Steve Palmer's South African Open second-round preview, best bets, free tips

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 10am Thursday

Best bets

Dan Bradbury to win 10am threeball
1pt 11-5 bet365

Preview

Thriston Lawrence assumed South African Open favouritism after a first-round 64 at Blair Atholl Estate, Johannesburg, and no bigger than 100-30 is available about the early pacesetter.

Lawrence, who could be backed at a pre-tournament 22-1, set the course record with a 64 at this venue in last year's Blair Atholl Championship on the Sunshine Tour. He matched that eight-under-par score in round one of this much more prestigious DP World Tour gathering to leave pre-tournament market leaders Branden Grace and Dean Burmester playing catch-up.

Lawrence will have the opportunity to forge clear from an early Friday tee-time (7am local time, 5am UK and Ireland). Sunshine, calm skies and temperatures around 20C are forecast. Charl Schwartzel (four under par) and Burmester (two) will be alongside Lawrence again.

Ross Fisher (seven under), Tom McKibbin (five), Wilco Nienaber (five), Jayden Schaper (four) and Schwartzel can be fancied to move into threatening positions for the weekend.

Second-round threeball punters are advised to take a chance on last week's Joburg Open champion, Dan Bradbury, who is not getting enough respect for his burst of form. Despite carding a 21-under-par 72-hole total in Johannesburg last week, the Yorkshireman is on offer as 11-5 outsider against Grace and Dylan Frittelli.

Bradbury beat Grace by three shots and Frittelli by two in round one, and Frittelli was waxing lyrical about his playing partner in a post-round commentary stint. According to Frittelli, Bradbury hardly put a foot wrong, adding: "I'm not surprised he won last week."

A bogey-free Bradbury scorecard backs up Frittelli's assessment and the Joburg champion is 38 under par for his last nine DP World Tour rounds. Neither Grace or Frittelli have been impressing lately, so the outsider of this group may take charge again.

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