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Joburg Open - Six to watch

Image: Schwazrtzel: defending champion

The European Tour is once again in South Africa this week, skysports.com picks six players to watch at the Joburg Open.

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Watch all four rounds of the Joburg Open on Sky Sports - live coverage starts on Thursday at 8am on Sky Sports 1/HD1

The European Tour remains in South Africa again this week and travels some 400 miles north for the fifth staging of the Joburg Open. European Tour stats package After four days on the coast of East London, the players head inland to Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club. The tournament is staged over the club's East and West courses which were designed in 1935 and 1929 respectively - both enjoying major upgrades in the late 1990s. Both layouts are dotted with trees, with those qualifying for rounds three and four completing the tournament on the slightly more challenging East Course.

So who will be hoping to contend this week?

Darren Clarke: His two previous appearances have yielded top-five finishes and in last week's Africa Open tied for 26th. James Kamte: Has played in all four Joburg Opens to date, improving with each subsequent start. His last three visits have produced finishes of 21st-12th-4th. James Kingston: Can never be ruled out on home soil. Closed last week's event in East London with a six-under-par 67. Charl Schwartzel: The defending champion and favourite again this week. The remarkably consistent Schwartzel has not finished outside the top-20 in four trips to the Royal venue. He missed out on a play-off last week in East London by a single stroke. Jaco Van Zyl: The up-and-coming South African tied-for-fourth on Sunday following consistent rounds of 67-70-70-70. Danny Willet: The 23-year-old from Sheffield has finished in a tie-for-fourth on both previous appearances at the Joburg Open.