Dan Bradbury and Dan Brown looking to tame the DP World Tour's 'beast'

Alex Fitzpatrick will look to build on his strong start in Australia this week (Picture: Luke Walker/Getty Images)

The second stop in Johannesburg and the second event of the 2024 season is held at the Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate, which at a whopping 8,233 yards is the longest course in the tour’s history.

For the three Yorkshiremen in the field – Dan Brown, Dan Bradbury and Sam Bairstow - length off the tee is imperative.

Five of the par fours are more than 500 yards in length, justifying the “beast” tag it was given last year when it broke the previous record for length. This year the course is 72 yards longer. The shortest hole is the 197-yard par three 17th, with the other ‘short’ holes all measuring more than 200 yards.

"Because the holes are such vast expanses, you have to be really specific with your targets," explained Wakefield’s Bradbury.

"It's not tree lined. Your eyes don't focus in on a certain thing. So you've got to really be precise with where you're aiming.

"I think putting is the key to be honest. The greens are so big that you are going to have long putts so pace control will need to be dialled in and then hole out well."

Bradbury and Brown come into the tournament as two of the highest-ranked players, a rare privilege earned by virtue of wins in their rookie campaigns that only finished two weeks ago with a spot in the DP World Tour Championship field in Dubai.

Bradbury is in fine form having finished 17th in Dubai in between a fifth-place finish at the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City and third last week in the defence of his Joburg Open title.

"To be honest I think it is the weather at this time of year," he said when asked why he thrived so much on playing in South Africa.

"It's just a nice time of year coming off the back of the finish to the Race to Dubai, there is not much pressure on so I am just going out there and playing golf.

"I'm very happy with the result of last week, but I probably didn't play my best stuff, especially on the greens and around the greens.

"So hopefully we can, we can keep the long game up and get the short game dialled in."

Bairstow (Hallowes) is in the field but Doncaster teenager Joshua Berry is a reserve and has to hope enough players pull out.

Alex Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire) is playing the Australian Open, looking to build on his 18th-place finish at last week’s season-opening Australian PGA.