TAYLOR MOORE 100/1 PP 8PL
LUDVIG ABERG 22/1 BOYLE 6PL
SEPP STRAKA 40/1 888 8PL
RYO HISATSUNE 100/1 PP 8PL
LUKE LIST 70/1 888 8PL
T MONTGOMERY 80/1 SB 8PL
RYAN FOX 70/1 888 8PL
TOP 20 BETS ALL £10
LUKE LIST 6/1
TAYLOR MONTGOMERY 7/1
RYAN FOX 6/1
ZANDER LOMBARD 25/1 SB 6PL
ALEJANDRO DEL REY 50/1 WH 6PL
ALEX FITZPATRICK 40/1 CORAL 7PL
PABLO LARRAZABAL 40/1 PP 7PL
11 £5 EW BETS PLACED + 3 TOP 20 BETS £10 - TOTAL OUTLAY £140
FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
RAS AL KHAIMAH
The Farmers Insurance Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played in the San Diego, California, area in the early part of the season known as the “West Coast Swing”.
The tournament was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host from 1968 through 1988. It originated as the San Diego Open in 1952 and used that name in its title through 1985. Title sponsors were added in 1981, first with Wickes for two years, then three with Isuzu. Shearson Lehman Brothers became the title sponsors in 1986, replaced by Buick in 1992 and Farmers Insurance in 2010. The event is organized by The Century Club of San Diego.
Although the San Diego Open began in 1952, the PGA Tour recognizes two earlier events of the same name: Leo Diegel won both events, in December 1927 and January 1929. It was an autumn event in 1956 and 1957, not held in 1958, and returned as a winter event in early 1959.
TORREY PINES
Torrey Pines Golf Course is a 36-hole municipal golf facility on the west coast of the United States, owned by the city of San Diego, California. It sits on the coastal cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the community of La Jolla, just south of Torrey Pines State Reserve. Opened in 1957, it was built on the site of Camp Callan, a U.S. Army installation during World War II.
Torrey Pines has two 18-hole golf courses, North and South, both designed by William Francis Bell (son of noted course architect William P. Bell). The South Course was redesigned by Rees Jones in 2001, and is now 7,802 yards (7,134 m) in length from the back tees with par at 72. The North Course was redesigned by Tom Weiskopf in 2016, switching the nines so that the famous ocean views are now enjoyed at the end of the round.
The South Course has hosted two U.S. Opens: Tiger Woods won in sudden-death in 2008 after an 18-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate, and Jon Rahm won in 2021. Torrey Pines hosts the San Diego City Amateur Golf Championships every June, and the Junior World Golf Championships every July.
2008 US OPEN
Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open over Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole Monday playoff. After completing the 18-hole playoff on the South Course tied at even par 71, they went to sudden-death on the 91st hole, played on the par-4 7th hole. Mediate had trouble off of the tee and made bogey, while Woods made par to gain his third U.S. Open and fourteenth career major title, which put him just four behind Jack Nicklaus. He birdied the final hole on Sunday to force the playoff and again on Monday to extend it. Woods, age 32, won while playing with a stress fracture and torn ACL; this was his last major title until 2019.
PAST RESULTS
2023 Max Homa 275 -13 2 strokes
2022 Luke List 273 −15 Playoff Will Zalatoris
2021 Patrick Reed 274 −14 5 strokes
2020 Marc Leishman 273 −15 1 stroke
2019 Justin Rose 267 −21 2 strokes
2018 Jason Day 278 −10 Playoff Alex Norén-Ryan Palmer
2017 Jon Rahm 275 −13 3 strokes
2016 B Snedeker 282 −6 1 stroke
2015 Jason Day 279 −9 Playoff H English-J. B. Holmes-Scott Stallings
2014 Scott Stallings 279 −9 1 stroke
The Ras Al Khaimah Championship is a professional golf tournament held at Al Hamra Golf Club, in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. In 2021, the presenting sponsor was Phoenix Capital.
The event is played at the same venue which hosted the Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge in 2016 and 2017 on the Challenge Tour, as well as the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final in 2018.
Nicolai Højgaard won the inaugural event, beating Jordan Smith by four shots.
AL HAMRA GC
Emirates Golf Club, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is a 36-hole golf course. It was built in 1988, with the clubhouse and facilities designed and delivered by Dubai architect BSBG (Brewer Smith Brewer Group), and is the first grass golf course in the Middle East.
Al Hamra Golf Club previously hosted the European Challenge Tour over three consecutive years from 2016 – 2018. It was initially the venue for the Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge in 2016 and 2017, before hosting the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final as the final stop on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah in 2018. The course is a stunning par-72, 18-hole championship golf venue that lends itself perfectly to all levels of golfers, providing the fledgling novice or the most accomplished of players with an enjoyable and interesting golfing challenge.
This 18-hole golf course, designed by Peter Harradine, opened its doors in the year 2007. The course meanders around four inter-connected open water lagoons merging seamlessly with the water of the Arabian Gulf. As many traditional courses do, the front nine measuring 3,578 yards makes its way out and away from the Clubhouse, whilst the back nine measuring 3,747 yards returns home around the lagoon to the Clubhouse. The result is a stunning Par 72 Championship Golf course measuring 7,400 yards at full length designed with five varying tee options on each hole.
