Steve Palmer's Joburg Open first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Joburg Open

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 10am Thursday

Best bets

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Joburg Open first-round preview

A sunny, hot, calm afternoon looks set to await the Joburg Open competitors on the first day at Houghton Golf Club, and Charl Schwartzel, Jayden Schaper, Thriston Lawrence, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Dan Bradbury are among those who will be looking to take advantage of the conditions.

Pre-tournament favourite Dean Burmester will be coming to the end of his round by the time the Sky Sports cameras hone in on Houghton. Punters betting on the day-one afternoon threeballs are pointed towards three names.

Brandon Stone has been impressing on the Challenge Tour, slowly but surely getting his career back on track after a spell in the doldrums, and the Joburg Open is a fantastic opportunity for the three-time DP World Tour victor. The former South African Open champion can boss Dylan Mostert and Ross Fisher in the 10.40am (UK and Ireland time) threeball.

Wilco Nienaber, who opened with a pair of 67s at Houghton GC in last year's Joburg Open, can be fancied to leave Dale Whitnell and Kyle Barker behind in the 10.30am contest, while Martin Vorster, another powerful young South African who is maturing and improving, looks great value against Marc Warren and Tapio Pulkkanen (10.10am). Vorster was South Africa's top-ranked amateur when he turned pro in 2021.