The second half of the Desert Swing on the European Tour begins this week when a large contingent of players head to out to that part of the world for the second staging of the Oman Open, the latest event on the Race to Dubai.
Points and money are up for grabs this week and Joost Luiten took full advantage of that when he cleaned up here last year. He is here to defend the title in a field which lacks depth due to the big run of events in America at the present time.
Recent Winners
2018 – Joost Luiten
The Course
The wonderful looking Championship course at Al Mouj Golf in Oman is the venue for the second time this week. I really enjoyed watching the players take on this course last year. It is a par 72 measuring 7,365 yards but with the dry air it doesn’t play that long.
We saw last year that this is a paradise for the ball strikers. There is plenty of wasteland away from the middle of this track and water is in play on no fewer than 10 of the holes so control of the golf ball is paramount this week. It is a links course given its proximity to the coast so comfort in the wind is no bad thing either. This is a good test of golf.
The Field
Joost Luiten probably stands out as the headliner in this field given that he is the defending champion and probably the best man in it. Six other members of the world’s top 100 players have a tee time this week. They are the English pair of Ross Fisher and Chris Wood, French star Alex Levy, Belgian bomber Thomas Pieters, Justin Harding and Lucas Herbert.
The young brigade are also in the field this week and they are headed by Jordan Smith and Thomas Detry while Mike Lorenzo-Vera is getting every nearer an elusive tour win which he hopes will come here. Victor Dubuisson, Andy Sullivan, Nicolas Colsaerts and Pablo Larrazabal are forgotten men looking to get back on the winning scene here.
Market Leaders
The defending champion Joost Luiten heads the betting this week at 10/1. We were on him last year at 28/1 and I’m not sure the field is that bad that he should be a third of the price when he’s spent much of the time since then injured and is crossing a large number of time zones having played in Mexico last week. I’ll thank him for landing a punt last year but pass him over this time around.
You can never be truly surprised were Thomas Pieters to contend at this level, especially in fields of this kind, and he’ll be popular this week at 12/1 I’m sure. I’m just not convinced that this course plays to enough of his strengths for him to be a guarantee. I also get the feeling that he is teetering just below the edge of his best form so he isn’t for me this week either.
Alex Levy bounced back to form in Saudi Arabia in his last European Tour event and a fifth placed finish in a field of that quality should be perfect form for this lot so at 22/1 he is going to be very popular. The question mark comes on how well he’ll fare in the wind but he was fourth here last year and generally goes well in the desert. There is a lot to like about him.
Jordan Smith and Ross Fisher come joint fourth in the betting at 25/1. Smith has shown form in the desert over the last 12 months or so and could get himself into contention. At his best, Fisher would look an excellent bet around here but while he’s put up some solid efforts so far this season he doesn’t look to be firing on all cylinders it must be said. It is 33/1 bar those named.
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Main Bets
Alex Levy caught my eye with his run in Saudi Arabia and given that he was nowhere near Mexico last week I think he is the man to beat here. This course suits him down to a ground and he is extremely comfortable on these grasses which is often a difference maker in this part of the world. The Frenchman was fourth here last year and given how well he was hitting the ball right the way through the bag in Saudi Arabia I expect him to be contending here. I rate him with the leading chance this week so 22/1 is a perfectly acceptable price.
Chris Wood was the runner up around here last year when his putter went stone cold over the final nine holes but I’m going to take a chance on him here. I say take a chance, that is because this is first tournament since November so we are taking a bit of a risk that he isn’t carrying any rust but if he isn’t he should be a leading runner around here. There is enough freedom off the tee here that he should stay competitive and then there are few cleaner hitters with an iron than him. If he can get the putter going he shouldn’t be too far away.
Outsiders
Andrea Pavan was just outside the top 15 here last year and since then he has gone from strength to strength. He is one of the best ball strikers in Europe and was second on the European Tour in strokes gained on approach last season. That should bode well here because there is enough width on these fairways for him to remain on them and from there on in it is game on. He had top 10s in the Rocco Forte Open and Nordea Masters last term so we know he can handle the breeze in the air and with his extra confidence from winning last year I think he can be right in the mix.
Callum Shinkwin has bits of form around this track from his Challenge Tour days which bodes well. He was in the top 10 in the Vic Open last month and a couple of years back he should have won he Scottish Open so he is fine when the wind blows. He is solid enough from tee to green to get himself in position here and if the putter cooperates he should outrun his 80/1 quotes. He’s worthy of each way support.
Kirt Kitayama has already won around an exposed track this season when he ran a merry dance in the Mauritius Open and at 200/1 we can afford to take him this week to see if he can follow it up on a similar course here. He was flawless from the second shot in when he won in Mauritius and if he can have the irons dialled in like that this week and land a few putts there is nothing to suggest he can’t produce another big run.
Tips
Back A.Levy to win Oman Open (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 23.00 with BetVictor (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
Back C.Wood to win Oman Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Sky Bet (1/5 1-6)
Back A.Pavan to win Oman Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
Back C.Shinkwin to win Oman Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
WON – Back K.Kitayama to win Oman Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 201.00 with LeoVegas (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
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Very disappointed with Levy Kev. Would appear to have thrown the towel in when the conditions were against him, Look at Campillo, hit a 78 in the second round and is now joint leader. Best of luck with Katyamma….outstanding selection
Just when we thought the master couldn’t get better! Enter the hall of fame Kev. Outstanding 200/1 call and great logic to back it. Gutted I only had time to glance at the thread and ended up going for the first one I read(Levy) Hats off to the greatest golf tipster of all time.
Cheers mate. Echo your thoughts on Levy. Very disappointed in him, albeit not quite as much as I might have been! Undecided whether to go in on him again in the future or bang him on the blacklist for a while. One to ponder.