The DP World Tour is in Europe for the final time this season this week when the Andalucia Masters is played out in Spain on a week where those who are yet to secure their playoff spot will be looking for a big four days to push for qualification for the last two tournaments.
Adrian Meronk was the winner of this tournament last season but he has since left and joined LIV Golf so he won’t be around to attempt to defend the title. That means we are guaranteed a different champion this week.
Recent Winners
2023 – Adrian Meronk
2022 – Adrian Otaegui
2021 – Matthew Fitzpatrick
2020 – John Catlin
2019 – Christiaan Bezuidenhout
2018 – Sergio Garcia
2017 – Sergio Garcia
The Course
We head off to the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande for the tournament this week. This course hosted this tournament for the first time last year. The track underwent a huge overhaul and only reopened in 2016 but there have been no changes since last year. It is a par 72 which measures 7,099 yards so it certainly isn’t very long and with the fairways fairly wide here this feels like it is going to be very much a second shot and in sort of test for the players on show this week.
The greens are quite fast and on the large side so accurate iron shots are going to be key, particularly as the surfaces are protected by a number of bunkers which could cause issues if the ball makes its way into them. As you would expect with a Spanish track a short game is going to be required to get the job done around here. You would expect this will be a low scoring event with a little bit more course knowledge on offer for the field this week.
The Field
This isn’t a field that is as strong as some we have seen in the last month or so but there are two players from the top 50 in the world rankings here. They are the home star Jon Rahm and the South African player Thriston Lawrence. A bunch of players ranked between 51-100 in the world are also here including the next two highest ranked golfers in Nicolai Hojgaard and his brother Rasmus Hojgaard. Matt Wallace was a tournament winner less than two months ago and he is here too.
Victor Perez and Thorbjorn Olesen are two more players in the top 100 in the world rankings with the others being Romain Langasque, Matteo Manassero, Niklas Norgaard, Jesper Svensson, David Puig, Jordan Smith and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. With some big names not here this week the likes of Sebastian Soderberg, Rikuya Hoshino, Tom McKibbin and Frederic Lacroix have the chance to enhance their lofty Race to Dubai positions.
Market Leaders
Jon Rahm might be a LIV Golf player but he is using his appeal against his fines wisely to get a second tournament in so that he keeps up his hopes of playing in the Ryder Cup next year. The Spaniard is 3/1 to win on home soil having missed out in a playoff in the Open de Espana a couple of weeks ago. That defeat probably highlights that he is no value at 3/1, although there is no disputing that he is the standout player in the field. If he wins then he wins but I can’t get involved at the price.
Rasmus Hojgaard took the Irish Open down last month and finished T13 at the Open de France last week so he will fancy his chances of a big week here. He was fifth in this tournament two years ago but that was at a different course. He was T26 on this track a year ago so he has had a taste of it and you would think he would improve for the experience. The Dane is a general 16/1 shot but there is a little too much of a hit or miss about his play for my liking right now.
We have a trio of players next in the betting at 22/1. They are the home star David Puig, Thorbjorn Olesen and the recent Omega European Masters winner Matt Wallace. Puig will feel he missed a big chance to win the Open de Espana so he’ll want to make up for that. Olesen had a shot at the Open de France title last week but couldn’t get it done while Wallace is in good form having won in Switzerland recently. You can make an obvious case for all three players.
Thriston Lawrence is the only other player in the field who is shorter than 28/1. The South African can be backed at 25/1 to finally get that win which continues to elude him in 2024. Lawrence missed the cut last week so he might come here fresher than some of the field. He was T34 in this tournament a year ago and you just wonder if the scoring might be a beat or two too strong for him. I wouldn’t rule him out completely but better value lies elsewhere.
Main Bets
I took David Puig to win the Open de Espana and heading into the back nine on Sunday I was getting ready to count my chips but he faded a little too fast for my liking and I ended up with a place. He finished third that week and followed it up with a T4 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship the following week so he heads back home in fine form. This is a weaker field than the one he took on in the Open de France and certainly weaker than the pro-am and there is no doubt that he is a star in waiting. He looked comfortable on home soil a few weeks ago and I think in a weaker event he’s worth supporting again.
Niklas Norgaard won the British Open at the beginning of last month and since then he has gone T36-T7-T12-T18 in four strong field events so he has to be in with every chance of translating that into a huge week here. In his last 16 rounds on tour he has carded a 64, two 65s, a 66, a pair of 67s and three 68s. His scoring form is excellent and his length and accuracy off the tee is a large reason for that. The Dane is in excellent form and the wider fairways here should really allow him to overwhelm this course. I think he’s a solid price here.
Outsiders
Gavin Green is another player who is smoking it off the tee at the minute and he comes in here off the back of a solid effort on a much tougher course at the Open de France last week. He was T13 there and you would think that would translate into a decent week here. Green was also in the top 10 in the British Masters so in his lesser field strength events recently he has gone well and that bodes well here. In a low scoring, resort like track you need to get the ball out there and Green can do that. I think he’s in for a decent week here.
Jeff Winther arrives here potentially thinking that he should have won the Open de France last week but the Dane could well be worth backing to bounce back from that disappointment in style on a course where he finished sixth last year. Winther was fifth in the strokes gained on approach in Paris last week and that suggests that he’ll set up a lot of scoring opportunities to score this week. Those scoring opportunities were converted last week to the tune of him being in the top 10 with the putter and on an easier course a repeat of that second shot and in effort should have him go close here.
Tips
Back D.Puig to win Andalucia Masters (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 23.00 with Betfair (1/5 1-7)
Back N.Norgaard to win Andalucia Masters (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Betway (1/5 1-7)
Back G.Green to win Andalucia Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Sky Bet (1/5 1-6)
Back J.Winther to win Andalucia Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
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