Dutch Open Each-Way Tips: Rafa can enjoy another cheery Kyle show

Matt Cooper
23 May 2022
4:00 min read

Cabrera Bello is looking for a second win inside a year.

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The DP World Tour returns to Bernardus GC this week for the Dutch Open and Matt Cooper has three selections with the Betfair Sportsbook paying seven places...

"He has a great fondness for a Kyle Phillips test: he won the Scottish Open on one (at Dundonald Links) and was second on another (Yas Links) in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at the start of the year."
Rafa Cabrera Bello 1pt each-way @ 81.080/1

Main Bet: Rafa Cabrera Bello 1pt each-way @ 80/1

Glance down the list of winners of the Dutch Open and the eye is understandably drawn to the likes of Severiano Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie - the greats of European golf.

Victories for Payne Stewart and Scott Hoch in the 1990s also intrigue.

But Tobias Dier's triumph 20 years ago? Quickly forgotten, a name that now means little to most, confined to the dustbin of time. And yet ...

And yet it's a pity because, although it will garner little attention in this 50th anniversary year of the DP World Tour, Dier's tale is among the most remarkable in its history.

In fact, in his own way the German was a phenomenon.

Late in 2001 the rookie had won the circuit's North West of Ireland Open smack bang in the middle of a run of 11 missed cuts.

Twelve months later he arrived in the Netherlands in, ahem, dire form again: no top 40 since the win, no sub-70 first round score in 16 starts.

Those of us who punt on this sport dream of coming across a nugget that allows us to land a huge win so here's a question.

Had you discovered that Dier holed out for an albatross-2 on the 18th hole in the Pro-Am, a shot that confirmed to him that the work he had been doing on his swing was heading in the right direction, would you have acted on it? It's unlikely.

And yet next day he stood in the middle of that same par-5 fairway needing an eagle for a 59. He only made for 60 but he had a five-shot lead (he'd hit every green in regulation and given himself a par-breaking putt from inside 13-feet on the first 14 holes).

Would there, however, have been a cavalry charge to lay him, confident that his performance throughout the rest of the week would regress to mean? Possibly.

But he still led by three heading into the final round and converted the win, keeping Sunday playing partner Padraig Harrington at bay with the likes of top 15 finishers Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Nick Faldo unable to catch him.

Two wins in two years on tour yet guess what? That was it. He never registered another top 20. After the first win he played 101 times on the main tour, made 29 cuts, just 10 top 50s and only one further top 25 - the second win.

I spoke to him a few years ago and he was wonderfully sanguine and honest about his career. "When I was good, I was very good," he said. "And when I was bad, I was very bad. There was nothing in-between.

"When I had the chance to win I took it so that feels good, but my consistency? It was never good enough."

His win came at the much-missed Hilversum, a Harry Colt gem between the trees and by the coast.

This event has visited modern designs in recent times and last year's trip to Bernardus, repeated this week, was easily the most fun to watch (and I suspect play).

Architect Kyle Phillips was presented with a lovely property boasting sandy turf, gorse, pine trees and a distinct heathland vibe. Such creations often fail to live up to the hype, but this one didn't.

We went with heathland (and other Phillips tracks) as prompts and had the excitement of 100/1 shot Marcus Helligkilde sitting in the top two most of the week until a dodgy back nine on Sunday.

I was doubly frustrated last year that I never selected Richard Mansell, the Englishman who plays at Beau Desert which is a little piece of Sunningdale near Stafford.

He placed that week and is in decent nick with four top 30s on the bounce - alas, the compilers have reduced his price this time. An opportunity missed.

I'm still keen on three decent prices, however, and first up was a winner at this level just nine months ago in the Open de Espana - Rafa Cabrera Bello.

That ability to win is one element behind the selection.

Another is that he has a great fondness for a Kyle Phillips test: he won the Scottish Open on one (at Dundonald Links) and was second on another (Yas Links) in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at the start of the year.

Both of them, like this week, were on fast-running turf and homages to the past.

There's no getting away from the fact that he's had a poor time of it since that week in the Middle East (just four cuts made in nine and no top 30) but that win last year came in a similar stretch.

I'll happily take this price against this field on a track that could easily suit.

adrian otaegui golfer.jpg

Next Best: Adrian Otaegui 1pt each-way @ 28/1

We'll stick with the Spaniards for the next best and that's Adrian Otaegui.

He's in a decent vein of form this season, playing eight weekends in his last nine, with three top five finishes and he was T15th last time out.

He didn't play this event last year but he was second at Vallda in the Scandinavian Mixed, really could have won it, and it proved a decent pointer for Bernardus, possibly because it was another modern design that venerated heathland golf.

Otaegui has also won at Fairmont St Andrews - a modern fast-running course - and Rinkven - which is not quite heathland but has visual similarities.

Final Bet: Joachim B. Hansen 1pt each-way @ 50/1

Finally, I am going to hope that Joachim B. Hansen is ready to throw off his 2022 funk.

He claimed a second win at this level in late 2021 and his season has played plenty of weekends, but has only once push on to nab a top five, in the Steyn City Championship.

But he was top 15 at halfway last time out and that's what I'm holding onto because I've always had the Dane pegged for this type of test: fast-running, heathland and perhaps even modern version of it.

He's been third at Castle Stuart, seventh at Lake Karrinyup, twice fifth and second at Spey Valley, seventh at Pleneuf, sixth and winner at Randpark, fourth at Club de Campo, seventh at Wentworth.

He was also sixth at Vallda and T22nd here last year.

* Having difficulty working out the place returns? Fret no more - you can easily work out your returns with our new each way calculator.