We're well into golf's silly season, but this week's Nedbank Challenge has at least attracted a top-class field, no doubt attracted by the carrot of a $1.2million first prize.

Sergio Garcia, having won the recent HSBC Champions Trophy victory, is quite rightly favourite at 11/4 (Paddy Power, Chandler) for this annual event in Sun City, South Africa. He's just about the hottest player on the planet right now and has already won twice at the Gary Player Country Club, where this is staged. The new world No.2 will be many people's idea of the winner this week, but I can't get too excited about his price, and there's some tasty odds on offer on some of his rivals.

Robert Karlsson (7/1 Stan James) and Henrik Stenson (7/1 bet365), fresh from teaming up to win the World Cup for Sweden on Sunday, are obvious dangers. Of the two, though, I'd much rather be on Stenson as he's gone on record as saying he "absolutely loves South Africa", and rates the course as "one of my favourites anywhere in the world". He had a stunning day four back nine in China, which included a superb chip-in on the 14th, so Stenson at 7/1 is a no-brainer for me.

Lee Westwood, general fourth favourite at 15/2 (Skybet), is making his first competitive appearance since the Volvo Masters and might need this to blow the cobwebs away, while Luke Donald (22/1 totesport) will surely need the run after six months on the sidelines with a wrist injury. He's only in the field due to the 11th-hour withdrawal of Anthony Kim, whose defection leaves Kenny Perry (20/1 Boylesports) as the only American in the line-up.

There's a trio of South Africans in the field headed by defending champion Trevor Immelman (12 Betfair), James Kington, the complete rag at 40/1 (general), and Rory Sabbatini. The latter has had a poor year by his own standards, but he was a respectable fifth on his debut here last year and did help South African to seventh place last week, so he makes plenty of each way appeal at Ladbroke's 16/1 - especially as we can get place terms of 1/4 odds, three places in his limited field of 12.

Of the rest, Justin Rose (12/1 Chandler) has lost the plot recently, while Korean raider KJ Choi (16/1 sportingbet) is seeing the layout for the first time. Miguel Angel Jimenez (20/1 Paddy Power) is surely due a rest.

Recommended Bets:

Henrik Stenson 2pts @ 7/1 bet365
Rory Sabbatini 1pt each way @ 16/1 Ladbrokes (1/4 odds, 1.2.3)
(starts 9.00am UK time on Thursday)