Nedbank Golf Challenge 2024 Preview, Picks & Analysis

Thriston Lawrence will be hoping to cap a magnificent year with victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Having finished third in the Race to Dubai, the South African now has a PGA Tour card to his name and this week he will be able to test his game against three players he will be facing on a regular basis in 2025 - Will Zalatoris, Corey Conners and defending champion Max Homa.

A strong field also includes Nicolai Hojgaard, Thomas Detry, Paul Waring and South African stars Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Erik van Rooyen.

Lawrence will head to Sun City in great form as he tries to become the first South African winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge since Branden Grace in 2017. The four-time winner on the DP World Tour has had nine top-10s, including five runner-up finishes, in 2024. He was also fourth at The Open.

"My form has been good this year. To reach the top 50 in the world has been a goal of mine for the past three years, and I feel like things are trending in the right direction. A place in the Nedbank Golf Challenge is always a good indication of this, and especially this year with the field as strong as it is. This tournament is very special to me and I’m really looking forward to playing in front of our home fans and joining my fellow South Africans in hopefully claiming a home victory," said Lawrence.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Conners is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, with both of his victories coming in the Texas Open, in 2019 and 2023. One of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour, he made the cut in all 23 of his starts in 2024. His four top 10s included a tied ninth at this year’s US Open. 

Zalatoris is making his debut in a tournament from which he had to withdraw in 2022 as a result of the back injury that has stalled his career.

"I'm thrilled to be heading to South Africa for the Nedbank Golf Challenge," said Zalatoris. "I’ve had amazing experiences playing in DP World Tour tournaments around the globe, and I'm confident South Africa will be just as memorable.

"I’ve heard a lot about the tournament and its rich history as one of the most prestigious events on the Tour, plus the chance to experience a new country and culture, it’s going to be a great week."

The 2020-21 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year will tee off at the Gary Player Country Club with a solid year behind him, including a top 10 at The Masters which was the sixth top-10 in 14 major starts.

An up-and-coming young star who is certain to attract a lot of attention is China’s Wenyi Ding. 

After a glittering amateur career, Ding, aged just 19, turned professional through the Global Amateur Pathway, which was launched by the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and The R&A to help the best eligible male amateur players within the top 20 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings take the next step in their careers and secure playing rights on the DP World Tour.

Although only a few months into his professional career, he is already a global golf sensation.

The Beijing-born golfer was the first in Arizona State history to win both the Pacific-12 Conference Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year. He was also the first Chinese golfer to win a United States Golf Association (USGA) title when he claimed the 2022 US Junior Amateur, and this year he won the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship.

Sebastian Soderberg will still be smarting at missing out on a PGA Tour card. He looked to have it in the bag after a season in which he finished second three times. But his best form deserted him at both the Abu Dhabi Championship and DP World Tour Championship. He will be looking to put that disappointment behind him as quickly as possible.

The Course:

The Gary Player Country Club can be stretched to more than 7,800 yards. It opened in 1979 and has hosted the Nedbank Callenge since the tournament’s inception in 1981. It features many clover-shaped greens protected by well-placed bunkers. It is a spectacular golf course, with the Pilanesberg Mountains as a backdrop.

Tournaments Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Marc Leishman, in 2016 by Alex Noren, in 2017 by Branden Grace, in 2018 by Lee Westwood, in 2019 and 2022 by Tommy Fleetwood and last year by Max Homa. It wasn’t played in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid pandemic.

How to Watch:

Thursday, December 5-Sunday, December 8, Sky Sports Golf, 9am.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $6m, with the winner collecting just over $1m. There are 4,000 Race to Dubai points up for grabs and 1,000 Ryder Cup points.

To Win:

Thriston Lawrence. Always plays well on home soil

Each Way:

Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Majestic ball striker

Five to Follow:

Thriston Lawrence. Impressive in everything he does

Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Outstanding putter

Nicolai Hojgaard. Still smarting from failing to make the DP World Tour Championship

Corey Conners. Another week, another good finish.

Aldrich Potgieter. Won on Korn Ferry Tour at the age of 19. Great prospect