OLIVER BEKKER 40/1 PP 7PL
DARREN FICHARDT 200/1 BETFRED 7PL
RASMUS HOJGAARD 25/1 BETFRED 7PL
HENNIE DU PLESSIS 50/1 SKYBET 7PL
JOACHM B HANSEN 50/1 PP 7PL
JOEL SJOHOLM 500/1 PP 7PL
PATRICK FLAVIN 250/1 SKYB 8PL
DAVID LIPSKY 80/1 BOYLE 10PL
CAMERON TRINGALE 33/1 PP 8PL
BRANDON WU 100/1 PP 8PL
KEVIN CHAPPELL 100/1 WITHDRAWN
CHAD RAMEY 66/1 PP 8PL REPLACED
MARK HUBBARD 66/1 PP 8PL
ALL BETS WILL BE £5 EACH WAY ODDS TAKEN ON THE 25TH APRIL 2022
CATALUNYA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Catalunya Championship is a new addition to the DP World Tour calendar in 2022.
Along with the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain, it will form a 2-tournament Catalonian Swing on the Tour, replacing the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan after travel restrictions forced it off the schedule.
This event will see the DP World Tour return to the iconic Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya; between the stunning course, warm weather, and top-class play, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re attending a PGA Tour event!
STADIUM COURSE
The PGA Catalunya Stadium Course is a beautiful, but challenging golf course.
This spectacular venue has been consistently ranked among the best ten courses in Europe since it opened its doors for play back in 1999 and as such usually gets mention from professional players when they happen to be playing here too!
The hazards await you on every corner with trees pressing onto fairways; strategically placed bunkers and lakes which come into play on no fewer than seven of the toughest holes.
SIGNATURE HOLE
The 13th hole on the Stadium Course offers breath-taking views of the Pyrenees from the high tee box. Although the tee shot is fairly open, the wide island green can prove very punishing if you pick the wrong club. Keep your approach shot left as the green falls away sharply towards the lake on the right hand side.
We have only been set up here for a couple of days and have seen plenty of water balls. This track will play pretty much the same as last week with a lot of high scores on certain holes so accuracy and GIR will be key again here.
NEW EVENT NO PREVIOUS RESULTS
MEXICO OPEN
The Mexican Open (Spanish: Abierto Mexicano de Golf), also known as the Mexico Open and Abierto Mexicano de Golf, is the national open golf tournament of Mexico.
It was first played in 1944 at the Club de Golf Chapultepec. It was an event on the Tour de las Américas between 2003 and 2006, being co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour from 2004 to 2006. It became a Nationwide Tour event in 2008, and was rescheduled from December to January, which resulted in no tournament in 2007. In 2009, due to the outbreak of swine flu, the Mexican Open was rescheduled from May to September. In 2013, the tournament was moved to March and became an official event for PGA Tour Latinoamérica. The tournament would also be moved to Club de Golf Mexico. In 2022, the event will become part of the PGA Tour, with a purse of $7.3 million, and awarding 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner.
VIDANTA VALLERTA
As the leading course developer in Latin America, Vidanta Golf takes great care to cultivate truly unique golf experiences. From beautiful and challenging courses designed by the game’s biggest names, including Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, to best-in-class training facilities, to amazing post-round dining and lounge options, Vidanta Golf offers golfers an extraordinary way to play in paradise.
PAST RESULTS
2021 Álvaro Ortiz 265 −23 3 strokes
2020 No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Drew Nesbitt 263 −17 2 strokes
2018 Austin Smotherman 262 −18 4 strokes
2017: No tournament
Mexico Open
2016 Sebastián Vázquez 268 −16 Playoff Augusto Núñez
2015 Justin Hueber 265 −23 1 stroke
TransAmerican Power Products CRV Mexico Open
2014 Óscar David Álvarez 271 −17 1 stroke
OUR PICKS
DARREN FICHARDT 200/1
Darren has always been a solid bet for us. I see no difference here this week, he played well last week at the Handa in Spain. This track pretty much mirrors the same sort of layout lots of run off areas that feed into the water traps around here.
There will be some big numbers but feel Darren driving accuracy will be a great help around here as it was last week. He ranks inside the top twenty on the DP World Tour for driving accuracy.
With five wins on the DP Tour he knows how to get the job done, I just feel his time and year is now could be winning again very soon and then who knows could spark a late run of good play.
Also another factor when he finds his grove it normally last a while so should be another good week in Spain here. Watch this space.
RASMUS HOJGAARD 25/1
This guy can be so dangerous when his form is questionable. That is the way he is playing right now.
His last missed cut was way back in October 2021 at the Shriners Open on the PGA Tour.
So that’s ten events and ten cuts made pretty impressive, he has managed a couple of top twenties and a great sixth place at the Corales Puntacana on the PGA Tour only last month so the game is ready for another winning performance very soon.
This could be a perfect platform to kick start his 2022, he has won every year since 2019 so overdue a win for 2022. He has been looking good out there this week and love his wedge play and the putter also looks hot.
OLIVER BEKKER 40/1
Oliver Bekker still owes us a better return I have tipped him up twice so far in 2022.
Once at the Kenya Open at the start of March he was at 33/1 that week and just missed out by one place to get us a profit return. Then at the Steyn City at 30/1 where we finished in third place.
So we are going for a third time lucky for us here this week and why not.
Still yet to win a DP world Tour event but this will happen so hope we are all on board with him this week to make this happen for the young South African.
Lots to also like with his stats coming in here, a very good putter, not the longest of the tee but not really a concern around here this week it will be more about accuracy and placement and he ranks quite high for this so should be a good course for him to attack.
Should go well and looks to be enjoying the way he is striking it out there.
JOACHM B HANSEN 50/1
HENNIE DU PLESSIS 50/1
JOEL SJOHOLM 500/1
PATRICK FLAVIN 250/1
We have followed Patrick for many years one of our Canadian caddies worked with him last year. Lots of positive things to say about him so was a no brainer he went in this week.
His better results do seem to be events which only have three rounds. For example his last top ten was at the Forme Tour Championship over three rounds where he had a great week shooting rounds of 65-65-71.
This venue in my eyes will play a lot like the event in the Puerto Rico Open, here he had one of his best results on the PGA Tour this season finishing in a tie for 22ND.
His last outing in Mexico last year was also an impressive, very close to a top five that year.
Should be a horses for courses fit here and the odds are good.
KEVIN CHAPPELL WITHDREW REPLACED BY CHAD RAMEY 66/1
We were at the Valero Texas Open when he won it back in the 2016-17 season.
This season has been a very mix bag of results, He is always a slow started to a new season, and this was no surprise to see him miss the first three cuts in 2021.
Since then we have seen a marked improvement with his realists already in 2022. Since the Waste Management all of his stats have started to improve all over. With his power of the tee it was always his accuracy that was a worry this is now improved and he has jumped up to around 70% accuracy over his last four events.
Greens in Regulation again a marked improvement where he now ranks inside the PGA top 45.
He likes playing his golf here and could be a worse another top twenty finish, so a great place bet for us here.
MARK HUBBARD 66/1
One of our Korn Ferry favourites. He just seems to be ticking all the right boxes over the past few years and at the right age to get this PGA Tour win done.
The boys watched a lot of his golf at the Honda Classic where he played on the PGA Tour this year and liked what they saw. It was only his poor third round 75 that cost him a top five finish that week.
Plenty to like here he won the LECOM Suncoast Classic in 2019 on the Korn Ferry and got over the line quite easy in the end. That same year he also had his best finish on the PGA Tour at the Houston Open just getting pipped by the one shot by Lanto Griffin.
Lots to like here should be a great runner for us.
