Golf Events / Tareq Quiroz / 26 March 2008 /

TQ fancies a victory for resurgent Dane with honourable mentions for a local boy and ageing outsider

The European Tour finally makes it to mainland Europe this week as the south coast of Spain plays host to the Valle Romano Open. For many players this will signal the real start of their playing schedule and they will be hoping that the return to Europe provides the catalyst for a successful year.

The Aloha GC in Andalucia is the picturesque setting for the renewal of the tournament that was played for the first time last year. At under 6,900 yards this is a short course that concentrates more on accuracy than brute power. In perfect conditions last year it proved to be no test at all for Europe's top players as Lee Westwood captured the title with an impressive winning score of 20 under par. Early weather forecasts suggest slightly trickier conditions this year but I still expect it to be very much a birdie course.

Defending champion Westwood heads the market and at current odds of [10.5] represents fair value for his chances. There would also be good chances for birdie machine Martin Kaymer, if recovered from his illness, and honorary club member Jimenez. However, my main fancy this week is Thomas Bjorn. The Dane has had a fairly mediocre run since his spat with Ian Woosnam prior to the 2006 Ryder Cup. But there have been signs in recent weeks that his game is coming together and also his demeanour around the course has improved dramatically. He will also be helped by a favourable three-ball pairing with Anders Hansen and Peter Hanson. An excellent sixth here last year will give him the confidence to attack the course and at current odds of [26.0] he is a great bet.

The local fans will be expecting a big showing from the huge amount of Spaniards taking part in this event and I am sure at least one of them will give them a run for their money. It is great to see Olazabal back and of course Jimenez is well fancied but neither of them catches my eye. I expect Spain's biggest challenge to come from Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. Seventh in this event last year showed he has a liking for the course. Gonzo is a two-time winner on tour and should he get into contention he certainly knows how to close out the deal. Get on him at odds of around [60.0] and you will not be disappointed.

Most weeks there are a group of players that I keep an eye on for signs of form and others that I follow at big prices for trading opportunities. This week the man with the dubious honour of being my main outsider pick is David Frost. Hardly a prolific winner Frost has never racked up the amount of wins his talent deserved. Now in his late 40s he seems to be showing a renewed desire for the game, possibly spurred on by the thought of joining a lucrative Seniors Tour next year. He can still mix it with the big boys on his day though and at [250.0] he is a great bet for small stakes.

As I alluded to earlier I feel that the two- or three-ball pairing players are given often contribute to the level of performance of certain golfers. You have to remember that these guys are no different to anybody else in so much as that they like some people and not others. It's not just personality either, you generally find that quick players hate to play with slow methodical players. Where possible try and pick up gossip on who are mates with who on tour and it may just help you keep ahead of the rest in this information crazy world.

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