Joburg Open: Fantasy DP World Tour ones to watch

With the Joburg Open marking the climax of the International Swing this week, don’t miss out on the chance to compete against golf fans from around the world in the DP World Tour’s official Fantasy game.

The DP World Tour heads from Durban to Johannesburg this week for the second of back-to-back stops in South Africa as a field of DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour players gather at Houghton Golf Club.

Laurie Canter may well have wrapped up the International Swing title already but there is still plenty to play for, with John Parry guaranteed to climb to the summit of the Race to Dubai Rankings with a win or solo second place.

Shaun Norris, Jacques Kruyswijk and last week's winner Dylan Naidoo will be leading the home charge as they look for second wins in the 2025 season.

From insight into the week’s most-picked players among Fantasy managers, to our ones to watch, we run the rule ahead of Thursday’s deadline to pick your team.

Who are the most backed players?

Norris, a winner on home soil earlier this season at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, is the most-picked player for the second week running in the early stages of selection with 78% of players putting him in their team.

Sam Bairstow, who has finished tenth and 11th in his last two starts, sits second on 55%, with fellow Englishman Dan Brown next on 50%.

There is then little to choose between those just behind, with South Africa’s Jayden Schaper on 49% and England’s Parry on 47% as they round out the top five.

Who are our ones to watch?

Here, we pick out three players in action this week who are worth considering for your Fantasy team selections.

Favourite – Jordan Smith

The Englishman may have been forced to withdraw last week in Durban due to an injured finger, but he is back in action again this week. His best result so far this season came on South African soil at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, finishing tied sixth. But such was his consistency last year with five top tens on his way to finishing 19th on the Race to Dubai, it is perhaps little surprise the two-time DP World Tour winner is the favourite in the betting markets. This will be his first start at Houghton Golf Club since the Joburg Open moved there in 2022, with a return into the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking likely to be a key source of motivation for the 32-year-old.

Form Horse – Shaun Norris

A sixth-placed finish in Durban last week following his Alfred Dunhill Championship win before the festive break could be enough to earn Norris the Form Horse tag but there is more to it than that if you look at his international record. He actually has three top tens in his last four DP World Tour appearances dating back to the Jonsson Workwear Open last March and between then and his Leopard Creek victory he has been consistently challenging on the Japan Golf Tour. He won the prestigious Golf Nippon Series JT Cup - making it two wins in December - and has seven other top tens including two runner-up finishes. The South African was outside the top 400 in the Official World Golf Ranking 12 months ago - now he is knocking on the door of the top 100.

Wild Card – Darren Fichardt

The South African’s tie for fourth last week - which earned him qualification into The Open this summer - marked his best result on the DP World Tour since finishing runner-up at last season’s Joburg Open. The last of his five DP World Tour wins came at the Joburg Open in 2017 but since then he has twice had to come through the Qualifying School, although a top 100 placing on the Race to Dubai Rankings last season showed he can still mix it with the young guns as he approaches his 50th birthday. Victory this week would be his first worldwide since winning in France on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023, while it would see him lift a title on the DP World Tour across three different decaces.

How can I play?

If you have not done so already, you can still sign up to play the official 2025 DP World Tour Fantasy game and submit your six-man team before round one gets under way on Thursday.

To play Fantasy DP World Tour, click here.

What can I win?

There are plenty of prizes on offer throughout the 2025 season including the Ultimate Prize courtesy of DP World which includes:

- Flights to Dubai for two people

- Accommodation in Dubai for two people

- Private lesson from a top DP World Tour professional on the Earth course driving range

- Two ball on the Earth course the day after tournament play finishes

- Two General Admission Season Tickets for the 2025 DP World Tour Championship

Those that finish second to fifth in the season long competition will also receive a range of DP World Tour Store vouchers. There will also be prizes to be won on a weekly and monthly basis so no matter how well you start or when you sign up to play, you will always have the opportunity to win.

Looking back – Investec South African Open Championship

Unfancied by users of our Fantasy game, featuring in 1.5% of teams, Dylan Naidoo made home advantage count as he rewarded the 443 players who picked him with 178 points. Of those, five picked him as their Captain.

For the regular readers of this column, you will have enjoyed a positive week if you took heed of our advice. Our Wild Card Joost Luiten finished tied 11th, with Form Horse Jayden Schaper in a tie for 16th while our Favourite Dean Burmester comfortably made the cut on his title defence, going on to finish tied 37th.

Season so far - 2025 DP World Tour Fantasy Top 10 player rankings