksy. Though with many holes still framed by that thick tropical vegetation and possessing tight driving lines into predominantly narrow fairways, it mixes that with elements of parkland golf.

The fairways slope dramatically, causing plenty of uneven lies and with imposingly large, deep and smartly placed bunkers adding further difficulties, the course requires accurate ball-striking.

That necessity is emphasised by the very small and largely elevated bentgrass greens. Frequent elevation changes make club selection into these tough-to-read and grainy surfaces all the more challenging, and with the green surrounds as severely contoured as the rest of the course, it makes for a difficult scrambling test.

It’s difficult to know how those alterations will impact the way this charming little course will play. Its length has always made it susceptible to low scoring in benign conditions, with several potentially drivable par 4s and all par 5s reachable in two. However, the near-oceanside location means wind is a common threat and with that slight opening up of the course, it will be a different animal if there is any strong breeze in the forecast this week.

THE WEATHER

There have been some heavy rains forecast prior to the start of this week’s event and though it disappears for the tournament days, it should still leave us with a softened and receptive course. Add in the lack of any particularly troubling winds at current and we should see low scoring this week.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation
• SG: Putting (bentgrass)
• Scrambling

Due to the size of the greens, quality iron play was always going to be a must here. When you also throw in the likeliness of soft, receptive greens due to those predicted pre-tournament conditions, the advantage for those most precise iron players increases and it’s hard to see these clubs not being absolutely key.

If scoring is indeed low, some quality on these resurfaced bentgrass greens will also be vital and whilst the rain and lack of wind may mean higher greens-in-regulation percentages, the putting surface are still very small and many easy to miss. Which means the winner will need to have shown some good scrambling skills throughout the week.

CORRELATING EVENTS

The linksy ground in a tighter, more parkland setting makes Durban CC somewhat unique and with those course changes throwing us another curveball, it’s a difficult course to correlate; especially with no recent form to guide us.

I’m again relying on the weather conditions to help here and with those links elements potentially diluted due to the rain and lack of wind, I’m leaning more towards favouring form on other tight, shorter tracks.

Omega European Masters (Crans-sur-Sierre)

Crans-sur-Sierre, host of the Omega European Masters immediately springs to mind. It’s a short, tight and hilly course, with regular elevation changes, small bentgrass/poa greens and lots of shorter par 4s, as well as gettable par 5s.

Soudal Open (Rinkven International)

The host of the Soudal Open, Rinkven International is a much flatter course and lacks the undulations of Durban. Having said that, it’s tight and comes in at a similar length – requiring much of the same approach distances – and also possesses small bentgrass greens.

Kenya Open (Muthaiga Golf Club)

I wonder if players who performed well on last week’s Kenya Open host course, Muthaiga Golf Club might be able to transfer that form over to this week. Its altitude-adjusted length plays quite close to the distance of Durban CC, and with its tight driving lines throughout and tricky, small bentgrass greens, many aspects do compare nicely.

Open de Espana (Club de Campo Villa de Madrid)

Club de Campo Villa de Madrid has many of the same characteristics as Durban CC. It’s a tight, hilly course with frequent elevation changes and small putting surfaces.

2024 Danish Golf Championship (Lubker Golf Resort)

Lastly, I fell last year’s Danish Golf Championship host, Lubker Golf Resort can be of assistance. Here we have another short course at 7026 yards, which mixes more open, linksy holes with tighter parkland locations. With small, elevated bentgrass greens and plenty of slopes around said surfaces, it has much in common with Durban CC.

THE FIELD

Laurie Canter is the top-ranked player in the field at #53 in the world and one of just three from inside the top 100, alongside John Parry (#91) and Romain Langasque (#92).

Shaun Norris is the highest ranking player from South Africa in attendance. That being said, it’s LIV’s Dean Burmester that is no doubt the best home player in this field and of course, this week’s defending champion.

Burmester is one of nine former winners set to tee it up this week, joined by the in form Daniel Van Tonder (2021) and fellow LIV golfer Branden Grace (2020); as well as Chris Paisley (2018), Brandon Stone (2016), Andy Sullivan (2015), Hennie Otto (2011), Richie Ramsay (2009) and Richard Sterne (2008).

The South African challenge is strengthened by the presence of the current standout amateur, Christiaan Maas; Charl Schwartzel returns for another crack at winning an elusive first title in his home open; whilst last week’s Kenya Open winner, Jacques Kruyswijk will be hoping to complete a memorable double.

South African Open Odds

SELECTIONS

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Dean Burmester 10/1, Laurie Canter 14/1, Johannes Veerman 22/1, Jordan Smith 22/1, John Parry 25/1

Each of the last six editions of this event have gone the way of South African players who had already recorded a win at DP World Tour level. Which immediately leads us to that classy LIV trio of Dean Burmester, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace.

Burmester is a deserved favourite based on current form. However, there have been positive signs for the more experienced two going to the back-end of last year and with them possessing far better previous results at Durban Country Club, I’m taking them both over this week’s favourite.

1.75 pts Charl Schwartzel each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 28/1

Charl Schwartzel has enjoyed plenty of success at home but it’s this event that has remained out of his grasp; going best when runner-up on two occasions, first of which came here in 2005 and again at Glendower in 2015. Displaying some promising form since the end of last year I’m taking him to finally get his hands on the trophy this week.

