Course guide

The Nedbank Challenge has been held at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City since the tournament's inaugural year in 1981.

The par-72 course is pretty long at 7,831 yards, although it is more important to be accurate off the tee than it is to hit it far.

It’s imperative to avoid the tricky kikuyu rough as much as possible, with three of the last four winners here ranking first in GIR.

The putting surfaces are small, however, meaning players will inevitably find themselves in the greenside bunkers and rough.

Three of the last four winners ranked inside the top three in scrambling, so those who can rely on their short game should excel again this weekend.

Back to win

Branden Grace –

Grace’s performances at Sun City in the past suggest he can be the first South African to win this event in a decade.

The 29-year-old placed fourth here in 2015 and third last year, going closer than any South African since Charl Schwartzel came second in 2012.

Grace is in decent form at the moment, having finished 15th in each of his last two starts. He currently ranks fourth in driving accuracy and a respectable 23rd in GIR on the PGA Tour.

He’s certainly one of the best players in this field with one win on the PGA Tour and seven on the European Tour to date, and has an excellent chance of winning again on home soil.

Each-way shouts

Kiradech Aphibarnrat –

Few players in this field are as hot as Aphibarnrat at the moment.

The 28-year-old from Thailand has notched six top-25s in his seven starts, including a T2 at the Italian Open in October and a T6 at the Turkish Airlines Open last weekend.

He’s also fared well at Sun City in the past, finishing fifth in 2014 and 16th a year later.

Currently ranked 28th in GIR and 19th in putts per GIR, Aphibarnrat has the accuracy to hit these small Bentgrass greens, and the touch with the putter to take advantage.

Eddie Pepperell –

Pepperell has put together a stunning run of form, with six top-10s in seven starts including back-to-back T3s at the KLM Open and Portugal Masters at the end of September.

He finished sixth in Turkey last weekend, shooting three rounds of 67 or better that were spoiled by a 71 that took him out of contention on Saturday.

The Englishman is making his debut at Sun City this week, and has all the tools to perform well at this course.

He ranks 21st in GIR and 30th in stroke average on the European Tour this year.