Golf Events / Editor / 10 September 2007 / Leave a Comment

Ian Poulter will head to Madrid on October 11 looking to defend the title he won last year and plenty of betting punters will be following the Englishman's progress closely.

The Ryder Cup star claimed a five-shot victory at the La Moraleja II coursein 2006, but the tournament returns to the Club de Campo venue this year and that is likely to affect Poulter's odds.

Betting punters should also be aware that there have been six different winners, from five different countries, since the tournament returned to the European Tour in 2001.

The Madrid Open has also produced two first-time Tour winners in recent years, Raphael Jacquelin (2005) and Richard Sterne (South Africa), and betting punters may feel that there could be another first time success this time around.

Those seeking a bet on a possible home victory should note that a Spanish player has not won the event since 1989, when Seve Ballesteros won the tournament for the third time.

At 6947-yards, the Club de Campo is not one of the longest courses with a strong field eyeing plenty of birdie opportunities in the final holes, which will have an impact on in-play odds.

When winning there in 2005, Jacquelin fired three rounds of 64 and did not card a bogey on the back-nine on all four days, with players and those having a bet likely to be expecting birdies late in the round.

With just four events to go after the Madrid Open, the event in the Spanish capital is likely to have a major bearing on the Order of Merit tussle.

Open champion Padraig Harrington is odds-on to top the money list, but the betting will hot up on the 'Top Four' finish market. The return to form of Lee Westwood could tempt punters into a bet on the man from Worksop.

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