European Open Preview
As the European Tour preps for another edition of the European Open, they will head to Germany for a third straight year.
There is a new challenger when it comes to playing host course, though. The North Course at Green Eagle Golf Course will take the duties. If you read the course description on their website, you might believe this is the hardest course on the planet. I guess we’ll see how that plays out this week.
It’s a long par 72 layout, nearly 7,600 yards, with bentgrass greens and water in play on 17-of-18 holes. The last time Alexander Levy won (Volvo China Open) I wrote down a mental note to play him on any course with lots of water (I also have that same note for Daniel Berger on the PGA TOUR). Levy also won this event last year on a different course, that layout was a Langer design with water in play on nearly every hole, as well.
Let’s get right down to business and check out some performance stats based on this week’s layout:
Top Performers on Bentgrass (since 2015)
Patrick Reed
Bradley Dredge
Joost Luiten
Richard Sterne
Charl Schwartzel
Alexander Bjork
Rikard Karlberg
Alexander Levy
Gregory Bourdy
Paul Dunne
Top Performers in Europe (since 2015)
Joost Luiten
Bradley Dredge
Rikard Karlberg
Richard Sterne
James Morrison
Gregory Bourdy
Alexander Bjork
Alexander Levy
Anthony Wall
Richie Ramsay
Top Performers on Par 72 Courses (since 2015)
Charl Schwartzel
Joost Luiten
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Richard Sterne
Bradley Dredge
Gregory Bourdy
Alexander Bjork
Patrick Reed
Jordan Smith
Peter Hanson
Top Performers against Weak Fields (since 2015)
Charl Schwartzel
Joost Luiten
Gregory Bourdy
Richard Sterne
Bradley Dredge
David Lipsky
Robert Rock
David Howell
Romain Wattel
Trevor Fisher Jr.
Top Performers on Long Courses (since 2015)
Charl Schwartzel
Gregory Bourdy
Jordan Smith
Joost Luiten
Bradley Dredge
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Alejandro Canizares
Kristoffer Broberg
Trevor Fisher Jr.
Ashun Wu
Golfers that show up on all five lists: Joost Luiten, Bradley Dredge, and Gregory Bourdy
Golfers that show up on four-of-five lists: Charl Schwartzel, Richard Sterne
Golfers that show up on three-of-five lists: Alexander Bjork
Golfers that show up on two-of-five lists: Patrick Reed, Alexander Levy, Kiradech Aphirbarnrat, Rikard Karlberg, Jordan Smith, Trevor Fisher Jr.
My Top 25 for the 2017 European Open
1. Patrick Reed
2. Joost Luiten
3. Charl Schwartzel
4. Bradley Dredge
5. Alexander Levy
6. Jordan Smith
7. Alexander Bjork
8. Gregory Bourdy
9. Richard Sterne
10. Thorbjorn Olesen
11. Paul Dunne
12. Julian Suri
13. Richie Ramsay
14. Peter Hanson
15. Jorge Campillo
16. Anthony Wall
17. Maximilian Kieffer
18. Rikard Karlberg
19. Graeme Storm
20. Jamie Donaldson
21. Benjamin Hebert
22. Scott Jamieson
23. Robert Rock
24. James Morrison
25. Austin Connelly