Schwartzel went close to winning his first title since 2022 in his third-last start of 2024, finishing 2^nd in the International Series – Qatar on the Asian Tour. He then finished 15^th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship on his final start of the year and has began the LIV season with a couple of solid results, finishing 33^rd in Riyadh and 12^th in Adelaide.

The short game has looked strong over those recent starts and although inconsistent, he has had several positive rounds in approach. Something I’m counting on him showcasing more reliably here.

Aside from that runner-up finish at Durban CC 20 years ago, Schwartzel also finished 4^th in the 2010 edition won by Ernie Els and was a solid 15^th in the Volvo Golf Champions in 2014. Though the setup has been revamped, the course still requires much the same skillset and I’m taking him to put those positive experiences to use.

1.5 pts Branden Grace each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 33/1

Branden Grace has also amassed a good record at this venue and having returned to form with his irons on his previous start, he looks an appealing price to win a second South African Open.

Grace was playing well at the end of 2024, finishing 35^th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on his fifth-last start of the year; following with four consecutive top 20s – two of which were top 10s – across the Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.

He hasn’t managed to replicate that on his first two LIV starts this year. Although, he did hit the ball much better when 37^th in Adelaide on his latest start and with his approach play in good shape for the last 12 months, ranking 17^th in this field, he can attack this rain-softened layout.

Grace finished 21^st at Durban CC in the 2010 South African Open. He then improved on his following two starts at the course, finishing 7^th in the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions and 2^nd in the 2014 edition. His victory in the 2016 RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour gives us another hugely encouraging indication of how strongly he can perform on short and strategic coastal courses.

1.25 pts Romain Langasque each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 40/1

My one deviation from the home contingent takes me to France and Romain Langasque. He’s been solid if unspectacular at the start of this year, but as a player with some impressive form in South Africa and possessing a great book of comp form, he may just come to life in Durban.

Langasque’s game looked in good shape at the end of 2024, recording four top 20s across his final five starts of the year, including a runner-up finish in the Nedbank Golf Challenge here in South Africa.

He’d found something in approach over that period and again showed positive signs in the Dubai Desert Classic on his first start of 2025, helping him to a 45^th-place finish. However, he hasn’t managed that on his next two starts, missing the cut in Ras Al Khaimah and finishing 38^th in Bahrain, but with the driver looking under control and displaying those short-game skills we’ve come to expect in recent years, he doesn’t look that far away.

Langasque finished 2^nd in this event in 2020 and though not playing this course, he does have some eye-catching comp form on similarly short, fiddly tracks. He was 2^nd in both the Soudal Open and Danish Golf Championship last year, and with further top 10s at Crans and in Spain, there is plenty to suggest that this will be a suitable spot for him.

1.25 pts Jacques Kruyswijk each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 40/1

Jacques Kruyswijk finally broke through on the tour in Kenya and having shown an ability to win again soon after, albeit at a lower level, he can contend for a quickfire double this week.

Kruyswijk was making positive noises at the end of last season, finishing 7^th in the Andalucia Masters and 3^rd in the Vodacom Origins Final on the Sunshine Tour across his final four starts. He maintained that into 2025, finishing 21^st and 38^th in the Middle East on his first two starts of the year, and after a top-25 finish in the Sunshine Tour/HotelPlanner Tour co-sanctioned NTT Data Pro-Am, he immediately following with that win in Kenya.

Ideally for this week, his iron play and short game have been the key to recent performances. Indeed, he ranked 6^th in approach, greens-in-regulation and putting last week, as well as 16^th in scrambling; a repeat of which would give him a huge chance in Durban.

Kruyswijk hasn’t played this course, in the pro ranks at least, but his record at Muthaiga, where he also finished 11^th prior to winning last week, should serve him well at this tight and tricky layout. As a player who recorded two victories in the space of three weeks in 2023, the first in the Vodacom Origins of Golf on the Sunshine Tour and the next in the Dormy Open on the HotelPlanner Tour two starts later, we can be confident in his capability of sustaining tournament-winning form.

1 pt Ryan Van Velzen each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 125/1

Ryan Van Velzen threatened to get in the mix for us several times in Kenya last week, before eventually finishing 11^th. That was the third time in four starts he’d shown quality in approach and possessing some promising form in Durban from his amateur days, he looks worth another go at this three-figure price.

Van Velzen went close to a breakthrough on the DPWT at the end of 2024, finishing 2^nd in the Alfred Dunhill Championship. He’d failed to fire at the beginning of this year initially, but after starting to find gains in approach it finally came together last week, as he finished 11^th at Muthaiga.

That result was engineered by a strong approach display, ranking 14^th; his second top-20 ranking in a row in this area after ranking 16^th in Qatar. He also gained strokes across his short game for the first time this year and if able to maintain those improvements, he’d have every chance of another high finish at Durban CC.

Van Velzen has no pro experience of the course but has plenty from his amateur days, recording finishes of 5^th and 9^th in the 2019 and 2018 editions of the KwaZulu-Natal Amateur Championship. Two 11^th-place finishes at Muthaiga also bode well and having shown he’s not afraid to contend in his national open, finishing 2^nd to Dean Burmester in 2023, he’s the pick of the younger South African talents at the price.

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