Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters
Frenchman Matthieu Pavon broke through last week for his first DP World Tour victory after 185 starts at the Acciona Open De España with a four-shot win at a price of 90-1. Pavon (55-1) is in this week’s field as the DP World Tour continues its Spanish swing at the Estrella Damn N.A. Andalucia Masters.
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark (10-1) makes the trip over to Spain and is the tournament favorite. Ryan Fox (12-1) has had a good six weeks, winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, finishing runner-up at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in defense of his title and posting a T-3 at the Irish Open.
Adrian Meronk (20-1) is still looking to get over his disappointment of not being selected to the European Ryder Cup team. Jordan Smith (25-1) was the runner-up four weeks ago at the Open de France. Alexander Bjork (28-1) has been a runner-up twice this year on the DP World Tour. Rasmus Hojgaard (28-1) won earlier this summer at Himmerland in his native Denmark and was fourth several weeks ago at the Open de France.
Joost Luiten (30-1) has been in the top 20 in four of his last five events. A trio of players follow at 35-1 including Robert MacIntyre, Thorbjorn Olesen and Romain Langasque.
Defending event champion Adrian Otaegui is 45-1.
The Event
The Andalucia Masters began in 2010 as a replacement for the Volvo Masters and was held at Valderrama Golf Club. The tournament was canceled in 2012 because of the economic crisis in Spain and the local government withdrew its support. The event returned in 2017 and was hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation with Estrella Damm, a beer brewed in Barcelona, as its sponsor. The 2020 event was originally scheduled to be held the first weekend in May but was moved to the first weekend in September because of COVID-19 schedule changes.
The Course
This year, the Andalucia Masters moves on from Valderrama as that course signed a deal with LIV Golf to be one of that tour’s venues. The event moves to Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Sotogrande, Spain.
At 7,099 yards for a par-72, this Robert Trent Jones design is not long by modern-day standards and instead uses proximity to the coast and a more exposed style as its main defense. Fairways are wide with pine, cork oaks, eucalyptus and giant palm trees dotted around the perimeters, making this a positional golf course where the emphasis is on the second shot and in. Greens are elevated, placing an emphasis on quality approach play, and fairways and putting surfaces are well bunkered throughout.
Water is in play on several holes by virtue of the man-made lakes that litter the course, however with four attackable par-5s and a couple of short par-4s, this is a completely different test than Valderrama, so previous event data is irrelevant.
A 2015 renovation returned this course close to Trent Jones’ original design with the greens reduced back in size and the surfaces re-laid with A4 Bentgrass.
Recent History
2022: Adrian Otaegui (-19/265); 60-1
2021: Matt Fitzpatrick (-6/278); 14-1
2020: John Catlin (+2/286); 125-1
2019: Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-10/274); 80-1
2018: Sergio Garcia (-12/201); 9-2*
2017: Sergio Garcia (-12/272); 5-1
2016: Andrew Johnston (+1/281); 100-1**
Weather-shortened event to 54 holes – *
2016 Open de España event – *
Selections
Alexander Bjork (28-1, FanDuel)
Bjork has missed two of his last three cuts, but that broke a streak of 21 cuts made that included two runners-up and six other top-8 finishes.
He has been off for the last two weeks, and a break should do him some good.
The Swede is No. 1 on the DP World Tour for Strokes Gained Total, Strokes Gained Approach and Scrambling.
Joost Luiten (30-1, DraftKings)
Luiten has played his best golf in several years and looks as close to a victory as he did the last time he won in February 2018.
He ranks sixth on the DP World Tour for Strokes Gained Total, fifth for Strokes Gained Tee To Green, 10th for Strokes Gained Off The Tee, 15th for Strokes Gained Approach and 16th for Driving Accuracy.
Nathan Kimsey (55-1, PointsBet)
Kimsey finished third last week at the Open de España and was also runner-up on the Barbasol earlier this summer as he seeks his first big tour victory (two wins on the Challenge Tour last year).
The Englishman ranks second on the DP World Tour for Driving Accuracy and fourth for Greens In Regulation.
Ewen Ferguson (55-1, Caesars Sportsbook)
Windy conditions are expected close to the Spanish coast and Ferguson, who has two top-10 finishes in his last three DPWT events, is a strong wind player.
In 24 starts, Ferguson has amassed six top-10s and turned three of them into top-5s including a fourth at the British Masters in July.
Alex Fitzpatrick (66-1, PointsBet)
Alex finished top-20 last week at the Open de España, which marks his fourth top-20 in his last seven starts. He has made all seven cuts, including two top-5s.
He ranks second for Sand Saves and eighth for Strokes Gained Approach.
Julien Brun (66-1, BetMGM)
The Frenchman ranks 11th for Strokes Gained Approach, seventh for Scrambling, 10th for Strokes Gained Putting and 13th for Strokes Gained Around The Green.
The recent form has also been positive. Plus, he won the Copa Sotogrande here in 2011 — then simply known as the European Nations — as a 19-year-old, so this is a good place to pick up his first DP World Tour win.
Pablo Larrazabal (100-1, Caesars Sportsbook)
Larrazabal has won four DP World Tour events over the last two years.
When you think of short courses where good approach play and a strong short game matter most, you think of Larrazabal.
Matchups and/or placement markets will be available Wednesday at VSiN.com/picks
