The circus moves to Johannesburg this week and another Jack Nicklaus designed golf course, this one the centrepiece of Steyn City ‘an international award-winning residential lifestyle estate’.

According to the facility’s website, the course features “18 holes, 74 bunkers, several water features, wide immaculate fairways, year-round green surface and GPS enabled carts”.

One gets the feeling top flight competitive golf might not have been top of mind when this course was laid out despite the apparent comparisons to Augusta National by Sunshine Tour Commissioner Thomas Abt.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Inaugural Event.

COURSE: Not dissimilar to last week’s venue at Pecanwood, Steyn City is a Jack Nicklaus residential estate course designed less for touring professionals than double digit handicappers.

RIGHT: Last week's winner in South Africa Pablo Larrazabal is back in action again this week at Steyn City. PHOTO: Warren Little/Getty Images.

Given that, we are likely to see similar low scoring to last week where 22-under-par was only good enough to make a play-off.

While this is the first time the course has hosted a field of this calibre, it did feature on the Sunshine Tour in 2018 and 23-under was the winning score then. For 54 holes.

While plenty long enough at a shade over 7,000 metres, that will likely do little to contain the birdies with large, well-presented greens making for easy targets at this level.

It’s a style of golf that doesn’t suit all players where birdies feel like pars and pars like bogeys, a different but perhaps more strangling pressure than courses set up to play difficult.

PRIZEMONEY: EUR$1,500,000

PLAYERS TO WATCH: There was a good mix of international stars and local talent fighting for the title last week and more of the same can be expected at Steyn City.

The seasoned veterans who have survived years on the European circuit bring a level of experience that is incalculable while the local talent has the benefit of home ground knowledge, a compelling battle to watch unfold.

All three combatants from last week’s playoff are in the field but it will be difficult to continue that level of play for a second straight week.

However, the player who finished one shot out of the play-off but might still be dangerous is five-time European Tour winner George Coetzee.

He raced up the leaderboard with a Sunday 64 and with that sort of form and confidence – and as a proven winner at this – level he will like his chances this week.

Fellow South African Hennie Du Plessis faded on Sunday after sharing the lead through 54 holes but has the advantage of being a former winner at this course.

Du Plessis won the only previous professional event held here in 2018 and while it is a step up in class his play through the opening three rounds last week suggests he has the tools to mix it at this level.

AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Scott Hend, Jason Scrivener and Maverick Antcliff.

TV TIMES*

Round 1: Thursday (Fox Sports 503 9.30pm –2.30am)
Round 2: Friday (Fox Sports 503 9.30pm – 2.30am)
Round 3: Saturday (Fox Sports 503 10pm – 2.30am)
Round 4: Sunday (Fox Sports 503 9.30pm – 2am)
*AEDT, check local guides