Jonsson Workwear Open
American Jordan Gumberg was ranked 669th in the world before his first DP World Tour victory last week at the SDC Championship in South Africa. Gumberg, a 300-1 pre-tournament price, won with a 15-foot birdie on the second playoff hole over South African Robin Williams, who held a two-stroke lead with two holes to play before carding a double bogey on 17.
This week, the DP World Tour and South Africa’s Sunshine Tour play another co-sanctioned event at the Jonsson Workwear Open in Edenvale, South Africa.
The top of the odds board looks relatively similar to last week with South African Thriston Lawrence (14-1) and Scotsman Ewen Ferguson (18-1) as the shortest prices with Englishman Tom McKibbin (18-1) and South African Zander Lombard (20-1) following just behind.
Englishman Jordan Smith was third at this venue at the 2017 BMW SA Open. He is followed by Rikuya Hoshino (25-1), Frenchman Antoine Rozner (25-1), Scotland’s Connor Syme (30-1), who was fourth last week, and South Africa’s Hennie du Plessis (35-1).
The Event
This event was co-sanctioned between the Sunshine and Challenge Tours in 2022 before becoming co-sanctioned with the DP World and Sunshine Tours last year.
The Course
Glendower Golf Club, designed by Charles Hugh Allison, is a classical parkland track. It opened in 1937 and received a fairly extensive renovation in 2007 with updates predominantly to the green complexes.
At 7,542 yards, the layout looks long, but the South African Highveld sits about a mile above sea level, which means Glendower plays at around 7,000 yards.
The greens feature relatively speedy A1/A4 Bentgrass that will run at around 12 on the stimpmeter by Thursday.
Recent History/Winners
2023: Nick Bachem (-24/264); 100-1; Steyn City
2022: J.C. Ritchie (-26/260); 90-1; Durban
Recent course winners at Glendower include the following: 2023: Robin Williams, -19 (Sunshine Tour); 2020: Daniel van Tonder, -11 (54 holes, Sunshine); 2018: Chris Paisley, -21; 2017: Graeme Storm, -18; 2016, Craig Hinton, -7 (54, Big Easy); 2016: Brandon Stone, -14; 2015: Andy Sullivan, -11; 2014: Merrick Bremner, -12 (54, Sunshine); 2013: Morten Orum Madsen, -19.
Selections
Andy Sullivan (40-1, DraftKings)
Sullivan won on this course in 2015 at the South African Open Championship.
He finished fourth last week at the SDC Championship for his best finish in 18 months.
Jayden Schaper (55-1, FanDuel)
Schaper finished sixth on this course in 2020.
He concluded 2023 with four consecutive top-10 finishes and is not all that removed from that form.
Jacques Kruyswijk (60-1, FanDuel)
Kruyswijk regained his DPWT playing privileges, finishing 11th at the Q-School last winter.
He has made every cut in 2024, finished fourth to end 2023 at the Joburg Open and was fourth on this course in 2018.
Thomas Aiken (60-1, BetRivers)
Aiken has led the field in driving accuracy in three of his last eight starts and has been top 10 in four of his last eight events for Greens In Regulation.
He has a pair of top-5 finishes on this course.
Casey Jarvis (70-1, BetRivers)
Jarvis, a 20-year-old South African, won on this course in 2021 at the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
Jarvis finished 12th last week at the SDC Championship.
James Nicholas (125-1, Caesars Sportsbook)
Nicholas is another DPWT Q-School graduate from last winter.
He is a former football player and golfer at Yale who has made every cut in 2024 and could be the next young journeyman American to win on the DPWT like Gumberg last week.
Placement markets, matchups, and any other futures will be posted Wednesday at VSiN.com/picks
