It is one of the biggest events of the year on the European Tour this week as the fifth running of the Made in Denmark takes place in Silkeborg. Usually this event might not capture the imagination and the spotlight but it is the last counting event for the European Ryder Cup team and there is a three way shootout for the last automatic spot in Paris.
Thorbjorn Olesen is currently in control of his own destiny but he will fall out of the side should Eddie Pepperell or Matt Fitzpatrick win the tournament. Other players such as Thomas Pieters and Martin Kaymer will be looking for big weeks to catch the eye for a wildcard.
Recent Winners
2017 – Julian Suri
2016 – Thomas Pieters
2015 – David Horsey
2014 – Marc Warren
The Course
After four years at the wonderful Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort we move to the Silkeborg Ry Golf Club for one year before it moves back to Himmerland next year. On the face of it the course looks like it is going to be gettable. It is a par 72 which measures just 6,952 yards and the longest par five is 558 yards so I’m expecting a low scoring week.
Usually courses in Scandinavia will be protected by juicy rough but the summer has been so dry there is none of that here. The course is treelined which will offer some help and the greens are undulated but even so the better players should come to the fore in a low scoring week.
The Field
We are guaranteed a different champion this week because Julian Suri doesn’t defend the title. Thorbjorn Olesen would love it to be him as he headlines the field in his home land. All eyes will be on him, Matt Fitzpatrick and Eddie Pepperell over the four days as that battle for the Ryder Cup spot intensifies.
Thomas Pieters joins major winners Martin Kaymer, Danny Willett and John Daly in the field while the likes of Lee Westwood, Soren Kjeldsen, Adrian Otaegui and Matthew Southgate add further class to those teeing up on what should be a big week of action.
Market Leaders
Thorbjorn Olesen is the favourite to win the tournament. I just wonder if he will revert to watching his two Ryder Cup rivals the longer the weekend goes on, especially if he falls a couple of shots behind. That would put me off backing him at 8/1 even though he is the best player in the field over the past year or so. The home crowds should be no bad thing either. He’s just not quite for me.
Thomas Pieters is a former winner of this tournament albeit on a different course to the one he will be playing on this week. That said few are in the form that he is heading into this tournament and on a course where he won’t need to hit many drivers unless they suit his eye you’ve got to think he could be the man to beat here. Although he can’t qualify for the Ryder Cup team by right you get the feeling a big week here will have him in Paris and there is no bigger motivation than that.
Matthew Fitzpatrick is another who needs no extra motivation to perform this week. His equation is pretty simple. Win and he’s in and that clarity in his mind may well help him focus on the task ahead. He has good form on tree lined courses which offers a little hope but my gut feeling is that he is just a trifle short for his form especially in light of the fact winning is everything this week.
Eddie Pepperell is 22/1 to win this week. I don’t think the Ryder Cup picture will take too much out of him but I’m not convinced this is the sort of track he is going to win on. That said he has been going well in Europe in recent times and if he gets in the hunt he probably won’t go away. His price feels about right if not a little on the short side. It is 30/1 bar.
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Main Bets
I’m all over Thomas Pieters this week. I wouldn’t normally play at 12/1 but with the three other clear standout players in the field all having their eye on the Ryder Cup prize I think the Belgian is worth taking here. He hits it long so he will have all of the par 5s covered and will be firing short irons into them and more importantly he is playing well so his confidence will be high and he can get aggressive with the putter. We saw at Himmerland the year he won that he can eat up these shorter courses. At 12/1 I’ll pay to see if he does that here.
I’ve been waiting to take Danny Willett for a while and although next week is the more obvious place to do it in he’ll be much shorter there with his record on the track so I’m going to take the chance that his big week comes here instead. There is no doubt Willett is on the up and having won on the treelined track in Switzerland in the past there is no reason why he won’t go well here. If he can get hot with the putter early doors he has every right to be dangerous at a perfectly acceptable price.
Outsiders
Thomas Aiken has had enough time to get over losing in the playoff to Paul Waring in the Nordea Masters a couple of weeks ago and he can go again here. We saw in that tournament both how well he is hitting the ball and also how nicely he is scoring. When push came to shove in the play-off he was found wanting but he’ll come on for that experience and on a course which should play into his hands nicely, his return to form is more than encouraging enough to take him at a big price.
JB Hansen has been finding some good form on the Challenge Tour and while that is the level below this one there is no substitute for getting the ball in the hole in good time no matter how good the quality of opposition is. In fairness to him he has played four European Tour events in 2018 and has finished in the top 20 in all of them. Admittedly they have been second string events with weak fields but there aren’t an abundance of stars here this week. He stats well here and is worthy of support.
Tips
Back T.Pieters to win Made in Denmark (e/w) for a 2/10 stake at 13.00 with Unibet (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
Back D.Willett to win Made in Denmark (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back J-B.Hansen to win Made in Denmark (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back them here:
Back T.Aiken to win Made in Denmark (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
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