Steve Palmer's free predictions and golf betting tips for the Joburg Open

When to bet on the Joburg Open

By 4.30am on Thursday 

Where can I watch the Joburg Open?

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 11am on Thursday

Steve Palmer's Joburg Open predictions

Casey Jarvis
3pts each-way 35-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Ugo Coussaud
2pts each-way 40-1 general

Recommended

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £25 In Free Bets When You Bet £5 On Golf

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Great acca features, including the ability to edit a live accumulator

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 5x £5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. 

Bet £5 on golf with Ladbrokes and claim £25 in FREE BETS

Steve Palmer's Joburg Open preview

Jayden Schaper, who turns 24 next week, is favourite for the Joburg Open, seeking to make an overdue DP World Tour breakthrough. The South African, who has course-form figures of 18-9, and has finished fifth, fourth and 16th in his last three DPWT starts, has an obvious chance, but he is yet to win an event as a professional, so the short odds can be resisted.

English duo Jordan Smith and John Parry are prominent in the betting. Parry is the most appealing option of the pair, but he has not yet competed at Houghton GC since it was redesigned.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Casey Jarvis 35-1

Rounds of 67 and 63 saw Casey Jarvis scoot clear at the top of the leaderboard on his Joburg Open debut at Houghton in 2022, before back-to-back weekend 71s eventually meant ninth place. The 21-year-old has since won on the Challenge Tour and can strongly threaten a DP World Tour breakthrough this week.

Jarvis missed the cut on the mark in the South African Open last week after rounds of 72 and 69. Getting out of a waterlogged Durban Country Club early could prove a blessing in disguise for Jarvis, who hit his ball well but suffered on the greens.

This strapping six-footer carries bags of potential and should be a leading title contender in Johannesburg if his putter warms up. He was a hugely successful amateur and the 2020 SA Amateur in Johannesburg is among the many titles he won. He turned pro in August, 2022, before making that bold title tilt in the Joburg Open.

Jarvis was Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year, then raced up the world rankings in 2023, carding a round of 59 on his home circuit, then quickly shedding his maiden tag on the Challenge Tour. Seventh place in the Alfred Dunhill Championship followed and he has become a regular DPWT title threat.

Eighth place in the European Masters last year was followed by sixth spot in the Genesis Championship, then 11th in the Alfred Dunhill just before Christmas. He has been swinging well this year and a soft Houghton seems ideal terrain for this great talent to make merry.

Next best bet

Ugo Coussaud 40-1

The free-flowing, technically correct, powerful swing of Ugo Coussaud seems likely to turn him into a DP World Tour champion at some stage soon, and the Frenchman should be licking his lips at the prospect of attacking a drenched Houghton.

Coussaud made an eagle two at the par-four 18th hole in round two of last week's SA Open, churning out greens in regulation, eventually finishing in 11th place. The 32-year-old clearly enjoys his trips to South Africa, where he won the 2015 SA Stroke Play Championship.

Second place in the Cape Town Open on the Challenge Tour in 2023 was further evidence of Coussaud's comfort in that part of the world. He has finished 15th in the last two editions of the Alfred Dunhill and also has a good record in the Dimension Data Pro-Am.

Coussaud made his Joburg Open debut in 2023 as a DPWT rookie. He arrived out of form and missed the cut, but has returned 137 places better in the world rankings. He has won on the Challenge Tour and looks a huge runner in a higher grade this week.

Recommended

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £25 In Free Bets When You Bet £5 On Golf

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Great acca features, including the ability to edit a live accumulator

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 5x £5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. 

Bet £5 on golf with Ladbrokes and claim £25 in FREE BETS

Course guide for the Joburg Open

• Course Houghton Golf Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Prize money ZAR 20.5m (ZAR 3,417,350 to the winner)
• Length 7,227 yards
• Par 70 – two par-fives; 12 par-fours; four par-threes
• Field 156 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
• Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) John Parry (93), Romain Langasque (97), Shaun Norris (103), Jordan Smith (107), Daniel Brown (127)
• Course records since redesign - 72 holes 262 Dean Burmester (2024) 18 holes 62 Thriston Lawrence, Nikhil Rama, Dean Burmester
• Course winners taking part Marcel Siem, Dan Bradbury
• When to bet By 4.30am on Thursday 
• When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 11am on Thursday
• Time difference South Africa is two hours ahead of the UK and Ireland
• Last week – South African Open 1 D Naidoo (300-1), 2 L Canter (14-1), M Penge (100-1), T4 D Fichardt (225-1), B Grace (35-1), C Maas (80-1)
• Course type Parkland
• Course overview AM Copeland designed this classic track, which was opened in 1926, and it staged the South African Open eight times between 1951 and 1992. The South African PGA was played there from 1993 through 1999. And from 2000 through 2004, Houghton was the venue for the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the European Tour. The course was then sold, though, and completely changed by Jack Nicklaus and his team, opening in 2009. The only significant course form since the redesign is the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School in 2019 and 2020, and the Joburg Opens in 2022 and 2023. This is a short track, given it is played at altitude in the Highveld. Heavy bunkering, water hazards and undulating greens are the defence. The par was reduced from 71 to 70 last year, with the third hole becoming a par-four, rather than a five
• Story of last year Dean Burmester cruised to a three-shot victory, before winning the South African Open the following week
• Weather forecast A thundery build-up should be followed by sunny, warm and calm conditions for the tournament
• Type of player suited to the challenge As with most Nicklaus designs, accurate iron-play is essential to greens heavily guarded by bunkers 
• Key attribute Accuracy

Steve Palmer's Joburg Open key stat

Three of the last eight Joburg Opens have been won by a European 

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.

For those looking for even more extensive golf coverage don't miss Palmer's extra pointers every Wednesday in the Racing Post newspaper.

As well as his tips and insight you will also get expert spotlight comments for all players in our extensive PGA Tour and DP Tour price comparison grids which include course and recent form, plus Palmer's unique attribute icons to help identify the type of players likely to be suited to conditions each week.