Shenzhen International Tips: Each-way selections for this week's European Tour event

Editor
14 April 2015

Can Thomas Pieters come home in the first five at the Shenzhen International?

Thomas Pieters is a master with the big stick

Join

View market

Twitter

Facebook

After a brief stop in the US, where we picked up 66/1 Paul Casey for a Masters place, the each-way column continues its nomadic ways with a visit to China for the Shenzhen International...

Elsewhere on Betting.Betfair.

The Punter's RBC Heritage preview

*Each-way terms: ¼ odds, 5 places

Dan Geraghty: Back Thomas Pieters @ 67.066/1

With wide open fairways and forgiving rough, it's likely the driving distance leaders will have an advantage this week in China and Bubba Watson is not the only powerhouse making his Genzon GC debut; big hitting Belgian Thomas Pieters also tees it up at Genzon GC. And while Bubba is making the trek straight from a gruelling week at Augusta, Pieters has spent the last fortnight practicing at home in Belgium, following the first missed cut of his sophomore European tour season at the Trophee Hassan II. Twenty-three year old Pieters currently sits 35th on the Race to Dubai after starting the season with consecutive top 10's, he looks a nice price 67.066/1 on a course that should suit.

Paul Krishnamurty: Back Nicolas Colsaerts @ 34.033/1

This week's conditions could not be better set up for Nicolas Colsaerts. The Belgian Bomber will love the wide fairways and lack of penal rough. He's got a stack of form in China, most notably winning and finishing second in the 2011 and 2012 China Opens, and he was sixth on his last visit in a much stronger BMW Masters field. Ignore his missed cut on this course last year, as Colsaerts' game was in crisis at the time, as he struggled to cope with the transition to the PGA Tour. This year he hasn't done anything extraordinary, but he's made every cut and returned to his familiar position near the top of both driving distance and greens in regulation categories.

Joe Dyer: Back Romain Wattel @ 34.033/1

In 118 European Tour events Romain Wattel is yet to cross the line first, but he's come very close and an encouraging run of form suggests this could be his time. After a very promising 2014 which included eight top-10s, the Frenchman switched to Nike equipment over the winter and clearly took a while to get accustomed to his new gear but a second place finish last time out, and a seventh in February's Indian Open, show him to be in good nick. Wattel is long enough to contend this week and has some promising results on courses that correspond with this week's venue, including a sixth at the 2014 BMW Masters. I can sense another big week for the classy 24-year-old and am happy to have him on board at 33/1.

Steven Rawlings: Back Alvaro Quiros @ 67.066/1

Alvaro Quiros talked at length about this venue before last year's Volvo China Open, so it was quite clear he'd done his homework and it paid off. He led after round one and spent the week in-contention before just coming up shy on Sunday - eventually finishing third behind Alexander Levy. His big concern before that event was his poor putting and that's my big issue here. Dogged by injury, Quiros has had a couple of frustrating years but he has definitely shown signs of coming back to form and if he can have a better week on the greens than he's had in a while, I can see him contending again on a course he clearly likes.

Mike Norman: Back Andy Sullivan @ 34.033/1

Andy Sullivan's recent form is a concern, but perhaps not surprising following a tremendous start to his season. The likeable Englishman has won twice on the European Tour already in 2015 as well as recording an excellent top five finish in the high-class Dubai Desert Classic. He has since missed three cuts on the spin, but doesn't look to have played too badly in that time with a few 71s and a 72 still signed for. Bubba Watson being in the field this week means that we're now getting 33/1 about Sullivan when in previous - Bubba apart - similar strength tournaments he was no bigger than 20/1. The 28-year-old finished top-10 at this venue in the Volvo China Open last year; he seems a better player now and he's given a chance to bounce back to form.

Year to date P/L: +£545.41

- US Masters, Paul Casey @ 66/1 - PLACE (Romilly)
- Thailand Classic, Andrew Dodt @ 100/1 - WON (Paul)
- Malaysian Open, Anirban Lahiri @ 66/1 - WON (Dan)
- DD Classic, Stephen Gallacher @ 25/1 - PLACE (Steve)

*Total P/L for 2014: +£251.75