Preview
2023 Alfred Dunhill Championship Event Info
Starts: 7th December 2023
Course: Leopard Creek, South Africa
Par: 72 (35-37)
Length: 7,249 yards
2022 Champion: Ockie Strydom
2023 Alfred Dunhill Championship Course Info
Course Designer: Gary Player
Fairways: Firm, undulating.
Rough: Lush, surrounded by bushes and trees.
Greens: Bermuda, fast.
Water Hazards: Features throughout.
Par 5's: 2nd, 13th, 15th, 18th
Hosted Since: 2004
Premium on: Iron Play, Putting
2023 Alfred Dunhill Championship Weather
Thursday
Sunny intervals. Wind 8-10mph.
Friday
Sunny intervals. Wind 8-10mph.
Saturday
Sunny intervals. Wind 8-10mph.
Sunday
Sunny intervals. Wind 8-10mph.
Significant Info To Be Aware Of
There were big changes to the course in 2017, hence no tournament held that year. Fairways and rough changed from kikuyu to bermuda and greens were resurfaced.The course now plays considerably tougher.
Alfred Dunhill Championship Trends
Winning score
Since the renovation, the winning scores have been -18, -14 (twice) and -8. We can expect somewhere in between this week.
Course form
Ockie Strydom had never cracked the top 50 before winning this event last year. Winner in 2020, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, had a mixed course record at Leopard Creek but did have a top 20 finish in 2018. Winner in 2019, Pablo Larrazabal, had solid form here but 2018 winner, David Lipsky, was a debutant. The seven winners before the changes all had a top 12 finish previously. Solid course form is preferred despite Lipsky's win on his debut.
Incoming form
Ockie Strydom was 15th the week before winning in 2022. Christiaan Bezuidenhout was also 15th the week before winning in 2020. Winners of this event in 2018 and 2019 had mixed form. Before the course changes, just about every winner had a top 10 in their last 5 starts.
Nationality
South Africans have won eight of the last ten Alfred Dunhill Championships. Spaniards have a good record at this course, four of the last six non-South African winners have been from Spain.
Age
Three of the last four winners have been in their thirties. Christian Bezuidenhout was in his twenties.
Alfred Dunhill Championship Stats
Summary
Strokes Gained stats are available for 2018, 2020 and 2022, but there are none on the European Tour website for 2019. They show approach play is more important than driving around Leopard Creek, with a hot putter preferably.
SG: Off The Tee
We don't have stats for last year's winner, Ockie Strydom, but runner up Adrian Otaegui was 73rd in the SG: Off The Tee rankings. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, winner in 2020, ranked 37th in this category. None of the top 5 ranked higher than 20th in 2018. You don't need to be an excellent driver of the ball at Leopard Creek.
SG: Approach
Last year's runner up, Adrian Otaegui, led the SG: Approach stats. Third place finisher, Laurie Canter, was third for approach. Two of the top five in 2020 ranked inside the top 10 of this category. In 2018, four of the top five ranked inside the top 10. Strong approach play is key this week.
SG: Around The Greens
Otaegui was 12th and Canter was 45th in 2020 in this category. Three of the top five ranked inside the top 30 in this category in 2020 with four of the top five ranking inside the top 30 around the green in 2018.
SG: Putting
Neither Otaegui nor Canter ranked inside the top 35 for SG: Putting. Three of the top 10 in 2020 were inside the top 10 for SG: Putting. Only two of the top five ranked inside the top ten in 2018.
2023 Alfred Dunhill Championship In Play Advice
Tough Holes
Holes seven through nine is a tough stretch, playing as the three hardest holes in 2020.
Birdie Holes
The three par 5s (2nd, 13th and 15th) play well under par and play well under par, along with the driveable par four 6th and short 11th.
Fast or Slow Start
In 2022, two of the eventual top three (Ockie Strydom and Laurie Canter) were within three shots of the round one leader.
In 2020, four of the eventual top five were inside the top eight after the opening round.
In 2019, Larrazabal and Besseling (3rd) were 1st and 2nd after round 1, but 2nd place Sjoholm came from five shots back. Sjoholm was nine shots adrift at halfway and only lost by one in the end, partly due to a final round 75 for Larrazabal.
In 2018, David Drysdale was the only top 5 finisher who was within three shots of the first round leader.
