If you followed the note regarding PaddyPower paying out on the top 7 in last week's European Tour event, then you would have got some returns from Matt Fitzpatrick finishing in 7th place, so it’s always nice when this happens, but I have not included this in our figures, as I know not everyone will have been backing through PaddyPower. Also, there was a top 15 from Matsuyama in America too, but not quite good enough to deal with Rory’s weekend. We will keep knocking at the door, and the winners will soon come. On to this week, and the write up below inclusive of selections:
Outlay at Crooked Stick, 7,516 yards, par 72 – Thursday, September 8th to Sunday, September 11th Pete Dye’s first prominent golf course was built in 1965, transforming a cornfield outside Indianapolis that Dye had purchased with the help of 60 “interested, avid and maybe crazy golfers.” As with other notable Dye courses, no two consecutive holes face in the same direction and players must be able to generate drives both left-to-right and right-to-left. Crooked Stick first ascended to the national stage as host of the 1982 U.S. Junior Amateur, later bringing the 1991 PGA Championship where John Daly burst onto the scene. The Last Week’s Outlay 20 pts Last Week’s Return 20 pts (- 20pts) Year To Date + 398.05 course also has staged the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open, 2005 Solheim Cup and its first edition of the BMW Championship four years ago, when Rory McIlroy prevailed.
World No. 1 Jason Day, who first scaled the top after last year’s BMW win, and The Barclays champion Patrick Reed head up a 69-man field for the next-to-last FedEx Cup playoffs event. Open champion Henrik Stenson, who has been battling knee problems in recent weeks, is the only projected qualifier not to sign up. The Swede entered the Deutsche Bank Championship at No. 19 in FedEx Cup points. The top 30 after the BMW Championship advance to the TOUR Championship. Rookies Emiliano Grillo and Smylie Kaufman remain alive in the FedEx Cup postseason, though Kaufman needs to climb four spots to reach the finale.
NAP – RORY MCILROY 11/2 (Ladbrokes, BetVictor & PaddyPower) 5 pts WIN
Fresh from his impressive win at last week’s Deutsche Bank Championship, Rory will arrive here as confident as he will have been for a long time. Putting has been the major negative to Rory McIlroy this season, yet last week he was ranked 1st in all putting stats. I feel we are in for a super strong finish to the year from Rory.
NB – BUBBA WATSON 50/1 (Bet365, SkyBet & WilliamHill) 1.5 pts EW
Not the greatest of years from Bubba, with his only win coming right at the beginning of the year, but with the length of the Crooked Stick course, and the odds offer I am willing to take a chance on Bubba. With Davis Love III set to make his captains picks for the Ryder Cup this month, it is almost certain that Bubba Watson will be doing everything in his powers to get noticed and to be on that team. Still ranking inside the top 5 on tour for driving distance, this is a course that should see Bubba back contending.
IWAC – BROOKS KEOPKA 55/1 (Bet365) 1 pt EW
With 2 runners-up finishes, a third place and a further seven top 10 finishes to his name this season; all that is missing from the form book is that elusive win! There are good current signs for all to see recently too, with Brooks finishing inside the top 10 in two of his last four PGA Tour starts, including a 4th place at the USPGA. Statistically, Brooks Keopka has the all round game, being right up there in off the tee, approaches to the green and putting statistics on tour.
The Dutch Golf Club, 6,983 yards, par 71 – Thursday, September 8th to Sunday, September 11th
Exciting times this week for The Dutch, as it hosts its first European Tour event having only opened its doors in 2011. A member of the prestigious network of European Tour Destinations, The Dutch’s signature Championship course was designed by Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup-winning Captain Colin Montgomerie, in conjunction with European Golf Design.
Groundbreaking construction techniques were used to create a dramatic and undulating landscape, featuring rolling fairways framed by imposing, gorse-clad mounds. Inland-links in style, The Dutch also boasts smooth, lightning-quick greens. Complemented by an awe-inspiring clubhouse, it is sure to be a popular venue with the players this week.
Pieters is joined in the field by his Ryder Cup team-mate for the showpiece in Hazeltine, Chris Wood, as the Englishman makes his ninth appearance the Netherlands’ national open hoping to improve on his best finish of a share of 11th place back in 2010. Byeong-hun An, meanwhile, makes his first appearance in a regular European Tour event since last May, when he defended the BMW PGA Championship title he won back in 2015, only to be dethroned by the aforementioned Wood.
Home favourite Joost Luiten returns to the tournament he won so gloriously in 2013 when he became only the second home winner after Maarten Lafeber in 2003 since the event became part of the European Tour International Schedule in 1972. Luiten will be making his first regular European Tour appearance since July’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, having played The Open Championship, USPGA Championship, and the Olympics in between.
NAP – PABLO LARRAZABAL 40/1 (BetVictor & StanJames) 2.5 pts EW
A final round of 65, saw Pablo secure a 7th place finish in last week’s event in Switzerland. He arrives at an event here that he has a very good record at; I link this to the fact that he finishes he seasons strong.
NB – ANTHONY WALL 90/1 (BetFred) 1.5 pts EW
A man in form really; Anthony won the recent match play event on the European tour, then followed that up with three rounds in the 60s at last week’s European Masters to secure another top 20 finish. At odds of 90/1 still available, I think this represents a good each way bet.
IWAC – EDDIE PEPPERELL 125/1 (SkyBet & Ladbrokes) 1 pt EW
Spent a bit of time thinking about this selection, and at odds of 125/1 available, I think it is an opportunity I am willing to take. I have noticed a bit of trend in Eddie when playing in this part of the world over recent years. He has top 5 finishes to his name around this time of year (Denmark, Switzerland, and Sweden) in every season since he earned his card, including here at the KLM Open.
NOTE: For the European Tour event, PaddyPower is offering top 7 places at 1/5 odds. All odds include in the above article are simply the highest odds available at the time of writing sourced via OddsChecker.com. This Week’s Outlay – 20 pts Thanks again to everyone for passing on your positive comments to my articles. Hope you have a nice week, and good luck to all those following,
Stu
@PriestleyStuart
sjpriestley_pga@btinternet.com
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