The 2018 Ryder Cup venue is a tight course where accuracy breeds decent scores
As the years have progressed this has become one of the most prestigious events on the European Tour. The 2018 Ryder Cup venue is the destination in Paris for the participants and as ever it will prove to be a popular week among the fans.
The course at Le Golf National is always set up as tough as they can get it. Water hazards line many of the holes and the rough is always gnarly. A solid tee to tee green game is important. Landing the ball on the right parts of the greens is essential also as the surfaces can be pretty tricky. Missing the greens will almost always result in a bogey unless you can putt your way out of trouble. The winner may just well do that. Putting and scrambling is key around this venue. Those who can hole the requisite number of putts over four days will have an increased chance. Therein lies the key to success around this track so we'll be looking towards those golfers.
Jon Rahm tees it up this week no doubt in preparation for his European jaunt over the next month or two. He also has one eye on next years Ryder Cup here at the Albatross course and he'll be looking to suss the course out ahead of his inevitable debut in the tournament next September. This is a tight venue though where accuracy breeds decent scores. His ability is lightyears beyond anybody in this field and just take a moment to ponder the thought that Francesco Molinari is the same price as him. This is the one and only time this will happen again in our puff as the two will head on different trajectories in their career from here on. I worry about Rahm reigning his game in around this track. However I can not rule it out. If he starts well on Thursday I wouldn't put anyone off having a bet in running, but until then I think it is best to leave him off the staking plan.
It was a tough call who got the top selection this week. I have a number making the grade and I think the best policy is to back the top 3 to equal stakes. We'll start with Joost Luiten. Having made 5 out of 6 cuts here in Paris he has one of the most consistent records. Cuts will be missed here by even the best in the game. Many of the golfers have a rollercoaster of efforts around this track so it is a positive that Joost has been so consistent. I always saw his long game as a positive side to his game but in the last few years at has been this that has let him down. Solid performances have made way for those winning weeks of a few a years ago. There have been plenty of positives the last few weeks though with a top 10 in Austria followed by a top 15 in Germany last week. If he can keep it in play off the tee I think he'll be lurking come Sunday evening.
Thomas Pieters returns to the scene of his first ever European Tour event here at the Albatross course where he finished 29th en route to qualifying to be a full member later that year. He has followed that up with a top 20 last year and I can't find a reason not to invest in someone so talented in an event like this one. The Ryder Cup will be talked about a lot this week and Pieters had an exemplary jaunt across the water last year. His reason to swerve Sawgrass was a mystery to me but I was happy to see him out once again at a tough Wentworth track where he recorded a top 20. That shows us that he can shoot scores around the tighter tracks and with a solid record around here I see no reason as to why not to invest.
I find it difficult to get off the George Coetzee train at the minute as I feel a win is only around the corner. A missed cut at Erin Hills two weeks ago is nothing to worry about and he got back to his red hot form by finishing top 15 last week. Worries surround his long game, like Luiten. If he can find fairways this week he could make a mockery of his price given his record in events this last few months. He has missed the odd cut on this run but has posted figures of 7-7-8-11-8-4-14 since February and is certainly trending towards a bigger tilt at a title. Missed the cut here last time out in 2014, but lead after round one in 2011 and was 3rd heading into the final day the following year. The course has bit him on these occasions but I believe he is playing some of the best golf of his career and it's possible he may just gain the upper hand. At 55/1 I'm prepared to take the chance anyway.
Jeunghun Wang is worth a slightly smaller play than the rest at a top price of 80/1. This lad remains very inconsistent and won't be easy to catch right when punting him but this is a week where he should take notice of the three time winner 21 year old. He is an exceptional talent on this tour and more wins are surely only a matter of time away. I point to two performances last summer as to a reason to support him this week. 2nd in the Indian Open was followed a few weeks later by his win at the Trophee Hassan. These two courses require supreme accuracy off the tee and Wang seems to be able to gain advantage on these types of courses. The Albatross course is another where he can thrive. On debut last year he lead after 36 holes and was second heading into day four before succumbing to the course and falling to just outside the top 20. The positives are there however and even though bigger prices have sailed the 80/1 on offer is still worth investing in.
Another worth a play is Nicolas Colsaerts. His only jaunt to a Ryder Cup proved to be successful and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the Belgian throws his hat back into the ring just over a year from the main event. Colsaerts is enjoying a better Summer than what he has in recent years with 6 made cuts on the trot filling up the hole in the satchel. A cereer best 3rd placed finish at Wentworth was exceptional with a final round 65 that included a double bogey on 15. Had he avoided that he would have held every chance in the final few holes. That was backed up by a top at the Nordea and a tie for 26th last week. Clearly he is playing some of his better stuff and a Ryder Cup venue may just inspire him to something greater. He has three top 25 finishes here down the years. With the ability to go low early doors I'm going to have a small play round one lead also.
