From Western Australia to South Africa, we're in Johannesburg this week for the Joburg Open. Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club plays host to 210 players this week, the largest field of the season. Wet conditions and two courses over 7,200 yards lay ahead for the players with South Africa's own Haydn Porteous defending his maiden European Tour title.
With such a big field to choose from our stats guru has crunched the numbers and come up with three players you need on yourDaily Fantasy team.
Pick of the favourites: Thomas Aiken
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Many Fantasy gamers will have 33 year old Thomas Aiken in their team this week and rightfully so. Born in Johannesburg, Aiken has typically performed well in his home country, including two straight top fives finishes in South Africa at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December and BMW SA Open in January. He has finished in the top ten in four of his last five appearances at the Joburg Open and is 46 under par for his last 12 rounds here. Aiken led the European Tour in Greens in Regulation last season and is one of only four players so far this year to hit more than 80 percent of greens. His putter has been his Achilles' heel in recent months but his hard work looks to be paying off, evident by ranking in the top 20 in both Putts per GIR and Putts per Round at last month's Commerical Bank Qatar Masters.
Form horse: Graeme Storm
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Who better to have in your team than the man who won the last event in this part of the world. Graeme Storm made headlines at the BMW SA Open by defeating Rory McIlroy in a playoff and winning just 84 days after he thought he had lost his card. The win came as a surprise to many but not to Storm himself who admits he always enjoys playing golf in this part of the world. He finished fourth at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December and backed it up with a win at Glendower less than a month later. His lowest ever career round came at this event in 2012 when he shot 62 on the West Course.
Wildcard: David Drysdale
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Another man who played well at Glendower last month is Scotland's David Drysdale. Entering the week outside the top 300 in the world, he will likely fly under the radar with many people but has the potential to surprise in Joburg. The 41 year old is one of a handful of players who have played this event in all previous ten editions, so knows the venue well, and has finished in the top three twice in 2009 and 2012. He has finished in the top 15 in his last two starts in South Africa and enters the week with career-best numbers so far this season in terms of Stroke Average and Driving Distance. Drysdale was one of only three players last season to rank inside the top 15 in both Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation.
Those are our picks, now it’s time to make yours. Good luck!
