There is a bit of a come down feel to this week’s golfing action but nobody in Denmark will subscribe to that as the nation prepares for its European Tour event which is the bizarrely named Made in Denmark tournament.
This tournament made its debut on the European Tour schedule last season and was greeted by huge crowds and a really competitive tournament and the organisers will be hoping for more of the same this year despite a slightly weaker field than they would like.
Marc Warren won the title on a windy weekend in Denmark a year ago and he is back to defend the title. He is a 10/1 favourite to make a successful defence and although the field isn’t the strongest there are some dangerous challengers to his crown.
Local favourites Soren Kjeldsen and Thomas Bjorn will hope to land their home open and they are 16/1 and 20/1 to win respectively. Improving youngster Matthew Fitzpatrick is also 20/1 while Kristoffer Broberg is 25/1. It is 33/1 bar that quintet so there could yet be some value on show.
The Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort is once again the venue for the tournament. The course is linksy in look in that it is very exposed so the elements will play a significant role this week as they did last year. Unlike a true links test you play this course over ground rather than along it.
The course isn’t a long one. It is a par 71 which only measures 6,809 yards so everyone will be interested this week. The fairways aren’t the widest and they are full of undulations so distance control and clean ball striking will be paramount this week. Putting is another important factor this week.
The iconic hole on the golf course is the wonderfully short par 3 16th hole. It measures 128 yards, has a two tier green and is built in a stadium type part of the course where huge crowds can congregate and really add something to the action. All sorts of scores will be made on that hole this week.
Looking at the tournament from a betting angle and I’m after someone we can rely on to hit fairways and who is going to putt well. Not only do we need someone to hit fairways but ideally someone who won’t be disadvantaged by the wind and one man stands out in all of those facets.
That man is Soren Kjeldsen. Kjeldsen has already shown his ability in tough conditions when he won the Irish Open earlier in the season and we know he can play both links golf and in tough conditions. He followed up his Irish Open success with another good week at the Nordea Masters and arrives at this tournament as a leading contender.
He caught the eye in the Bridgestone Invitational a couple of weeks ago on a golf course which didn’t appear suited to his game and while he missed out at the USPGA last week having the weekend off may be no bad thing. Kjeldsen will be highly motivated in his national open and was 15th here last year. He is in much better form now than he was then and at 16/1 I really like his chances this week.
I’m going to take a shot at another Scandinavian this week too and that is Robert Karlsson. Karlsson shot back to prominence in the Paul Lawrie Matchplay a few weeks ago on a course not too dissimilar to this apart from the winds being a bit stronger there than they might be here but the fact he made the final of that tournament and made a lot of birdies both in that final and on the way to it suggests that he is feeling much more comfortable with his game.
The fact Karlsson went well on a links course should surprise nobody. He is very adept in those conditions and I fancy him to be here too. At his best Karlsson would be a leading player in this field and if the Matchplay has got him back towards his best then we should get a real run for our money this week.
Back S.Kjeldsen to win Made in Denmark (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 17.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-5)
Back R.Karlsson to win Made in Denmark (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Stan James (1/4 1-5)
