The European Tour head to another emerging country as far as the game of golf is concerned this week when it goes to Russia for the M2M Russian Open in Moscow.
It has to be said that the field this week is very weak but those who have entered will have the chance to bag some early points in the race for the Ryder Cup team as this is the first event carrying points for qualification for next year’s team.
David Horsey won the tournament 12 months ago and having won the Made in Denmark event a couple of weeks ago he will head to the Russian capital full of confidence as he bids to defend the title.
If he is to defend the title he will need to do it on a new course. Having won the tournament on the Tseleeve Golf and Polo Club last year he will defend it at the Skolkovo Golf Club on the outskirts of Russia.
Skolkovo looks a wonderful setting for the tournament. The course is a Jack Nicklaus design which means the greens are undulating and well guarded with either water or bunkers and need to be hit in the right number. The fairways are wide with big landing areas so this course, as a lot of Nicklaus ones are, would appear to be a second shot course. It is a par 71 which plays 7,025 yards.
It is a very weak field this week, one of the weakest I can remember and that is highlighted by the fact that Maximilian Kieffer is the favourite at 10/1. Horsey is next at 14/1 to defend his title while Bradley Dredge is slightly bigger at 16/1. Another former champion Michael Hoey is 18/1 and it is 20/1 bar that quartet.
This isn’t the easiest event to bet on given the weakness of the field which is compounded by the fact we’re on a new course so rather than go knees deep in the event I’m going to take a couple of speculative bets and keep the majority of my powder dry for the much bigger event in the US.
I think form is going to be as much of a factor this week as anything else although I’m after players who hit a lot of greens and who can scramble should the need arise. With that in mind one man jumps out at me here.
That man is Robert Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie has been in good form in recent times and comes here with a real live chance of landing a first tour title. Dinwiddie found something in his game at the Lyoness Open in June and has played really well in his last three events which has seen him post three top 11 finishes in the European Masters, Made in Denmark and the Czech Masters last week.
In those events he has been inside the top 20 in Greens in Regulation and his sand save percentage has been very good too which will be important this week as I doubt anyone will stay out of the plethora of bunkers on this course. Form and profile is good so at 20/1 he’s my main bet this week.
Another player I think can go well this week is the American Paul Peterson. Peterson hits a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and showed in Denmark recently that he is hitting the ball well when he came in the top 20 there in what wasn’t the easiest golf course to get around unscathed.
It could just be that he is well set up for this golf course and having gone well on a tough track in India earlier in the year too his game is clearly up for tougher tests than this. This should be more of a relieving week for him but it is an important week long term for players trying to establish themselves at this level and at 50/1 he’s worth chancing for a big week.
Back R.Dinwiddie to win Russian Open (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 21.00 with Paddy Power (1/4 1-5)
Back P.Peterson to win Russian Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-5)
