The Sony Open isn’t the only golf tournament getting underway on Thursday. The Joburg Open will begin on the same day on the European Tour in South Africa. The field will be competing for 1.3 million Euros and reigning champion Charl Schwartzel leads the outright odds.

The Joburg Open is the first Race to Dubai-qualifying event of the year. It is formatted differently as competitors play a round on the East and West courses at the Joburg and Kensington golf club. The top 65 players move on to the weekend. It’s double the golf action.

Schwartzel won last year by six shots against Darren Clarke. The South African is in good form after finishing second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, fourth at the South African Open and fourth at the Africa Open. With Africa Open winner Louis Oosthuizen out for Joburg, his biggest threat could be Richard Sterne. The strong fellow South African is expected to do well on one of the longest driving courses in the world. The five-time tour winner won the 2008 Joburg Open but missed most of last season due to injury. He finished 21st at the South African Open. Another South African, Thomas Aiken, is second in the betting after finishing 14th in the Africa Open.

Aside from the South Africans, there is a strong European opposition at the Joburg Open. The young Englishman Danny Willet is looking for his first European Tour win and has good value to do so. He finished fourth in each of his two previous appearances here, but this is his first event of 2011 so tread carefully with your sports betting in case he needs to shake off some rust. He is worth a look to place or finish as the top British and Irish player in the tournament. Last year’s runner-up, Clarke, is at least worth a top five finish bet. Otherwise, Schwartzel looks primed for a big finish.

Joburg Open Outright Odds (provided by William Hill)

Charl Schwartzel: 7/2

Thomas Aiken: 14/1

Darren Clark: 16/1

Richard Sterne: 16/1

Danny Willett: 16/1

Jaco Van Zyl: 18/1

Soren Hansen: 20/1

Robert Dinwiddie: 25/1

Branden Graces: 25/1

Ross McGowan: 25/1

James Kingston: 28/1

James Kruger: 28/1

Robert Rock: 28/1

Gareth Maybin: 33/1

Andrew McLardy: 33/1

Alexander Noren: 33/1

Keith Horne: 40/1

Thorbjorn Olesen: 40/1

Visit William Hill for outright, match and first round odds for the Joburg Open.