Players to watch during the Nedbank Golf Challenge

The Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, is the penultimate tournament of the European Tour & # 39; s Race to Dubai. This year, golfers are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Gary Player Country Club course. From Thursday there are six players to watch.

Henrik Stenson

Stenson, who was several times a competitor at the Nedbank, came third three times, including 2015, 2009 and 2006. In 2008, he dominated the field with a nine-shot victory, 21 under par. Stenson's score was only the second after Nick Price's 12-stroke victory in 1993 as the largest profit margin at Nedbank.

Although he has struggled a great deal this year, he has shown how well he can navigate the difficult wind of Nedbank and sticky grass. With a recent exchange of his old 3-timber in September, he may have a better chance of working the narrow fairways with confidence.

Fleetwood had an excellent year in 2017 and ended with a top 10 victory at Nedbank who won him the race to Dubai and crowned him the number 1 golfer in Europe. The following year, Fleetwood made a smashing debut at the Ryder Cup, when he and Francesco Molinari became the first European pair to win all four of their games.

He has been successful this year with five top 10 and eight top 20 finishes on the European Tour, including second place at the Open Championship – his second second place in a major after the United States Open 2018 This is Fleetwood's second time at Nedbank. He is currently seventh in the race to Dubai.

Lee Westwood

The title defender, Westwood, from England, is one of the few players to win the tournament three times. Last year, Westwood defeated Sergio García of Spain with three hits.

On his last day, Westwood was three shots behind the leader, García, but an eagle on the second hole brought him ahead. Westwood birdied five of his last eight holes to get 15 to win with a 64.

"I'm a little emotional, to be honest," he said at the time. "You never know for sure if you can do it again."

This year, he wants to be the first to win the tournament four times.

Louis Oosthuizen

Oosthuizen, from South Africa, plays with a home-peat advantage and fought hard last year in the three-way battle with García and Westwood. Oosthuizen hit good iron shots, but had trouble making putts. "I am proud of the way I dealt with it," he said afterwards. “I played well today. I could not have done much more. The great thing for me today was to make the shot and record it.

He comes strong after the WGC-HSBC Champions this month, where his solid iron game and feel on the greens earned him third place. Although his driving behavior is irregular, the rest of his game looks good. "Can't complain," he said.

Sergio García

García has won the Nedbank twice, in 2001 and 2003. Since then he has twice finished second, equalizing with Jamie Donaldson of Wales with two blows behind Thomas Bjorn of Denmark in 2013, and missed a win by three strokes to Westwood last year.

García came to the Nedbank last year with confidence and momentum from the Ryder Cup and a win in Spain.

That was not enough, García said. "I didn't have my A-game," he said. “I fought hard and remained patient. Things didn't really happen to me too much. But you know, all in all I still fought hard.

This year, García could easily fight if he could handle the swirling winds, committed himself to his shots, and remain patient.

Shane Lowry

Last year on the Nedbank, Lowry underwhelmed. But he is a different player this year after winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the British Open and eighth place in the P.G.A. Championship. The series of successes has increased his confidence because of a new philosophical vision & # 39; no worries & # 39 ;.

"There is more to life than golf," he told the New York Times last month. & # 39; Maybe a few years ago I only had golf. But now I have a wife and a baby, and they mean everything to me. Family comes first at the end of the day. "

Since his victory at the British Open, he has been fighting for points and is currently in third place in the race to Dubai. That winning and becoming Europe's # 1 golfer would be "icing on the cake," Lowry said.

"I'm going to give everything I can," he said. "I go outside and do my best and see where it leaves me."