Made in Himmerland Each-Way Tips: Catlin can be Prince of Denmark

Main Bet: John Catlin 1pt each-way @ 40/1

The presence - the strong presence - of Matt Wallace on the leaderboard last week was intriguing.

Back in 2018, when he was so impressive in presenting his claims for a Ryder Cup nod from the European captain Thomas Bjorn, he was also rather shrewd in selling himself as someone with a more or less perfect record under the cosh.

The Englishman's ability to promote this image (albeit Bjorn didn't quite fall for it) was key to his general success that year.

Not least because many of his peers believed it. I spoke to one later that year who bemoaned his own inability to convert an opportunity to win with the words "Matt Wallace would have lifted the trophy".

I countered that Wallace is, in fact, not much different to other golfers and tends to need the sniff of a win before he claims one.

His first win on the third tier Alps Tour? It came after a fast-finishing third and a week in which he contended without winning (and his victory in the end-of-year Grand Final came after two events when he got in the mix without success).

His breakthrough in a European and Challenge Tour co-sanctioned event in 2017? It came two appearances after he had a 54-hole lead and finished third.

On Twitter last week that someone wrote that in 2018 Wallace "won every time he was in the hunt". It's true that he was exceptionally good, eventually landing three wins, but after the first win he also fluffed his lines in China having led so he wasn't quite 100%.

None of this is criticism. Wallace is very good because he gets in the mix many times, he isn't afraid of doing so and he is resilient. He also learns lessons when it doesn't go right, and he has the funny knack of conning everyone into believing the lessons never happen; that he's just born to win (which helps when he's up against less combative characters).

All of which is a long-winded way of saying that history suggests that he will use last week's play-off defeat (he was beaten by this column's tip Thriston Lawrence) to his advantage very soon.

The Made in Himmerland looks a good chance for him, coming in a tournament he won during that glory season four years ago.

I'm tempted, but he won on another course and this column's brief is to chase each way value. Currently, Wallace is bleeping on the radar rather than flying under it.

Instead, this week's first selection is the American John Catlin.

The last two renewals of this event have been won by Bernd Wiesberger, the Austrian who has also finished first, second and fifth at Diamond Country Club in Vienna (in fact he's 6-for-7 at finishing top 15).

Scotland's Marc Warren has won at both courses and so has Sweden's Mikael Lundberg.

England's Dave Horsey has finished first and second at Himmerland, and second, seventh and ninth at Diamond.

And Catlin? He was eighth at Diamond on debut in 2020 and this column's pick when winning the 2021 Austrian Open there.

Moreover, while I like this course link, I also like that when he played this layout for the first (and only previous) time in 2019 he was T12th, opening with a 67 and closing with a 66.

Since winning three times in 13 starts either side of New Year 2021, he's not quite touched those heights, but he was tied fourth in the Irish Open and T13th in the ISPS Handa World Invitational two starts ago.

He was second heading into the final round at Galgorm Castle in the latter and that could work well for him, reigniting the memories of what it takes to win.

He is also a past winner at Galgorm so it's a reminder that he repeats his best golf at tracks he likes.

Next Best: Ewen Ferguson 1pt each-way @ 40/1

Let's maintain the theme and talk more about how getting close to a win without crossing the line first can be a positive if dealt with correctly.

Back in March Ewen Ferguson admitted that he became flustered when holding a four-shot 54-hole lead in the Kenya Open. "I just found it really difficult, all the pressure and stuff," he told The Scotsman.

"I didn't sleep much, just thinking about it. I couldn't believe I was leading by four. But, you know what, we move on, go again. I'll try to get myself in the same position and hopefully deal with it a bit better."

He was as good as his word. Four starts later he got another sniff and put the learning to good use, winning the Qatar Masters.

He contended the Cazoo Open three starts ago but couldn't quite get over the line. No bother, he won the ISPC Handa Invitational a week later.

Last week he missed the cut which isn't the most surprising response to a win and I'm surprised that a two-time winner this season can be backed at this price.

He has no course experience but it's not the trickiest spot and, for what it's worth, he has good Danish vibes.

He missed the cut on his debut in the nation but has been fifth and second since (all on the second tier) and was the 54-hole leader both times.

Final Bet: Joachim B. Hansen 1pt each-way @ 100/1

Finally, I can't resist local man Joachim B. Hansen.

I had him on the shortlist because he was a course winner on the Challenge Tour in 2018 and he arrested an appalling run of form with T14th last week in Crans.

That result was not the result of just one good round but two - a 65 in the second round and 64 on Sunday.

But I expected it to have flagged him up.

I thought the likely dip in price, plus a ropey record on the course in this tournament (four missed cuts at T41st), would put me off.

However, three figures is a very welcome surprise. True, we're dealing with snippets of hope, but he is also a recent two-time winner (in late 2020 and late 2021).

(I think this final factor is a fluke but his last 20 starts in the final four months of the year on this circuit? 14 top 25s, five of them top sevens, two wins.)

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