Niall has a few bullets to fire at this week's event at Barsebäck Golf & Country Club.
The Nordea Masters returns to one of its most prestigious homes at Barseback in Malmo this year and fans won't be disappointed with what they see. Held here last back in 2009 this venue is top notch and has housed many quality championships down the years. Short game seemed to be quite prominent the past few occasions this event has been held here and despite being quite a long course it seems long and short hitters can do well. Scrambling and holing putts seems to be the order of the day to contend here. We'll be keeping that in mind when making our selections.
Henrik Stenson turns up as tournament fav and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes on to win this. A few close calls here at Barseback down the years (even with some poor rounds) and his close affiliation with the club mean this is possibly his best ever chance to win this event. This is reflected in his odds and at 5/1 he is probably around the right price. Alex Noren who is one of the in form golfers on the planet right now turns up a 7/1 poke. Another fair price but I'd rather be on Stenson given Noren has some sketchy form around here down the years. A few others appeal to me more this week and I'll chance my arm further down the market. I don't think I've ever backed six golfers in one event, but I see such value in big priced golfers this week with silky putting touches that I must follow through. What is important is staking them correctly.
GEORGE COETZEE is undoubtedly the bet of the week for me. Yet to play here at Barseback so ultimately a bit risky but his price of 55/1 is one of the tastiest prices I've seen in a while. A missed cut at Wentworth last week is of no worry to me as it is a venue on which he has had no form on whatsoever. It is his golf previous to that which I will concern myself with. His previous three events were 8th in India, 11th at Shenzhen and 8th in China. A solid run of form to add to two top tens previously posted this season on tour. He is playing very solid stuff bar one or two weeks.
The 11th at Shenzhen is the most interesting result for me. I believe Wiesberger played the best golf of his career that week in defeating Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff. Fleetwood himself a man in sparkling form all season and elevated himself to another level. All Coetzee had to do was par the 18th hole that week to get into the playoff. A birdie would have won the event outright despite the form of the other two. Instead he found water a few times up the last and carded a quadruple bogey 8 to finish tied 11th. One hole doesn't make or break a man and Coetzee can come back from that mishap. The standard at which the two playoff candidates played that week was superb.
If Coetzee can come anywhere close to that level this week he will make a mockery of that price of 55/1. A solid short game and a super putting stroke most of the time make him even more of a bet this week at a Barsebeck course which rewards such attributes.
Given that THORBJORN OLESEN finished 4th here in 2009 I was surprised to see him slotted in above the 50/1 mark. He is another who loves a coastal track having won on similar terrain in Sicily. Two team event wins in the past number of months in the World Cup and Golf Sixes has put a fine gloss on Olesen's still blossoming career. He is finding ways to get over the line in events and there's no doubting he is around for a long time. Given his inexperience back in 2009 on a tough track his top 5 finish here was quite impressive. Once again he has a super putting stroke which is exactly what you need around here.
KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT started last week very impressively with a 67 before staying still thereafter and finishing in a tie for 14th spot. That is a solid result for somebody who can be very wild off the tee at times and would usually struggle with line of sight issues around Wentworth. He can hit the ball a mile and I expect him to make full use of that around this track. At this time of year form is all important and with two top 25 finishes at the Shenzhen and in India in the three events previous to last week the Thailand native is in fine shape. Once again, given the price of the two fancied runners in this event, these lads have every chance of contending at hefty odds.
Our 4th big runner is the big Belgian NICOLAS COLSAERTS. He finished tied 24th here back in 2006 and has some other fair form around here. Most notably he shot 67-67 the first two days that year to lead going into the weekend. Given that he lead after day one that year and that he can go very low early on in tournaments I believe he is worth a small wager in the first round leader market also. Nobody played better than Colsaerts over the final two days at Wentworth, firing 69-65 over the weekend to finish in a tie for 3rd. Crucially he was holing putts. When he starts to hole putts you'd better watch out because his long game can match the best on his day. Overpriced again personally for me.
We will finish with two outsiders. After a top 5 finish in the Rocco Forte I expected MARCUS FRASER to go a shade better at Wentworth last week. Missing the cut was a poor result for someone I expected to go well. I won't give up on him completely though and I think he is worth a small one here this week. His tee to green game should cut some corners this week and given the fact he was leading after 3 days here in 2009 he is worth a small play.
Even though the weather forecast is very good for most of the week RICHIE RAMSAY enjoys a jaunt around a coastal track and I can see him outplaying his current odds of 100/1. His short game was solid last week en route to a top 30 finish at Wentworth after a closing 73. 12th in Tshwane and 21st in Shenzhen this past while show he's not totally out of form for an inconsistent sort. It is worth noting he was a very respectable 6 under par and a couple off the lead after two days at Barseback in 2009 before a 77-75 finish at the weekend. Last weeks 30th spot was very respectable given the quality of the field and in a weaker event this week he may just well be worth a small play.
