Josh Culp's Blog, page 10
March 5, 2019
Qatar Masters Fantasy Preview
The Euro Tour will eventually land on home soil but they aren’t rushing things. They stick around in the Middle East for another week as the prep for the Qatar Masters.
This events been running since 1998 and it’s been hosted by Doha Golf Club since the beginning.
Doha is a par 72 that plays around 7,400 yards. It’s a little more than a mile from the coast but still very exposed to the wind most years. That looks to be the case again this week with winds forecasted to really whip for most of the week.
Some call this links-style but there are plenty of trees around the property and overseeded grass which you find on many traditional links layouts. Thorbjorn explained it well in 2016, “It not really a linksy golf course, but breezy. But you need to play a few shots out there, a few low ones in this wind. Every hole has a little bit of a side wind, so you need to control the ball very well.” You can read more about who might like the wind in the Fantasy Golfanac.
Don’t mistake heavy winds for difficulty. This tournament knows the winds are coming and knows the course is exposed. They set the course up to allow for relatively easy scoring conditions. In fact, the field hasn’t averaged over 72 strokes for the week since the 2012 edition.
Let’s dive into some past results to see who might fit the course.
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Ross Fisher
Bernd Wiesberger
Alexander Bjork
Victor Dubuisson
Andy Sullivan
Jorge Campillo
Soren Kjeldsen
Thomas Pieters
Pablo Larrazabal
Jordan Smith
Top Performers on Easy Courses (since 2015)
Thomas Pieters
Andy Sullivan
Ross Fisher
Alexander Bjork
Nicolas Colsaerts
Pablo Larrazabal
Thomas Detry
David Horsey
Jorge Campillo
Top Performers in the Middle East (since 2015)
Thomas Pieters
Bernd Wiesberger
Victor Dubuisson
Alexander Bjork
Alejandro Canizares
Jorge Campillo
Maximilian Kieffer
Fabrizio Zanotti
Chris Paisley
David Lipsky
Top Performers on Grainy Greens (since 2015)
Bernd Wiesberger
Thomas Pieters
Ross Fisher
Alexander Bjork
Pablo Larrazabal
Jorge Campillo
Maximilian Kieffer
Jake McLeod
David Lipsky
Victor Dubuisson
Top Performers on Long Courses (since 2015)
Victor Dubuisson
Ross Fisher
Bernd Wiesberger
Jordan Smith
Thomas Pieters
Mike Lorenzo-Vera
Andy Sullivan
Thomas Detry
Jeunghun Wang
Dean Burmester
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: Thomas Pieters, Bernd Wiesberger
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Alexander Bjork, Victor Dubuisson, Jorge Campillo, Ross Fisher
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: Pablo Larrazabal, Andy Sullivan
My Top 25 for the 2019 Qatar Masters
1. Jordan Smith
2. Thomas Pieters
3. Mike Lorenzo-Vera
4. Andy Sullivan
5. Tom Lewis
6. Pablo Larrazabal
7. Justin Harding
8. Chris Wood
9. Alexander Bjork
10. Jorge Campillo
11. Fabrizio Zanotti
12. Bradley Dredge
13. Nicolas Colsaerts
14. Thomas Detry
15. Soren Kjeldsen
16. Aaron Rai
17. Ross Fisher
18. George Coetzee
19. Matthias Schwab
20. Scott Jamieson
21. Victor Dubuisson
22. Romain Langasque
23. Mikko Korhonen
24. Adrian Otaegui
25. Paul Waring
February 26, 2019
Oman Open Fantasy Preview
The Euro Tour heads back to the Middle East for this week’s Oman Open.
This event was previously held on the Challenge Tour but made it’s debut on the big stage last year when Joost Luiten took out Chris Wood to hoist the hardware.
The course is Al Mouj Golf. It’s a par 72 that plays just under 7,400 yards. It’s a coastal course that is exposed to the elements. It’s very linksy in that regard but the grasses are paspalum which is going to differ from most of the traditional links layouts back in the UK.
The fairways are generous here but there is water in play on 10 holes.
