Golf Events / Tareq Quiroz / 27 May 2009 / Leave a Comment

There's a buzz about the European tour at the moment and a quality field at the London Golf Club will make for a compelling contest, says Tareq Quiroz.

With European golf flying at the moment, there's no better time for the European Open.

The feel good factor is strong throughout Europe, especially amongst English players and even Brian Davis was getting in on the act last week. I certainly can't recall any week where the favourites for both the European and PGA Tours were English.

First and second at Wentworth last week Paul Casey and Ross Fisher are the men in the spotlight. I like Casey's chances in the US but it is the European Open where I am concentrating my attention this week.

The Course

Seen for the first time in the European Open last year, The London Golf Club is back for another viewing. This Jack Nicklaus designed course impressed many neutrals last season as a top class field put it to the test. The tournament had a rather strange feel to it as the majority of the field really struggled but Ross Fisher made it look like he was playing a pitch and putt track. But that was a one off and we should expect a far closer affair this year. The two keys to look at if you are playing in-running are the four par fives and the closing three holes. The par fives are all pretty easy in good conditions and can be reached in two comfortably. The closing three holes are not to be taken lightly and many a decent round will come crashing down in these three brutal tests.

The Favourite

The obvious favourite is last year's winner Ross Fisher. He was one of the most impressive winners in any event last season and he will fancy a follow up victory. I would have been a little sceptical of his chances but for last week's fine performance. It was only a sterling effort from world number three Paul Casey that kept him from the prestigious BMW PGA Champs title. If he can bring that form into this week then he is most definitely the man to beat. My main worry is the pressure he will be under. He is in a great field that contains Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Angel Cabrera and Lee Westwood to name just a few. I believe that will be too much for him to cope with and as a result he has to be overlooked at odds as short as [12.5].

The Next Best Bets

I am not straying too far from the top of the market for my main pick this week. I have been reluctant to jump in too soon with Sergio Garcia this season but he looks primed for success. There has been so much talk about his putting woes but more concerning for me was that this was starting to affect his long game. He may only have come twenty 22nd at the Players Championship but he had a couple of rounds where he struck the ball beautifully and for a change he putted very well indeed. He finished runner-up here last year and it is interesting to see him back here for one of his European Tour events. I expect him to make the trip count and I imagine him being in the front line from the start. He is currently trading at [16.0] and that is easily the stand out bet of the top runners.

The Massive Outsider

It is the time of the year when there are plenty of major qualifiers going on early in the week. Monday and Tuesday of this week saw players all over the world trying to qualify for the US Open and also The Open. Playing in these events is a huge boost for those who didn't gain automatic entry. One man who impressed with his US Open qualification on Tuesday was Raphael Jacquelin. The Frenchman was in great form and will come into this event full of confidence. He was second in the Italian Open and is a must my staking plan at odds of [200.0].

Another outsider worth a punt is Swede Peter Hanson. He came through a tense play-off to get into the US Open when he notched a hole-in-one. Impressive stuff from a player who came sixth here last year. He would be worth a saver this week at odds of [120.0].

Interesting Info

There have been hole in ones galore at this event with three in 2007. Most of them were at the K Club though so we shouldn't hold our breath for an ace this week. This event also has a history of wire to wire winners with four in the last twenty years. Ross Fisher showed how it is done last year so don't discount any early pacesetters.

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comment: