Mallorca Open Tips, Odds & Tee Times: Conditions to suit Andy Sullivan

Mallorca Open Tips & Preview

The Spanish swing continues in Mallorca this week with a visit to Son Muntaner Golf Club, a course new to most prying eyes this week. The little we know about it tells us it's a par 71 playing just below 7000 yards with some tree lined holes and dog legs to make the players honest. Water is dotted throughout a few holes but on the whole this looks like a very scoreable resort type golf course.

I'm not quite convinced the longer hitters will have the advantage despite them being able to threaten a couple of par four greens off the tee this week. I think it will become a second shot golf course and who can find themselves with the most chances to hole putts on what should be perfect greens. 

Andy Sullivan at 33/1 (Six Places)

Eddie Pepperell looks a likely contender this week and I'll be surprised should he not figure across the week, but the price around the 20/1 just doesn't have enough juice to get me excited. Andy Sullivan on the other hand, although shortening in the market, looks a worthy bet around the 33/1 mark.

The Englishman has made eight of his last nine cuts and arrives here with a string of solid ball striking appearances under his belt in the last few months. He was 5th last week from tee to green at Valderrama and had he managed a better week on the greens he have finished higher, although never would have competed with the runaway winner.

Easier conditions this week should suit Sullivan and the faster greens should also help, with putts easier to hole, similar to surfaces he has played well on before in Dubai. He is producing solid golf and is a classy operator on his day. A strong finish to the year looks like continuing and this looks like a perfect scoring opportunity to improve on last week's 11th placed finish.

2pts each-way A.Sullivan  33/1  (1/5 6)

Marcel Siem at 80/1 (Eight Places)

Marcel Siem has made six of his last seven cuts on the DPWT and this consistent run has largely been down to an exemplary tee to green game. His tee to green finishes for the field through Andalucia, Madrid, Scotland and Paris read 13th, 7th, 20th and 10th. Quite simply his long game has been firing as well as it has been for some time. The one constant remains a poorly behaving putter.

That has been a long standing problem for the German but in what appears a straightforward test this week I'm hoping these faster resort greens grant him some grace. Should he manage an ordinary week with the putter his long game is rising above plenty in the field to make the 80/1 more than tempting to gobble up. Hopefully he can channel some Langer magic with the broom and do the business on the greens.

1pt each-way M.Siem  80/1  (1/5 8)

Hurly Long at 66/1 (Seven Places)

Hurly Long sits around the 80/1 mark and looks worthy of support this week in Spain. The German hasn't performed to his best these last few weeks having come back from a Korn Ferry jaunt. Nevertheless you only have to look back to July when he finished 4th in the Barbasol and 7th in the Baracuda just to see what he is capable of. These performances were off the back of a largely impressive year to that point with a couple of top three finishes in Ras and Kenya.

Overall he has failed to fire since but it is worth noting that his game off the tee improved last week at Valderrama despite missing the cut. The rest of his game was off but it was mostly his putter that contributed to the poor score. That can happen at that course and it is easily forgiven. The improvement off the tee is enough to catch my eye and he should benefit from what should be a birdie fest in Spain.

1pt each-way H.Long  66/1  (1/5 7)

Jamie Donaldson at 70/1 (Eight Places)

Heading for his 47th birthday Jamie Donaldson doesn't quite have the power off the tee these days to compete on a regular basis but this shorter track provides a fair opportunity for the Welshman to capitalise on some recent good form.

6th in France a few weeks ago equalled his best finish this season which was at the Scottish Open in a much stronger field in July. 28th last week at Valderrama was another fair effort and he should benefit from a lack of importance on length off the tee this week.

His game, which gets better the closer he gets to the green should shine here. He is capable of extremely good weeks with the putter which can catapult him up leaderboards regardless of what shape his long game is in. The irons have been performing well these last few weeks though and Donaldson will fancy shooting a good score here. 

1pt each-way J.Donaldson  70/1  (1/5 8)

Alfredo Garcia Heredia at 100/1 (Six Places)

Garcia Heredia will need to pick up form fast if he is to prolong his season over the next month or so and after Hidalgo's heroics last week he can possibly make that leap. It is no surprise that his best finish of the season came in Madrid a few weeks ago and the Spanish contingent will be bullish in making it a hat trick of home wins over the three weeks.

He was 1st on approach two weeks ago in Madrid and I'm prepared to forgive the dip in that department last week. Targets are small at Valderrama and his two previous efforts there suggest it's not a venue made for his game. This may be different and he should manage to steer clear of a lot of the trouble from tee to green. At 40 he is getting on in years without making a big splash on this tour but the scenes last week may just inspire him to another good week in his home country. 

0.75pt each-way A.Garcia-Heredia  100/1  (1/5 6)