Let’s dive into some past results to see who might fit the course. For the grass stats, I will be using GRAINY GREENS which is Bermuda combined with Paspalum, since there aren’t very many paspalum layouts. Bermuda is the closest neighbor to paspalum.
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Ross Fisher
Bernd Wiesberger
Joost Luiten
Andy Sullivan
Alexander Levy
Victor Dubuisson
Pablo Larrazabal
Jorge Campillo
Matthias Schwab
Thomas Pieters
Top Performers against Weak Fields (since 2015)
Joost Luiten
Alexander Levy
Andy Sullivan
Chris Wood
Mikko Korhonen
George Coetzee
Robert Rock
Thomas Detry
Brandon Stone
Paul Waring
Top Performers in the Middle East (since 2015)
Joost Luiten
Bernd Wiesberger
Thomas Pieters
Victor Dubuisson
Alejandro Canizares
Alexander Levy
Ross Fisher
David Lipsky
Andrew Johnston
Jorge Campillo
Top Performers on Grainy Greens (since 2015)
Joost Luiten
Bernd Wiesberger
Alexander Levy
Ross Fisher
Thomas Pieters
Pablo Larrazabal
David Lipsky
Maximilian Kieffer
Fabrizio Zanotti
George Coetzee
Top Performers on Links-Style Courses (since 2015)
Andy Sullivan
Chris Wood
Bernd Wiesberger
Lucas Herbert
Andrea Pavan
Robert Rock
Joost Luiten
David Drysdale
Joakim Lagergren
Ross Fisher
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: Joost Luiten
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Alexander Levy, Ross Fisher, Bernd Wiesberger
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: Thomas Pieters, Andy Sullivan
My Top 25 for the 2019 Oman Open
1. Joost Luiten
2. Andy Sullivan
3. Robert Rock
4. Thomas Pieters
5. Fabrizio Zanotti
6. Matthias Schwab
7. Justin Harding
8. Mikko Korhonen
9. Jordan Smith
10. Pablo Larrazabal
11. Bradley Dredge
12. Andrea Pavan
13. Mike Lorenzo-Vera
14. Jorge Campillo
15. Ross Fisher
16. Lucas Herbert
17. Thomas Detry
18. Paul Waring
19. Romain Langasque
20. Alexander Levy
21. Scott Jamieson
22. Victor Perez
23. Andrew Johnston
24. Matthieu Pavon
25. Victor Dubuisson
February 5, 2019
ISPS Handa Vic Open Fantasy Preview
The European Tour takes its talent to Australia for the inaugural Vic Open, at least in terms of it being on the Euro Tour schedule.
The event will feature men and women playing alongside each other for all four rounds.
With that many golfers in action, they utilize two courses during rounds one and two. The host course is the Beach Course which is a links-style layout that starts in a residential area before the linksland opens up at the fifth hole. It’s a par 72 that will play under 6800 yards for the men and under 6500 yards for the ladies. SHORTTTT.
Each golfer will also see a round at the Creek Course which is Nick Faldo Design. It’s also a par 72 and plays at just over 6,900 yards. Against, incredibly short. Played right on the coast, wind will likely play its part by week’s end.
The grasses are a bit unique as they are described as native couch grass with fescue added to the mix to help when the couch grass is dormant. I would guess this closely correlates with performance on bentgrass but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Let’s have a look at some stats to see if we can pick up a course-fit scent.
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Jorge Campillo
Andrew Johnston
Nicolas Colsaerts
Aaron Rai
Jeunghun Wang
Ryan Fox
Jake McLeod
Paul Dunne
Jarryd Felton
Gregory Bourdy
Top Performers against Weak Fields (since 2015)
Wade Ormsby
Andrew Johnston
Jorge Campillo
Paul Dunne
Thomas Aiken
Jason Scrivener
Jeunghun Wang
Lucas Herbert
Jake McLeod
Jarryd Felton
Top Performers in Oceania (since 2015)
Andrew Dodt
Jake McLeod
Jarryd Felton
Jason Scrivener
Adam Bland
Anthony Quayle
Matthew Griffin
Terry Pilkadaris
Wade Ormsby
Matthew Millar
Top Performers in the Winter (since 2015)
Jorge Campillo
Andrew Johnston
Thomas Aiken
Jason Scrivener
Jeunghun Wang
Gregory Bourdy
Ryan Fox
Sihwan Kim
Adrian Otaegui
James Morrison
Top Performers on Short Courses (since 2015)
Paul Dunne
Ryan Fox
Adrian Otaegui
Andrew Johnston
Jorge Campillo
Thomas Aiken
Wade Ormsby
Aaron Rai
Callum Shinkwin
Ashley Chesters
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: NONE
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Jorge Campillo, Andrew Beef Johnston
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: Jason Scrivener, Ryan Fox, Jake McLeod, Wade Ormsby, Thomas Aiken, Paul Dunne, Jeunghun Wang, Jarryd Felton
My Top 25 for the 2019 Vic Open
1. Lucas Herbert
2. Ryan Fox
3. Jason Scrivener
4. Jorge Campillo
5. Andrew Johnston
6. Adrian Otaegui
7. Aaron Rai
8. Justin Harding
9. Thomas Aiken
10. Jake McLeod
11. Nicolas Colsaerts
12. Sihwan Kim
13. Paul Dunne
14. Callum Shinkwin
15. Scott Hend
16. James Morrison
17. Ashley Chesters
18. David Drysdale
19. Jarryd Felton
20. Wade Ormsby
21. Nick Flanagan
22. Anthony Quayle
23. Matthew Griffin
24. Robert Macintyre
25. Peter Senior
January 29, 2019
Saudi International Fantasy Preview
The European Tour heads to Saudi Arabia for the inaugural edition of this event.
There is plenty of controversy brewing with this event. I have to admit I wasn’t aware of the appalling human rights issues that are going on in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps one good thing that will come from this event is drawing attention to those issues for people like me who generally steer clear of political issues.
Heading to Royal Greens G&CC this week, golfers will see a par 70 that plays around 7,000 yards. That is definitely on the short side. Played near the coast, wind will be the biggest defense of the course.
With paspalum grasses across the property (plus ryegrass rough), we should see slow greens and soft conditions. If the wind doesn’t blow the field should tear this course apart. At the same time, this course was just opened last year so the grass is likely still young which often means firmer, bouncy greens. It will be interesting to see how easy or tough this course plays. Right now it’s all just guessing games.
There is water on five holes.
Let’s dig through some past Euro Tour results to see who might like this layout…
Top Performers on Par 70s (since 2015)
Mike Lorenzo-Vera
Richard Sterne
Lee Westwood
Ryan Fox
Scott Hend
Aaron Rai
Justin Rose
Fabrizio Zanotti
Robert Rock
Nacho Elvira
Top Performers against Strong Fields (since 2015)
Henrik Stenson
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Patrick Reed
Ian Poulter
Dustin Johnson
Bernd Wiesberger
Ross Fisher
Lee Westwood
Hao Tong Li
Top Performers in the Middle East (since 2015)
Justin Rose
Henrik Stenson
Sergio Garcia
Bernd Wiesberger
Joost Luiten
Alejandro Canizares
Dustin Johnson
Thomas Pieters
Ian Poulter
Victor Dubuisson
Top Performers in the Winter (since 2015)
Joost Luiten
Henrik Stenson
Bernd Wiesberger
Pablo Larrazabal
Sergio Garcia
Jorge Campillo
Thomas Pieters
Ian Poulter
Alejandro Canizares
Lee Westwood
Golfers that show up on all FOUR lists: NONE
Golfers that show up on 3-of-4 lists: Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger
Golfers that show up on 2-of-4 lists: Dustin Johnson, Thomas Pieters, Joost Luiten, Alejandro Canizares
My Top 25 for the 2019 Saudi
1. Bryson DeChambeau
2. Dustin Johnson
3. Sergio Garcia
4. Ian Poulter
5. Justin Rose
6. Brooks Koepka
7. Henrik Stenson
8. Matt Wallace
9. Thomas Pieters
10. Hao Tong Li
11. Andy Sullivan
12. Ryan Fox
13. Lee Westwood
14. Joost Luiten
15. Patrick Reed
16. Thorbjorn Olesen
17. Bernd Wiesberger
18. Ross Fisher
19. Jordan Smith
20. Romain Langasque
21. Jorge Campillo
22. Tom Lewis
23. Justin Harding
24. Thomas Detry
25. Matthias Schwab
January 22, 2019
Omega Dubai Desert Classic Fantasy Preview
Staying in the Middle East for the second of a three-leg swing, the Euro Tour heads to Dubai for the Desert Classic.
Played at Emirates GC, this event has been played here since the inaugural 1989 edition.
The course angles we’ll look at this week are very similar to last week’s event, except the test is much shorter this week. It is a par 72 and plays right around 7,300 yards but on a hole-by-hole level there are a few short par 4s and a few short par 5s to let all styles of golf succeed.
The field has averaged 71.43 over the last 10 years which is on the easy side of the spectrum. Over the last 5 years it’s gotten a bit easier with the field averaging 71.03 over that stretch.
Even though it’s in the desert, there is water in play on 10 holes, much like last week. The course uses Bermudagrass but the rough has been overseeded with rye. Unlike past editions, the fairways have not been overseeded this year which should yield firm and fast conditions. If you are hitting it into the rough it should be pretty sticky still. That should benefit some of the short knockers as they can take less club off the tee and use the roll of the fairways to their advantage.
For more about the course go have a look at The Fantasy Golfanac.
Also check out Dave Tindall’s Rotoworld Preview for some great information on the course, weather, and golfers to consider this week.
Now let’s dig through some past Euro Tour results to see who might like this layout…
Top Performers on Bermuda (since 2015)
Tyrrell Hatton
Henrik Stenson
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Sergio Garcia
Byeong Hun An
Tommy Fleetwood
Joost Luiten
Bernd Wiesberger
Pablo Larrazabal
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Henrik Stenson
Sergio Garcia
Tyrrell Hatton
Louis Oosthuizen
Bernd Wiesberger
Ross Fisher
Joost Luiten
Shane Lowry
Byeong Hun An
Tommy Fleetwood
Top Performers against Strong Fields (since 2015)
Henrik Stenson
Tyrrell Hatton
Tommy Fleetwood
Sergio Garcia
Byeong Hun An
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Shane Lowry
Bernd Wiesberger
Alexander Bjork
Ian Poulter
Top Performers in the Middle East (since 2015)
Henrik Stenson
Byeong Hun An
Tyrrell Hatton
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Bernd Wiesberger
Sergio Garcia
Joost Luiten
Tommy Fleetwood
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Martin Kaymer
Top Performers on Easy Courses (since 2015)
Tommy Fleetwood
Henrik Stenson
Shane Lowry
Bernd Wiesberger
Byeong Hun An
Tyrrell Hatton
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Thomas Pieters
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Lee Westwood
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: Tommy Fleetwood, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton, Byeong Hun An, and Bernd Wiesberger
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Sergio Garcia, Rafa Cabrera Bello
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Joost Luiten
My Top 25 for the 2019 Dubai Desert Classic
1. Henrik Stenson
2. Bryson DeChambeau
3. Louis Oosthuizen
4. Tommy Fleetwood
5. Ian Poulter
6. Rafa Cabrera Bello
7. Tyrrell Hatton
8. Shane Lowry
9. Byeong Hun An
10. Alexander Bjork
11. Matthew Fitzpatrick
12. Andy Sullivan
13. Joost Luiten
14. Sergio Garcia
15. Lee Westwood
16. Thomas Pieters
17. Hao Tong Li
18. Thorbjorn Olesen
19. Ryan Fox
20. Martin Kaymer
21. Bernd Wiesberger
22. Andrea Pavan
23. Matt Wallace
24. Ross Fisher
25. Tom Lewis
January 14, 2019
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Fantasy Preview
The Euro Tour returns from a four-week hiatus to kick off the Desert Swing.
The first stop is in Abu Dhabi.
The course is Abu Dhabi GC which has hosted this event since 2006 so there is plenty of history to lean on.
It’s a par 72 layout that stretches out well past 7,500 yards. Add in water hazards on 10 holes and you would think this would be a tough one. Especially when you add in the rust factor as many in the field will arrive without any competitive reps in over a month.
That hasn’t really been the case, though, as the field has averaged just 71.43 over the last 10 years. It’s been even easier over the last three editions (71.16). I’m thinking the pin placements or something with the course setup is on the easier side of the spectrum to allow these golfers to ease back into competition after the holidays.
Tommy Fleetwood has won back-to-back editions here and he’ll look to complete the threepeat this week. Some notable Americans have joined him with Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka padding their wallets to make the trip.
For more about the course go have a look at The Fantasy Golfanac or check out Matt Cooper’s Rotoworld Preview as he does a great job previewing the event.
Let’s dig through some past Euro Tour results to see who might like this layout…
Top Performers on Bermuda (since 2015)
Tyrrell Hatton
Henrik Stenson
Byeong Hun An
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Tommy Fleetwood
Bernd Wiesberger
Joost Luiten
Martin Kaymer
Dustin Johnson
Pablo Larrazabal
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Henrik Stenson
Branden Grace
Tyrrell Hatton
Ross Fisher
Bernd Wiesberger
Byeong Hun An
Tommy Fleetwood
Joost Luiten
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Alexander Bjork
Top Performers on Long Courses (since 2015)
Henrik Stenson
Branden Grace
Ross Fisher
Tommy Fleetwood
Byeong Hun An
Joost Luiten
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Matt Wallace
Lee Westwood
Tyrrell Hatton
Top Performers in the Middle East (since 2015)
Byeong Hun An
Henrik Stenson
Tyrrell Hatton
Bernd Wiesberger
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Tommy Fleetwood
Branden Grace
Joost Luiten
Dustin Johnson
Martin Kaymer
Top Performers on Easy Courses (since 2015)
Henrik Stenson
Tommy Fleetwood
Byeong Hun An
Bernd Wiesberger
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Tyrrell Hatton
Shane Lowry
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Andy Sullivan
Hao Tong Li
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: Tommy Fleetwood, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Byeong Hun An
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Joost Luiten, Bernd Wiesberger
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: Branden Grace
My Top 25 for the 2019 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championships
1. Henrik Stenson
2. Dustin Johnson
3. Louis Oosthuizen
4. Tommy Fleetwood
5. Ian Poulter
6. Kiradech Aphibarnrat
7. Matt Wallace
8. Branden Grace
9. Brooks Koepka
10. Rafa Cabrera Bello
11. Tyrrell Hatton
12. Pablo Larrazabal
13. Byeong Hun An
14. Shane Lowry
15. Thomas Pieters
16. Hao Tong Li
17. Andy Sullivan
18. Martin Kaymer
19. Ross Fisher
20. Alexander Bjork
21. Lee Westwood
22. Joost Luiten
23. Thorbjorn Olesen
24. Bernd Wiesberger
25. Kurt Kitayama
December 10, 2018
Alfred Dunhill Championship Fantasy Preview
The last event of the 2018 calendar year.
The Euro Tour stays in South Africa for the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Not to be confused with the Dunhill Links which takes place in Scotland.
The course is Leopard Creek which has hosted since 2005 but it skipped last season as the course underwent renovations.
Surrounded by beautiful nature, this venue sits about 1,000 feet above sea level which will have a tiny impact on distance but nothing compared to most South African stops.
The course is a par 72 that plays nearly 7,300 yards. There are at least six holes where water comes into play.
It has kikuyu fairways and rough and bentgrass on the greens. It’s a Gary Player Design.
For some quotes from past events, give a look at the Fantasy Golfanac.
Let’s dig through some past results to see who might like this layout…
Top Performers on Bentgrass (since 2015)
Branden Grace
Louis Oosthuizen
Bernd Wiesberger
Charl Schwartzel
Richard Sterne
Erik van Rooyen
Dylan Frittelli
Matt Wallace
George Coetzee
Dean Burmester
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Branden Grace
Bernd Wiesberger
Dylan Frittelli
Charl Schwartzel
Louis Oosthuizen
Matt Wallace
Richard Sterne
Pablo Larrazabal
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Jaco Van Zyl
Top Performers against Weak Fields (since 2015)
Charl Schwartzel
Matt Wallace
Branden Grace
Louis Oosthuizen
George Coetzee
Erik van Rooyen
Dylan Frittelli
Brandon Stone
Bernd Wiesberger
Dean Burmester
Top Performers in the Fall (since 2015)
Louis Oosthuizen
Dylan Frittelli
Branden Grace
Matt Wallace
Charl Schwartzel
Bernd Wiesberger
Kurt Kitayama
Peter Hanson
Tapio Pulkkanen
Richard Sterne
Top Performers in Africa (since 2015)
Branden Grace
Louis Oosthuizen
Charl Schwartzel
Dean Burmester
Trevor Fisher Jr.
Thomas Aiken
Romain Langasque
Kurt Kitayama
Dylan Frittelli
Jaco Van Zyl
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, and Dylan Frittelli
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Matt Wallace, Bernd Wiesberger
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: Dean Burmester, Richard Sterne
My Top 25 for the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Championship
1. Louis Oosthuizen
2. Branden Grace
3. Dylan Frittelli
4. Charl Schwartzel
5. Matt Wallace
6. Thomas Aiken
7. Kurt Kitayama
8. Victor Perez
9. Richard Sterne
10. George Coetzee
11. Dean Burmester
12. Brandon Stone
13. Chris Paisley
14. Erik van Rooyen
15. Romain Langasque
16. Sean Crocker
17. Alejandro Canizares
18. Max Schmitt
19. Gregory Bourdy
20. Scott Jamieson
21. Trevor Fisher Jr.
22. Matthieu Pavon
23. Adilson da Silva
24. Pablo Larrazabal
25. Jaco Van Zyl
December 4, 2018
South African Open Fantasy Preview
DraftKings is usually a punching bag for complaints but I have to give them credit when it’s due. They’ve posted some reasonable GPPs for this week for Euro Tour action. Bravo. Now let’s get on with the event…
The South African Open has basically swallowed up the Joburg Open which is a long-running, tri-sanctioned event.
With three tours involved, everyone wants to jam as many golfers into the field as possible. That leads to a field list that exceeds 200 golfers.
To get all golfers through before sunset, two courses are used. The Bushwillow and Firethorn courses at Randpark in Johannesburg. That means the altitude is about 5,000 feet above sea level which is about 6% of help in terms of increased yardage.
Let’s look at Bushwillow first. Golfers will only play one round here this week. It’s a Par 71 that plays to 7,114 yards. When you look at it on a hole-by-hole basis and then adjust for altitude, this grades out as the SHORTEST course on the European Tour.
The host course will be Firethorn which golfers will see three times this week. Last year it was played as a 72 for the Joburg Open but it will be played as a Par 71 this year, right around 7,500 yards which is 90 yards shorter than last year when it played as a par 72. This looks like a longer layout but when you adjust for altitude, it still falls slightly on the short side of the spectrum. That helps explain why Shubhankar Sharma lifted the trophy here last year. Short and tree-lined with altitude, sounds like the WGC-Mexico Championship where we saw Sharma contend as well.
Both courses feature kikuyu on the fairways and rough and then bentgrass on the greens.
For more info on the setup and golfer quotes, give a look at the Fantasy Golfanac or read Dave Tindall’s preview over on Rotoworld.
