Mallorca Golf Open Each-Way Tips: Aphibarnrat has another win in him

• Kiradech Aphibarnrat can rediscover winning touch
• Near-miss last year can inspire Sebastian Soderberg
• Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez likes playing at home

Main Bet: Kiradech Aphibarnrat 1pt each-way @ 50/1

The DP World Tour's efforts to steer a LIV Golf-free path through its autumn Iberian Swing is beginning to resemble the attempts of someone to remain stain-free at La Tomatina, the annual Spanish festival otherwise known as an enormous tomato fight.

Admittedly, in the first week, the traditionalist Jon Rahm claimed the Open de Espana, but he also congratulated his compatriot Eugenio Lopez Chacarra, the 23-year-old who had pocketed $4 million overnight thanks to winning the LIV event in Bangkok.

Last week it got worse as occasional LIV performer Adrian Otaegui led by six with 18 holes to play and then claimed the win with an unaltered margin at Valderrama in the Andalucia Masters.

All the while, Sergio Garcia was making news by missing the deadline for this week's Mallorca Golf Open and with it he appears to have brought to a close his Ryder Cup record book (because he now cannot fulfil the minimum appearances required).

Messy stuff as the circuit flies to the Balearic Islands to play the Son Muntaner course at the Arabella Resort, a par 71 which play a touch under 7,000 yards, and the field is the weakest of the three Spanish stops that precede the Portugal Masters.

Indeed, the number of recent top 10 finishes among those teeing it up is notably low. The flipside of that is that it represents opportunity - for the players and also for punters.

First pick, Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, is among those to have recently landed a top 10.

His came at Club de Campo Villa Madrid in the Open de Espana two weeks ago when he carded a 63 to tie the first round lead and then hung around for eighth.

Last week he had a very different Thursday, lurching around Valderrama in 80.

He responded with a 68 which only nine of the field bettered. It was not enough to make the cut but it suggests the form is still largely heading in the right direction.

Ahead of this month in Iberia, Aphibarnrat was second at halfway in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship and 12th in the Italian Open. Otherwise, a bit like Valderrama, he's been carding low scores but tripping himself up with bad ones.

He's in a tricky spot having lost his PGA Tour card and now facing losing his DP World Tour playing rights.

The challenge of keeping both has had him playing a lot of golf yet he's also driven to improve on his current position of 164th this side of the Atlantic.

After that swift start in Madrid he said: "It's been a while since I played great golf. I've struggled the last two or three years and all I know is I am so tired.

"It might be the most difficult year that I've spent in my ten years on the DP World Tour. I am just putting everything I've got into the last few weeks to see how I go."

A four-time winner on the circuit, he also won at home in December last year - a reminder that he's good under the gun.

Next Best: Sebastian Soderberg 1pt each-way @ 80/1

If Aphibarnrat might be fuelled by need this week, second pick Sebastian Soderberg might be hoping to right a few wrongs.

This time last year the Swede stood on the 17th tee at Valderrama in the final round of the Andalucia Masters leading the event. His tee shot found the trees and he finished second.

A week later, still a big price, this column tipped him in this event and he was again in the final round mix, again coming up shy in second.

This season he has added another second at The Belfry in the British Masters, contended at Bernardus in the Dutch Open and flew home on a wet sail when 14th in the European Masters at Crans (where he claimed his first win in 2019).

There's little else in recent times but he likes this neck of the woods.

He's won in Spain on the third tier, his first second tier top 10 was in Madrid, his first main tour top five on an Iberian island (Madeira).

Final Bet: Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez 1pt each-way @ 66/1

Final selection Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez is another who has played plenty of good golf on the peninsula.

He's a third tier Alps Tour winner in his home country at Cabanillas in Guadalajara, the first time he threatened to win on the Challenge Tour was at Tecina in the Canary Islands (a course he played well often), he was second in the Open de Portugal on a resort course, and three of his last five top 10s on main tour have been in Spain or Portugal.

He's made his last five cuts and has been threatening to land something better than last week's best of 14th at Valderrama (when three of his four rounds were sub-70).

He was fifth at halfway in the Italian Open, 11th heading into the final lap of the Dunhill Links, had a second round 64 and was 13th with 18 holes to play in Madrid.

And of all those starts this one is the most suitable.

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