2025 Joburg Open betting tips: Our expert’s top picks for the DP World Tour event

2025 Joburg Open betting tips from Today's Golfer.

Our resident betting expert picks out his top Joburg Open betting tips for the second week of action in South Africa.

The DP World Tour continues in South Africa for a second consecutive week, reaching the final stop of its ‘Opening Swing’ at the Joburg Open.

Ten of the tournament’s 16 editions have been won by home players with Charl Schwartzel and Richard Sterne both two-time winners. Last year saw Dean Burmester etch another South African name into the trophy with a three-shot victory at the Houghton Golf Club.

Before diving into my betting tips for the week, here’s everything else you need to know…

Joburg Open key details

Venue: Houghton Golf Club, Johannesburg (Par 72 – 7,279 yards)

Format: 72-hole strokeplay with 36-hole cut

Purse: $1.1 million with the winner receiving an expected $190,000

Race to Dubai / Ryder Cup points: 3,000 / 1,000

Favorites: Martin Vorster 14/1, Bryce Easton 16/1

Defending champion: Dean Burmester (RSA), -18

Most wins: Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Richard Sterne (RSA), 2

How to watch the Joburg Open

US viewers can catch all the action on Golf Channel.

All times EST

Thursday, March 06: The Golf Channel, 06.00
Friday, March 07: The Golf Channel, 06.00
Saturday, March 08: The Golf Channel, 05.30
Sunday, March 09: The Golf Channel, 05.30

UK viewers can catch all the action on Sky Sports Golf.

All times GMT

Thursday, March 06: Sky Sports Golf, 11.00
Friday, March 07: Sky Sports Golf, 11.00
Saturday, March 08: Sky Sports Golf, 10.30
Sunday, March 09: Sky Sports Golf, 09.30

Joburg Open tee times

Tee times and groupings can be found here.

Joburg Open betting tips

The Banker: Marco Penge 50/1 e/w (Sky Bet 6 Places 1/5)

It is a bit of a statement calling a 50/1 shot a ‘Banker’ but the top of the market looks opposable at this week’s Joburg Open, and it’s Englishman, Marco Penge who I think can take advantage.

Penge has just had to serve a three-month ban, due to a breach of the Tour’s Integrity Programme, in relation to sports betting activity. This meant his start to 2025 was delayed, but since he’s returned he’s been in good form, and looks determined to make up for lost time.

He returned a fortnight ago, first playing in the Kenya Open and then again in last week’s South African Open, finishing 20^th and 3^rd respectively. He improved his position as the week went on in Kenya, suggesting there was some early cobwebs to blow away, and he continued that return to form last week. Penge was only 1 shot back going into the Final Round, but the event was called after 54-holes due to the weather, which meant he was denied the opportunity to overtake Laurie Canter and Dylan Naidoo, the latter winning a play-off to decide the tournament instead.

We have no idea what Penge would have done with another 18 holes last weekend, but it’s great to see him quickly adjust to being back on Tour and getting himself in contention right away. Now with two good performances under his belt, he can make a run at this week’s event.

Penge did play here at Houghton in 2023 and missed the cut, but that was his first week on Tour and this time he looks better prepared.

Overall, he has played 12 times in South Africa, and last week’s 3^rd place finish was his third top-4 in this part of the world, which suggests he likes playing here. 4^th at the SDC Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship add to his 3^rd at the South African Open last week, showing he has what it takes to mix it in the biggest events this region has to offer.

Penge is looking for his first DP World Tour win, but last year was just his first full season on Tour, and given he won twice on the Challenge Tour in 2023, I am confident he can get over the line should be find himself in the mix, especially in this quality of field.

Darren Fichardt 90/1 e/w (Betfair 5 Places ¼)

Darren Fichardt is the first of two veteran South Africans that round off my card, and with his performance last week, he’s shown he can still compete at this level.

Fichardt finished T4 in Durban, just two shots shy of the two playoff protagonists and with an opening 63 on Thursday he was the first round leader, to highlight his scoring ability.

This is an excellent continuation of the form here showed at the Qatar Masters where he finished 21^st, to break a run of four missed cuts. He was 7^th at halfway that week in Qatar and after contending this past weekend, he will be ready for an event he loves.

Fichardt is a former winner of this event having won back in 2017, albeit at a different course. He also has extensive experience he at Houghton though, where he finished 2^nd behind Dean Burmester back in 2023 – the last time they played here.

The veteran ranked 3^rd in both SG Approach and SG Tee to Green last week at the South African Open, and he if can carry that ball striking prowess and some confidence into this week’s test, he can make a run at his sixth DP World Tour title.

The 49-year old may be coming into the twilight of his career, but there’s enough evidence in recent weeks that he could still get an exciting win at home, especially at a course he came close on last time.

The Longshot: Thomas Aiken 150/1 e/w (BetVictor 5 Places ¼)

Thomas Aiken has hit the ball nicely in his past two starts, ranking 5^th for SG Approach in both tournaments, and now he can put it all together to finish high up the leaderboard as well.

Aiken enjoyed a return to form in 2024, posting 8 top 25 finishes in a 10-event span on the DP World Tour and if he keeps hitting his irons and wedges as well as he has done in the past two weeks, then we could be about to see another good run of form.

Aiken finished 25^th last week, his second top-25 finish in his past five starts and we all know that when he plays at home, he tends to elevate his game.

This has certainly been the case in this event over the years, as he’s posted 3^rd, 5^th, 6^th, and 10^th place finishes, and at this course in particular he’s finished 30^th and 17^th in two visits.

He would need to improve plenty to actually get in the mix, but Aiken does seem to have found the consistency he built his game on for so many years, over the past 12 months or so, and if he can carry that on, we should always give him a second glance at home.

Aiken is a three-time DP World Tour winner, and he’s won 8 times overall in South Africa, so he has plenty of positive experience to lean on, should he find himself in position on Sunday.