Niall Lyons has struck two winners in the last two weeks!
Hero Indian Open
On its first staging of the Indian Open last year the DLF G&CC the Gary Player designed course created a lot of noise. Measuring at a staggering yardage many though shorter hitters had no hope of competing around here. But with plenty of tee boxes on each hole the course played a lot shorter and a plodding specialist SSP Chawrasia won his second Indian Open in as many years. This year he comes back to try and make it a hat trick of wins, and likewise I will be attempting the same with landing the last two European Tour winners. The course is a strange looking one which will present plenty of double bogeys. Scores last year bar Chawrasia were not very good and it is hard to see how this course will yield low scores once again.
Two time winner this season Shubhankar Sharma makes the trip to his homeland after his heroic efforts in last weeks WGC. Having come here via New York he is sure to be tired, but at 21 years of age that isn't enough to rule him out. His wins have come on a lot easier courses than this and it remains to be seen whether tests like this will suit the Indian. His fellow countryman Anirban Lahiri slots in as joint favourite alongside him this week and for me poses a bigger threat with a top 5 finish here last year. Either way the 11/1 the pair doesn't really interest me so we will look elsewhere for our bets this week.
Andrew Johnston (33/1) ticks many boxes this week and although it is an uninspiring pick somewhat I think he could figure this week. The past year has been a turbulent one for Johnston who rose to fame quite quickly on both sides of the Atlantic. He said himself everybody wanted a piece of him and he didn't cope well regarding his golf game. His goals have now been re-aligned once again and he will ply a trade in more events on the European Tour this year to get back on the straight and narrow. The straight and narrow is exactly where he'll want to hit it this week and he is more than capable. On the toughest course the tour has visited in recent years he finished on top the leaderboard to win at Valderrama. One over par won that event and with only a handful finishing under par at this course last year you have to think he is equipped to cope with the test. It is a silly test lets be honest, but avoiding big damage to the scorecard just like he did that week in Spain may prove dividends once again.
Bar the top handful in this event there aren't that many who have gotten over the line or who even contend that often. Ashun Wu (125/1) is one who won on the tour only 18 months ago and has produced some solid performances since. Since his win in Austria there have been plenty of erratic results but top tens in Crans and Portugal spell that he is capable of reaching those heights again. Crans is an interesting one also as you have to keep it straight to score well there. Towards the end of last year and the beginning of this he posted top 25 finishes in the HSBC WGC, Mauritius and Abu Dhabi. Last timeout he finished just inside the top 30 in Qatar so he is playing consistent enough stuff. With a win in the last two years under his belt he is ahead of the large majority of the field so at three figure prices must be supported.
His results lately leave a little to be desired but despite having to travel far from last weeks WGC I was surprised to see Gavin Green (66/1) installed around the 66/1 mark. On debut last year he finished 2nd to Chawrasia and looked to take to the course pretty well. He has flattered to deceive so far on the main tour but given he plays a lot of golf in and around these regions he is better equipped than most. You get the impression he will have little problem in getting over the line once he gets himself into that position but he has yet to really firmly knock on that door. He gained a fair amount of experience in last weeks WGC despite propping up the field and coming back to a course he played so well on last year he may just get into the argument.
I will finish up with two old timers who could figure given the nature of the challenge. Having spent three years inside the worlds top 100 it has gone a bit pear shaped the last few years for Stephen Gallacher. (50/1) With seven made cuts on the trot though there is finally a few positives to be had. A top ten in Oman was a welcome return to some sort of contention for the Scot. At the back end of last year he posted two top 20s in the Dunhill LInks and British Masters. That course in Newcastle was fierce once you strayed from the fairways so he could not be too far away. He finished 29th here last year so I think that will benefit him having seen the course before. A wily old golfer who may just out stay the rest.
On a freak course we can not rule out a freak winner and my choice for that this week is David Howell.(200/1) Howell got back on the ladder a few years ago by winning the Dunhill LInks in surprising fashion and although this would be every bit the surprise I think he could have the experience to deal with the garbage that this course will throw at you. There will be plenty of double and triple bogeys this week and whoever can cope with it the best may just plod on to the win. Howell ranked in the top ten in driving accuracy last week which of course is of paramount importance this week. Finishing in 21st spot last week will be seen as a positive and he doesn't travel to these places these days for no reason. He will expect a return at some point. Having won at Wentworth where accuracy is needed and also having won in Shanghai and Dubai it proves he travels well and you just never know he could make the frame on a strange course.
