The Alfred Dunhill Championship is returning for its upcoming edition Thursday. The tournament will be played at the Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane, South Africa. Defending champion Ockie Strydom will be a star attraction at the event, but Dean Burmester, in red hot form, will be the cynosure of all eyes.

The player field is 156-strong and several European Tour regulars will vie for the top spot in a tournament that is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Sunshine Tour. Strydom will like to secure back-to-back titles in this event, but there are other strong contenders who aim to deny the home boy.

Who will win the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Championship?

The action is expected to be gripping at one of the most stunning courses in the world that borders the Kruger National Park. This is notwithstanding that no one from the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is taking part in it. Here are the five players who can be considered as the tournament favourites.

Ockie Strydom:

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Last year, Strydom won in dramatic circumstances. He had started the final day tied with Scott Jamieson, but after shooting a final round of 69, the 38-year-old lifted the trophy. Strydom stands at 251 in the OWGR, but last season was quite productive for him, when he had two European Tour wins – the Singapore Classic apart from the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Also, he knows the Leopard Creek Country Club course very well.

Dean Burmester:

The new season has started off brilliantly for Burmester, who has secured back-to-back wins on his home patch. After winning the Joburg Open, the 34-year-old went into the final round of the South African Open Championship last Sunday two shots off the top spot. He shot a 4-under 68 in the final round to clinch it.

This is the South African leg of the DP World Tour and as usual, the sons of the soil are making their presence felt. Burmester will carry his form to the Alfred Dunhill Championship. He is ranked 77th in the OWGR.

Thriston Lawrence:

Another South African, who will be in the mix. The 27-year-old has been steady, without being spectacular, in the early part of the new season. He finished fifth at the DP World Tour Championship, seventh at the Joburg Open and 10th at the South African Open Championship. He had three European Tour wins last term and the season previously, he had won the Joburg Open. His OWGR is 84 and Lawrence will be one of the players to watch out for.

Ewen Ferguson:

One of the key features of Ferguson’s game is his resilience. He provided ample evidence of it at the 2022 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, when he overcame a three-stroke final round deficit to win his maiden Tour title.

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Guido Migliozzi:

If the Italian can play the way he played in the final round of the 2022 Cazoo Open de France, he will be one of the title contenders at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Migliozzi has three European Tour victories and his current OWGR is 226, but the 26-year-old hasn’t done much of late to inspire confidence. Coming back to the fold after a gap, he could be a bit rusty as well.

Antoine Rozner:

The Frenchman finished 10th at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and just about missed a top-10 finish – 11th – at the DP World Tour Championship. But the 30-year-old has experience on his side and also three European Tour titles in his bag. Rozner is 133rd in the OWGR.

What is the prize money for the Alfred Dunhill Championship

The total prize money for the Alfred Dunhill Championship is around $1.62 million, while the winner’s purse is around $276,000. As per NBC Sports, live coverage will be available from 5 AM ET on GC for the first three days and from 4.30 AM ET on Sunday.

The dates of the Alfred Dunhill Championship clash with the Grant Thornton Invitation, a mixed-team event that is jointly hosted by the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour. The latter is expected to attract more eyeballs, and from that perspective, the DP World Tour event needs some top-class golf.

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