Steve Palmer's Joburg Open final-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 10am Sunday

Best bets

Danie van Tonder to win Joburg Open
2pts each-way 6-1 Betfred

Danie Van Tonder to win 7am threeball
2pts 29-20 bet365

Story so far

Sponsors invite, Dan Bradbury, leads the Joburg Open by a shot going into the final round - the 225-1 ante-post rag being cheered to the rafters by the bookmaking community.

Bradbury, who has been a professional for only five months, fired a course-record 63 in round one. He has followed up with rounds of 66 and 67 to reach 17 under par through 54 holes. Making only his third DP World Tour start, the Yorkshireman is a best-price 13-8 to convert his one-shot advantage into a maiden success.

Leading the pursuit of 23-year-old Bradbury is Sami Valimaki, who is seeking a second DP World Tour victory. The Finn made a double-bogey at the 18th in round three to surrender the lead to Bradbury.

Ante-post favourite, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, has drifted from 7-1 to 10-1, taking a share of fourth place into the final round, starting Sunday at Houghton GC five shots off the pace.

Leaderboard
-17 Dan Bradbury
-16 Sami Valimaki
-14 Danie Van Tonder
-12 Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Casey Jarvis
-11 Louis de Jager, Romain Langasque
-10 Oliver Bekker

Best prices
8-5 S Valimaki, 9-5 D Bradbury, 6 D Van Tonder, 10 C Bezuidenhout, 35 C Jarvis, 40 R Langasque, 50 L De Jager, 80 O Bekker, 500 bar

Final-round preview

Dan Bradbury has rapidly made an impact on the DP World Tour, following up 13th place in the Spanish Open with a 54-hole lead in the Joburg Open, but 9-5 is an unattractive offer about the cardless and massively inexperienced youngster claiming the trophy.

Sami Valimaki made a name for himself on the Pro Golf Tour in 2019, winning four times, then in March, 2020, he opened his account on the DP World Tour in the Oman Open, ending that year ranked 70th in the world after finishing fifth in the DP World Tour Championship.

Last year was abysmal, though, for Finn, with 13 missed cuts and zero top-20s. After the Scandinavian Mixed five months ago, he had slipped to world number 489. More recent signs have been encouraging for the 24-year-old, but, like with Bradbury, there is no urge to consider the short odds. Valimaki can be slightly preferred, but 8-5 does not set the pulse racing.

The trio of South Africans who come next on the leaderboard are of most interest. Casey Jarvis, a 300-1 Racing Post Sport pre-tournament recommendation, is tied for fourth place. The 19-year-old roared clear in the early stages of round three, opening with two birdies and an eagle in the first three holes, but double-bogeys at the ninth and 15th badly damaged his scorecard.

Being the hunter rather than the hunted will suit Jarvis, who made eight consecutive birdies at one stage in round two, and this explosive talent has probably got a flying finish in him from the penultimate threeball.

Danie van Tonder and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are also well worth considering. Van Tonder won the Kenya Savannah Classic last year and is an eight-time champion on the Sunshine Tour. He won at Houghton Golf Club by nine shots in a 54-hole IGT Pro Tour event in 2016.

Bezuidenhout has been immaculate on the front nine this week, but has made six bogeys on the back nine, covering his final four holes of round three in two over par. The Presidents Cup star is the class act of the field, though, and well in contention given the likely vulnerability of the leading duo.

A final-round wager on Van Tonder at 6-1 is the preferred back-up to the pre-tournament each-way investment in Jarvis, with respect given to the 10-1 Bezuidenhout.

Van Tonder to win the final threeball (7am UK and Ireland time) against Bradbury and Valimaki also appeals. A cloudy, calm final round is expected.

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