Let’s dig through some past results to see who might like this layout…
Top Performers on Bentgrass (since 2015)
Branden Grace
Bernd Wiesberger
Charl Schwartzel
Louis Oosthuizen
Richard Sterne
Dylan Frittelli
Erik van Rooyen
Matt Wallace
George Coetzee
Dean Burmester
Top Performers on Short Courses (since 2015)
George Coetzee
Pablo Larrazabal
Dylan Frittelli
Charl Schwartzel
Paul Peterson
Richard Sterne
Scott Jamieson
Erik van Rooyen
Jacques Blaauw
Dean Burmester
Top Performers against Weak Fields (since 2015)
Charl Schwartzel
Matt Wallace
George Coetzee
Branden Grace
Dylan Frittelli
Erik van Rooyen
Bernd Wiesberger
Richard Sterne
Dean Burmester
Brandon Stone
Top Performers in Altitude (since 2015)
Branden Grace
Louis Oosthuizen
Charl Schwartzel
Dean Burmester
Jacques Blaauw
Richard Sterne
Justin Walters
Trevor Fisher Jr.
Darren Fichardt
George Coetzee
Top Performers in Africa (since 2015)
Branden Grace
Louis Oosthuizen
Charl Schwartzel
Dean Burmester
Trevor Fisher Jr.
Richard Sterne
Dylan Frittelli
Jeunghun Wang
George Coetzee
Scott Jamieson
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmesters, George Coetzee, Richard Sterne
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Branden Grace, Dylan Frittelli
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: Louis Oosthuizen, Erik Van Rooyen
My Top 25 for the 2019 South African Open
1. Louis Oosthuizen
2. Dylan Frittelli
3. Matt Wallace
4. Dean Burmester
5. Erik van Rooyen
6. Branden Grace
7. Chris Paisley
8. Jacques Blaauw
9. Thomas Aiken
10. Pablo Larrazabal
11. Kurt Kitayama
12. Richard Sterne
13. Adilson da Silva
14. Matthieu Pavon
15. Trevor Fisher Jr.
16. Christiaan Bezuidenhout
17. Sean Crocker
18. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
19. Scott Jamieson
20. George Coetzee
21. Romain Langasque
22. David Drysdale
23. Darren Fichardt
24. Charl Schwartzel
25. Alejandro Canizares
November 28, 2018
Mauritius Open Fantasy Preview
The Euro Tour is splitting their talent pretty evenly across two events this week.
We talked about the Australian PGA Championship yesterday, but we also have a full field assembled on the island of Mauritius off the Eastern coast of Africa.
Playing this event for the fourth time, this will be the second time that Four Seasons GC at Anahita will host (2016). Jeunghun Wang won that event that features heavy winds.
The course itself is a par 72 that plays just over 7,400 yards. A pretty beefy test when you consider there are six par 4s over 450 yards. Unlike most events in Africa, they won’t get any aide from elevation, as this one is right near the coast.
This Ernie Els design features slow, Bermuda greens with overseeded rough. The field average was 74.92 last time around (+2.92 RTP) but like I mentioned, weather was a big problem that week.
Let’s dig through some past results to see who might like this layout…
Top Performers on Bermuda (since 2015)
Bernd Wiesberger
Dylan Frittelli
David Lipsky
Jeunghun Wang
George Coetzee
Romain Langasque
Thomas Aiken
Matthias Schwab
Paul Peterson
Haydn Porteous
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Bernd Wiesberger
Dylan Frittelli
Richard Sterne
Matthias Schwab
Jordan Smith
Jeunghun Wang
Nicolas Colsaerts
Jaco Van Zyl
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Fabrizio Zanotti
Top Performers against Weak Fields (since 2015)
George Coetzee
Bernd Wiesberger
Dylan Frittelli
Richard Sterne
Matthias Schwab
Benjamin Hebert
Jordan Smith
Thomas Aiken
Jeunghun Wang
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
Top Performers on Long Courses (since 2015)
Bernd Wiesberger
Jeunghun Wang
Jordan Smith
Dylan Frittelli
Jaco Van Zyl
Richard Sterne
Thomas Aiken
Matthias Schwab
Benjamin Hebert
Nicolas Colsaerts
Top Performers in the Fall (since 2015)
Dylan Frittelli
Bernd Wiesberger
Matthias Schwab
Nicolas Colsaerts
Richard Sterne
David Lipsky
Jordan Smith
Benjamin Hebert
David Drysdale
George Coetzee
Golfers that show up on all FIVE lists: Dylan Frittelli, Bernd Wiesberger, Matthias Schwab
Golfers that show up on 4-of-5 lists: Jordan Smith, Richard Sterne, Jeunghun Wang
Golfers that show up on 3-of-5 lists: George Coetzee, Thomas Aiken, Nicolas Colsaerts, Benjamin Hebert
