The DP World Tour swings back into South Africa for the SDC Championship on Thursday, February 29. This tournament marks the penultimate stop of the international swing before the tour sets its sights on Singapore and the start of the Asian leg. Despite being an underdog, Matthew Baldwin secured victory last year, and he finds himself in a similar position this time around.
Baldwin carded a blistering four-under 68 in the final round, sealing a dominant win over second-placed Adri Arnaus. This marked a stunning return to form for the 37-year-old, who was forced to give up his tour card amid recurrent injuries. It was his first taste of DP World Tour glory after 200 attempts.
The reigning SDC champion, however, arrives with a slight cloud hanging over his head. Baldwin enters the fray after missing the cut at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters earlier this month. Therefore, he is not heavily favoured to retain the crown despite the absence of a star-studded field.
Will the greens of St Francis Links GC witness another heroic campaign from Baldwin? We turned to reliable bookmaker William Hill for the best SDC Championship 2024 odds.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 27th, 2:00 A.M. (GMT)
No player from the world’s top 60 golfers will tee off in South Africa’s southern region this weekend. The betting odds, however, suggest a thrilling contest. Zander Lombard, Tom McKibbin, Thriston Lawrence, and Ewen Ferguson share the favourites mantle at 17.00. Antoine Rozner, Jordan Smith, and Rikuya Hoshino are the closest challengers at 21.00.
Zander Lombard will be hoping to emulate Baldwin and break his DP World Tour duck with the SDC Championship title. The 29-year-old came quite close in Bahrain but had to settle for the silver medal ultimately. He will hope to take one step further under the Eastern Cape sun and pick up his maiden DP World Tour victory on home soil.
Rikuya Hoshino was our pick in Kenya last week, but he failed to live up to expectations. The Qatar Masters champion will be determined to bounce back this weekend, but we cannot back him with the same level of confidence as we did last week. Ewen Ferguson is another exciting prospect, but the Scotsman failed to impress at the Kenya Open. So, proceeding with a fair amount of caution makes sense if you are considering backing Ferguson.
Adrian Otaegui is the man to put your money on for this event, we believe. He comes at 34.00, so a healthy return is on the cards. He made a strong T4 finish in Kenya and should thrive in the conditions of St Francis Links GC. Otaegui, therefore, could be the one going home with the trophy.
