European Golf Tour Preview

The European Golf Tour visits Bulgaria for the first time ever as a 24 man field line up for the Volvo World Matchplay Championship. Here is our guide to the best of the bets from this and the other golf tournaments taking place this week.

Ian Poulter is the 17/2 (TOTESPORT/betfred/STAN JAMES) favourite for the World Matchplay Championship in a format that the English man knows and loves. The better players will hope to benefit from a change to the format that has turned the tournament into a round robin format featuring eight groups of three. The eight group winners go onto the last eight where the tournament progresses into a knockout stage. Others that feature prominently in the betting are Graeme McDowell at 9/1 (SPREADEX), Henrik Stenson at 9/1 (SPREADEX) and Nicolas Colsaerts at 11/1 (SPREADEX). The strategy is here to keep the stakes small and take a chance on a player at a slightly bigger price. The selection then is Brett Rumford at 33/1 (GENERAL). The Australian has won his last two tournaments and should love conditions here especially as if predicted the wind gets going on the coast. Rumford grew up in Perth which is considered the third windiest city in the world.

The other event on the European Tour this week is the Maderia Islands Open which looks a wide open market with bookmakers having just one player under 25-1. The favourite is Ricardo Santos at 16/1 (bet365/ladbrokes) who won this event by four clear shots last year. The player is certainly in good form having finished in the top ten five times this year (including a tied fifth in the China Open) and sits 24th in the Race to Dubai. A deserved favourite though he would have to make history to win it as no player has ever recorded back-to-back wins in this event (Mats Lanner is a dual winner though this came in 94 and 98). I think though it is worth an interest on a player in just as good form at a more appealing price of 28/1 (CORAL/SPREADEX). This tip is for Robert-Jan Derksen who impressed when finishing fourth in the China Open earlier this month. The Dutchman also loves this venue having won here in 2005 and finishing sixth in 2003.

After the dramatic events of the Players Championship, where Tiger Woods secured glory and our each-way tip Kevin Streelman finished tied for second, the PGA Tour moves onto Texas for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. The market here is headed by Jason Day who headline writers around the world are surely hoping lands this for the punning options his name presents. The Australian is a course specialist who won here in 2010 before finishing fifth in 2011 and tied for ninth in 2012. He is in good form making 14 consecutive cuts and has four top ten finishes this year and is the deserved 14/1 (GENERAL) favourite. Others expected to go well are Matt Kuchar who has finished in the top 15 here in the last two years and is a 16/1 (general) chance. Jason Duffner is the defending champion though is a little out of sorts this year and I will be skipping him at 18/1 (general). The recommended bet is Jordan Spieth at 40/1 (GENERAL) who finished 16th here in 2010 at the tender age of 16. The Dallas native is now 19 years old and nobody will have the course experience that he does. Throw in the current form he is showing and he looks the bet at a value price.

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Robert-Jan Derksen to win the Maderia Islands Open, 28/1 (CORAL/SPREADEX)
SILVER: Jordan Spieth to win the HP Byron Nelson, 40/1 (GENERAL)
BRONZE: Brett Rumford to win the World Matchplay Championship, 33/1 (GENERAL)

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16/05/2013     © Frixo 2026