The 2010 European Tour season tees-off on Thursday, skysports.com picks six to watch at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
Watch all four rounds of the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Sky Sports - live coverage starts on Thursday at 8.30am on SS1 and HD1
The 2010 European Tour season tees-off in South Africa where the Alfred Dunhill Championship is being staged at Leopard Creek for a sixth straight year.
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Designed by Gary Player and opened 13 years ago, the course is set on the edge of the Kruger National Park.
This picturesque venue has a number of large lakes and ponds, as well as brooks, streams and cascading waterfalls.
Local hero Ernie Els will start the week as favourite in Mpumalanga and already has a hat-trick Alfred Dunhill Championship wins on his record.
Els finished the 2009 season in good style, ending up 11th on the inaugural Race to Dubai standings, and will be looking to get his 2010 campaign underway in positive fashion with a big performance this week.
Four other previous winners of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which is again being co-sanctioned by The European Tour and the Sunshine Tour, will also be in the field this week; defending champion Richard Sterne of South Africa, compatriot Charl Schwartzel and Englishman John Bickerton.
So who's in the frame to take an early lead in the Race to Dubai standings?
Rafael Cabrera-Bello: A maiden Tour winner three months ago, the elegant Spaniard is playing at Leopard Creek for a fourth straight year. All three previous starts have yielded top-25 finishes including a tie-for-fourth last year.
Ernie Els: In all four previous visits has finished inside the top-10. Winner in 2005, his 16 rounds here average 69.63.
Edoardo Molinari: Should be full of confidence following back-to-back victories in Japan and China. After topping the Challenge Tour in Europe for 2009, Molinari won the prestigious Dunlop Phoenix event in Japan and, seven days later, teamed-up with brother Francesco to win the World Cup for Italy.
Robert Rock: One of the better pros yet to win on the European Tour. The midlander was second at Leopard Creek last year.
Charl Schwartzel: Once a winner and twice a runner-up at this venue where he averages 69.89 in his 18 rounds.
Richard Sterne: The defending champion who will be hoping to re-discover his touch. Has not had a top-10 since January but he remains one of South Africa's best young players. Has won five times on home soil - three of these co-sanctioned with the European Tour.