My Top 25 for the 2019 Mauritius Open
1. Dylan Frittelli
2. Matthias Schwab
3. Jordan Smith
4. Nicolas Colsaerts
5. Thomas Aiken
6. Jeunghun Wang
7. Richard Sterne
8. George Coetzee
9. Adilson da Silva
10. David Drysdale
11. Benjamin Hebert
12. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
13. David Lipsky
14. Romain Langasque
15. Fabrizio Zanotti
16. Ernie Els
17. Christiaan Bezuidenhout
18. Trevor Fisher Jr.
19. Bernd Wiesberger
20. Jose-Filipe Lima
21. Jaco Van Zyl
22. Victor Perez
23. Haydn Porteous
24. Paul Peterson
25. Matthieu Pavon
November 27, 2018
Australian PGA Championship Fantasy Preview
The European (World) Tour heads to a few continents this week after a stop in Hong Kong last week. Now they are in Africa and Australia. This will focus on Australia and I will touch on Mauritius in the morning.
Heading to the RACV Royal Pines Resort for the fourth year in a row, we have some history on this venue.
Royal Pines is a par 72 that plays just under 7,400 yards. It’s a few miles from the coast so steady winds are to be expected. The scoring environment will be directly correlated with the winds this week.
For grass types we have bermudagrass that are stimped to run at just 10 feet (SLOW).
The course was redesigned in 2015 and the grasses have been slow to mature but Adam Scott touched on that issue last year, saying they were starting to mature nicely last year.
You can read more about the course over at the Fantasy Golfanac.
Let’s have a look at some past results to see who might like this layout…
Top Performers on Bermuda (since 2015)
Harold Varner III
Cameron Smith
Jason Scrivener
Sam Brazel
Andrew Johnston
Jordan Zunic
James Morrison
Ryan Fox
Scott Hend
Adrian Otaegui
Top Performers on Par 72s (since 2015)
Andrew Johnston
Marc Leishman
Ryan Fox
Cameron Smith
Jake McLeod
Harold Varner III
Adrian Otaegui
Jarryd Felton
James Morrison
Wade Ormsby
Top Performers against Weak Fields (since 2015)
Wade Ormsby
Andrew Johnston
Harold Varner III
Lucas Herbert
Jason Scrivener
Cameron Smith
Adrian Otaegui
Jake McLeod
Jarryd Felton
Ricardo Gouveia
Top Performers in the Fall (since 2015)
Jason Scrivener
Harold Varner III
Marc Leishman
Lucas Herbert
Wade Ormsby
Cameron Smith
Jordan Zunic
Ricardo Gouveia
Andrew Johnston
Adrian Otaegui
Golfers that show up on all FOUR lists: Cameron Smith, Harold Varner III, Adrian Otaegui, Andrew Johnston
Golfers that show up on 3-of-4 lists: Jason Scrivener, Wade Ormsby
Golfers that show up on 2-of-4 lists: Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Ryan Fox, Jake McLeod, Ricardo Gouveia, Jordan Zunic, Jarryd Felton, James Morrison
My Top 25 for the 2019 Australian PGA Championship
1. Cameron Smith
2. Marc Leishman
3. Jake McLeod
4. Harold Varner III
5. Adrian Otaegui
6. Lucas Herbert
7. Ryan Fox
8. Jason Scrivener
9. Wade Ormsby
10. Sean Crocker
11. Andrew Johnston
12. Ricardo Gouveia
13. Jarryd Felton
14. Anthony Quayle
15. Marcus Fraser
16. Gaganjeet Bhullar
17. Matthew Nixon
18. Gavin Green
19. Adam Bland
20. Curtis Luck
21. Renato Paratore
22. John Senden
23. Rod Pampling
24. Scott Hend
25. Ryan Evans
