South Africa Open Golf Betting Preview

The South African Open is the second oldest national Open Championship in the world, and this week will be staged at its most famous venue, the Durban Country Club for the sixteenth time.It is the first time it has been there since 2002 however, as the event took a two year trip to Erinvale. This decision proved to the liking of one man in particular, Trevor Immelman, who ended up taking home the trophy on both occasions. The fact that it was his local course and the one on which learnt to play the game clearly worked to his advantage. He is still waiting to win elsewhere on the circuit.If it was at the same venue, it would be impossible to ignore the 25 year old, but with the move we do not consider the 10/1 available especially appealing.Darren Clarke is the biggest name taking part, and it his first outing after an extended break at home in Ireland. Personal reasons have kept him off the course for long periods, and with this in mind the 6/1 is too short.If Immelman is the Erinvale specialist, then Tim Clark is the specialist for Durban Country Club. He was brought up in the area, and between the ages of 16 and 18 three times won the Natal Junior titles on the course. He also holds the amateur course record of 66. Perhaps even more significantly though, he chose the venue to make a come back after ten months off with a serious wrist injury, for the 2002 edition of this tournament. He went on to win the title in emotional circumstances, and with this kind of course familiarity, 12/1 looks a decent price. A regular member on the US Tour, he came agonisingly close to winning the 2003 US PGA Championship as well as this Championship once again in the same year. He lost out in a playoff to Immelman in the latter and in the PGA, was one of just three men to negotiate the fearsome Oak Hill course under par for the week. He is a player of genuine world quality and definitely has the game to win on what must be his favourite layout.Another man with an apparent liking for the east coast course is James Kingston. On the last two occasions that the South African Open has been staged here, Kingston has claimed top ten results. In 1998 he came ninth, and in 2002 was third.The 39-year-old also achieved top twenty finishes in both 2002 and 2003 at Erinvale, and from 28/1 could certainly squeeze into the each way places. He currently sits in sixth place in the Order of Merit list, and will be keen to build upon this good start. The highlight so far has been finishing as runner up to Miguel Angel Jimenez in the Omega Hong Kong Open.