COURSE DESIGNER -
PETER HARRADINE
The designing of golf courses runs deep in the Harradine family tree, dating back to the 1920 when Peter’s step grandfather designed and built his first course. Don Harradine, Peter’s father, designed and built his first course in 1929 a career that would span 60 years before his retirement in the late 1980s.
Golf was obviously going to play a huge part in Peter’s early years, receiving his first set of clubs at the age of six, and experiencing his first taste of course construction around the same time when he was drafted by his father to help out on projects during school holidays.
Between 1965-66, Peter travelled to the U.S., where he studied landscaping and golf course design and construction, before returning to Europe to design and build many courses with his father and other prominent European architects.
In 1976, a visit to the United Arab Emirates to investigate the possibilities of constructing a golf course led to the establishment of a Middle East office, which has grown from strength to strength. Harradine Golf has designed and built five courses in the Emirates, alone, with many more in the region. Together, with courses in Europe, Asia and Africa, Harradine has amassed an impressive portfolio of over 160 projects.
PAST RESULTS
2023 Daniel Gavins 271 −17 1 stroke
2022 Nicolai Højgaard 264 −24 4 strokes
OUR PICKS
TAYLOR MOORE 100/1
First up is Taylor, our 2023 Valspar Champion. With his present residence being Dallas, Texas he will be very familiar to scoring and playing well on longer golf courses and this place this week will play to his skill set like no other.
One of the key stats we have picked up on around the previous winners here has been, going for green and approach from 200+ yards he ranks in the top half for both of these. Another plus for us is the fact he keeps the driver straight which will also become a big factor come Sunday.
He caught up with his team yesterday on the range and we went through the whole bag with him and the key areas that impressed us were the Driver, 5 iron to 8 iron and the putter looks hot so one to watch here this week and a great price.
LUDVIG ABERG 22/1
As you know we try to stay well clear of the favourite’s week on week. But based on the start of 2024 we feel Ludvig is a must here, we had Tommy on our list for the Dubai Invitational but was hardly any value in that even with the win so we left him out.
He might be a surprise to many to watch this young golfer making a name for himself so fast on the PGA Tour but not for us we knew he had the talent, when he playing and winning so many junior/boys events.
He made his debut at the RBC Canadian where one of our team in fact caddied for him that week, he managed an impressive 25TH place that week then followed it at the John Deere Classic with a top ten where he started the golfing world talking shooting a final round 63 to finish just three shots back.
Amateur Wins:
- 2016 – Galvin Green Junior
- 2017 – Fairhaven
- 2019 – Sun Bowl Classic
- 2021 – Jones Cup
- 2022 – The Prestige
- 2023 – The Prestige
Professional Wins:
- RSM Classic 2023 – Professional Win by 4 strokes
- Omega Masters 2023 – Win by 2 strokes
- Katrineholm Open 2020 – Win Playoff
- Barseback Masters 2020 – Win 5 strokes
Could win this week by 4-5 shots.
SEPP STRAKA 40/1
Ryder Cup winner Straka is my next pick. He seems to have gone under the radar with the bookies to be honest, take a quick look at his recent form coming in:
- Tour Championship – 6TH
- BMW – 10TH
- DP Tour Championship – 22ND
- Hero – 2ND
- Sentry – 12TH
He also ticks the skill set around here, positives we have noticed are:
- Poa Positive
- Driving Distance
- Long Course
- Going for Green
His birdie average is also 6.50 per round so when he gets hot he can go really low. Two time winner on the PGA Tour once in 2022 at the Honda Classic then the following year 2023 he wins the John Deere. He will win in 2024 and could be this event. NAP for any cards will feature.
PLAYERS THAT SHOULD FEATURE + TOP 20 BETS
RYO HISATSUNE 100/1
LUKE LIST 70/1
TAYLOR MONTGOMERY 80/1
RYAN FOX 70/1
ZANDER LOMBARD 25/1
First up for the European Tour this week goes to a good friend in Zander Lombard.
We have backed him plenty of times over the years and he has got us some good place money back.
We feel he is well overdue the win and could finally get over the line here this week or give us a bloody good run anyway. Check out his run into this week: Joburg Open – 4TH Investec SA Open – 12TH Alfred Dunhill – 25TH Dubai Invit – 6TH Desert Classic – 16TH
He ticks all the boxes to score low here this week and we could get over the line with him at 25/1 loving these odds. NAP for us.
ALEJANDRO DEL REY 50/1
One player who was on my top picks for this week was Del Rey. Even before the reports came back I knew he would feature.
So he ticks every box and will be a must play in any fantasy or draft kings pick easy this week.
We followed a lot of his golf at the South African Open in December where he had a great chance to get over the winning line but his weak Friday round cost him but he closed the weekend strong, for a top five finish.
Driving distance around here will factor and you can see that with previous winner’s barring Gavin’s of course.
He is a horses for courses fit and sure to do well this week one to watch should be top ten at worst.
ALEX FITZPATRICK 40/1
I think this could be the first time I have backed Alex of course have backed his brother over the years and won quite a few pounds.
It is only a matter of time before he gets that win and feel this course and set up could be the place for him to do this.
His form is good coming in, he missed the cut at the Qatar Masters but since then he has looked impressive:
- Australian PGA – 18TH
- Australian Open – 8TH
- Dubai Classic – 16TH
I feel this could be the start of a great 2024 for him and think as soon as he get that first win he will collect many more. Hot form stats bang on should feature.
