Alfred Dunhill Championship preview: TV times and betting tips
The end of an interesting European Tour season is near, but before we head to Dubai there’s the small matter of qualifying for the Tour Championship. This week, players will be looking to pick up valuable Race to Dubai points at the Alfred Dunhill Championship…
Alfred Dunhill Championship: The details
Venue: Leopard Creek CC, Malelane, South Africa
Date: November 26-29, 2020
Course stats: Par 72; 7,249 yards
Course summary: As one of the most iconic venues on the European Tour, Leopard Creek is a true test of golf. Set on the periphery of the Kruger National Park, this track is predominantly Bermuda grass with typically firm and undulating fairways. Wildlife is never far away from view for the television cameras, but players must give their full attention to this Gary Player designed course which requires accurate approach play and creative scrambling.
Purse: £1.4 million
Defending champion: Pablo Larrazabal (-8)
Alfred Dunhill Championship: TV coverage
Thursday: Sky Sport Golf and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am
Friday: Sky Sport Golf from 10am and Sky Sports Main Event from 1pm
Saturday: Sky Sport Golf from 10am
Sunday: Sky Sport Golf and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am
Alfred Dunhill Championship: Staking plan
Brandon Stone – 4pt win @ 16/1 with bet365
After another positive step back to playing his best golf, and a respectable 4th place finish at the Joburg Open, I’m backing Stone to kick on at Leopard Creek. The South African has won here before, back in 2016, demonstrating he has what it takes to tame this tricky track. Four top-20 finishes in his last five starts highlight how well he is playing, with his play tee-to-green being a particular strength last time out. This is clearly not a coincidence either, with Stone ranking 6th on tour for GIR and 8th for Driving Distance. At a short price, this selection is a bit of a gamble, but I’m hopeful that Stone will continue to progress here and add to his three European Tour wins to date.
Jamie Donaldson – 2pt e/w @ 45/1 with bet365
After a couple of fantastic performances in Cyprus recently, Donaldson looks to be finding his form just in time for a big push at the end of the season. With one eye on sneaking into the Race to Dubai top 60, Donaldson will be looking to continue a solid run of form that has seen two top 10s and a top-20 finish in his last four starts. The three-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup hero has the perfect game for this course, ranking 19th for Driving Accuracy, 10th for GIR and 1st for Scrambling on tour.
Bryce Easton – 1pt e/w @ 70/1 with bet365
Leopard Creek is a track that this South African golfer knows well, having played here in six of the last ten seasons. Results on the course have been mixed, but a previous top 10 and a top 20 are encouraging, and Easton arrives this year off the back of a 7th place finish in Johannesburg. The course should suit Easton when on form, as he ranks 26th for Driving Accuracy and 13th for GIR. His short game could be the deciding factor, so if he can replicate last week’s finesse he should have a good chance to challenge this week at a big price.
Aaron Cockerill – 1pt e/w @ 100/1 with bet365
After a T4 finish at the Joburg Open last week, Cockerill will surely be looking to add to his first top-10 finish of the season and boost himself up the Race to Dubai rankings. On his first full season on the European Tour, the Canadian has made 13 of 19 cuts and has three top-25 finishes in his last four events. This timely improvement in form will give Cockerill confidence, and this week he plays a course that should suit him again. Coming into this event, Cockerill ranks 6th for Driving Accuracy, 64th in GIR, 16th in Scrambling and 26th in SG: Putting. On a course where accuracy is paramount, and creative flair around the greens is an advantage, Cockerill has a great chance to build on his performance last week at a huge price.
For more prices, visit bet365.
