There is a new event on the European Tour this week as the tour builds up to its flagship event next week. Before we get to Wentworth though we head to the Sicilian coast for The Rocco Forte Open, a fully-fledged Tour event with all the usual prizes, rewards and benefits.
We will find our first winner of the tournament this week but the course has been used on the European Tour before having hosted the Sicilian Open back in 2012. Thorbjorn Olesen won that tournament.
The Course
The Verdura Golf Club along the coast of Sicily is the venue for this tournament. It has been described as a links like test of golf and that is fairly easy to appreciate when you see the many picturesque snaps being shared on social media by many of those who are involved this week.
The course is a par 71 which measures 7,217 yards so it isn’t overly long as a whole but four of the par fours are in excess of 470 yards so there are some long elements to it. The fairways are said to be very narrow and the rough is up this week so there looks to be a real premium on accuracy so we’re looking for accurate hitters who play well in the wind.
The Field
It is understandable after a huge event in America last week and a massive one on the European Tour next week that we have a pretty weak field in Italy this week. That said there are tournament winners in the field in the likes of James Morrison, Matteo Manassero, Haotong Li and last week’s winner Matt Wallace.
Market Leaders
The weakness of the field is highlighted by the fact Jordan Smith is an 18/1 favourite this week. He is a talented player for sure but as good as he will be I’m not interested at that price even allowing for how weak the field is.
James Morrison is the second favourite to win the tournament. He can be backed at 22/1 and as a more prolific tournament winner I wouldn’t put anyone off him. Haotong Li is a touch bigger at 25/1 and he too already has European Tour success to his name. Matteo Manassero is the same price and well fancied. It is 33/1 bar.
Main Bet
This isn’t the best field so my bets are largely going to be at decent prices but I will take one from among the favourites in the market and that is the man who is probably the home favourite in Matteo Manassero. Whenever accuracy is needed the young Italian is often high up on a list and we know he plays well at this time of year as he won the BMW PGA Championship a few seasons ago.
Manassero looked to have his game in decent order at the recent GolfSixes event and having been in the top five in the Scottish Open last season we know he can handle the links conditions. At 25/1 if his putter gets hot he could lead these a merry dance.
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Outsiders
I’m going with three at much bigger prices. They all relish the tight tests and the windy conditions so they should be at home around this track and should give good accounts of themselves.
Edoardo Molinari won in Morocco recently and held himself together very nicely in that tournament. Although that wasn’t a links event it was on an exposed track and having won twice we know he is proficient in windy conditions. Molinari should have played a lot of golf on courses like this and at 66/1 he’s an obvious pick now that he is back hitting it well.
I took Tom Lewis last week and he put up a fair showing and with that in mind I’ll go in on him again. I don’t really need to add to what I eluded to last week although if anything these seaside conditions could suit him even better so at 80/1 he’s another obvious pick for me.
Hitting fairways looks to be the key around here so I’m going to take a chance that Ben Evans can continue to do that. Evans is one of the best fairway finders on the European Tour and he arrives here off the back of a top 10 where he led the field from tee to green. This field isn’t much better than last week so he should be capable of a decent week here.
Tips
Back M.Manassero to win The Rocco Forte Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back E.Molinari to win The Rocco Forte Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back T.Lewis to win The Rocco Forte Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-6)
Back B.Evans to win The Rocco Forte Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-6)
Back them here:
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