Who’ll stop Dean Burmester making it three in a row at Leopard Creek?

Will Dean Burmester make it three wins in a row?

That is the big question golfing fans in South Africa are asking themselves ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, starting at Leopard Creek, on Thursday.

There is little doubt who the form golfer is going into the tournament that takes place on the border of the Kruger National Park in Malelane.

The 34-year-old, who was schooled at Grey College in Bloemfontein and waited tables to earn money to play junior events in his younger days, has won the last two Sunshine Tour/DP World Tour co-sanctioned events in South Africa — the Joburg Open and Houghton and the South African Open Championship at Blair Atholl last weekend.

Contenders

A third win in a row at Leopard Creek this week would be something quite special for the man who plays most of his golf on the LIV Tour now and there’s no doubt he’ll tee off on Thursday as one of the favourites, but there are several other quality golfers in the field, who’ll also be keen to win the title.

Charl Schwartzel, for one, is recognised as something of a master around Leopard Creek, having won the tournament four times, in 2004, 2012, 2013 and 2015, and he’s shown some promising form lately, so don’t count him out.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who’s had a somewhat troubled year getting used to a new swing, has also shown good signs during the South African swing in the last few weeks and he, too, knows what it takes to win in Malelane, having done so in 2020.

And then there’s former Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen, who will tee it up at Leopard Creek this week having not played any of the other local events in the last three weeks. And if there’s one tournament he’ll be keen to add to his winners’ list it is the Alfred Dunhill Championship having been runner up in 2014 and 2005.

Erik van Rooyen, who is now a regular on the PGA Tour and recently won a second title there, will also hope to get his name on the famous trophy this week. Like so many other golfers in the field he’ll bring good form into the tournament.

Ockie Strydom is the defending champion, while a few other men to keep an eye on include Thriston Lawrence, young Jayden Schaper, a runner-up in 2020, as well as 2014 champion Branden Grace.