Nicolas Colsaerts - E/w China Open

NICOLAS COLSAERTS 1PT E/W CHINA OPEN @ 22/1

This week the Europeantour celebrates its 40th anniversary. Few of the pioneers in the early 70s would have imagined that the tour would has expanded like it has, and fewer still would have believed that the european tour would host events in Africa, Asian and the Middle East. There’s a strong argument that the European tour is better than the exclusively USA PGA tour, and in terms of diversity of courses, conditions and players, it wins hands down. All it needs now is to match the PGA tour on prize money.
A week after the Malaysian Open, the tour moves on to Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club in Tianjin for the Volvo China Open. Since its inauguration as a main European tour event in 2005, the China Open has been won by a first-time tour winner on four occasions. Last year it was the turn of big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts to gain his maiden tour win eventually winning by four shots on 24-under. By winning his first event at the event, Colsaerts was following in the footsteps of Stephen Dodd (2005), Jeev Milkha Singh (2006) and Damien McGrane (2008). All of these feature in the line-up again and are joined by a few of the Tour’s big names including Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Peter Hanson who must fancy their chances this week.
Peter Hanson went into the final round of the Masters with a one-shot lead and held his nerve and touch pretty well considering for a closing 73 with two birdies in the last four holes. He’s a player I have admired this year and he must make the short-list. Three shots back in seventh place was Englishman Ian Poulter, another who is looking forward to getting back on the winning trail in Tianjin, from the 19th-22nd April – Poulter has won a couple of Volvo events and usually brings his game to Asia.
Francesco Molinari was in contention early on at Augusta and will be keen to do even better at the Volvo China Open. Both he and his brother Edoardo were in action at the Masters and will look forward to continuing their friendly rivalry. Former Open Champion Paul Lawrie was another who had a great week which included a hat-trick of birdies at the end of the second round. Paul Casey is still looking to get back to his best following his shoulder injury and will be keen to improve on his Masters performance, as will fellow Englishman Simon Dyson who won the Volvo China Open back in 2000.
The field also has a great mix of the experienced and the young with 2004 Open champion Todd Hamilton from the States and eight-time Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie combining with 15-year-old Volvo China Junior Championship winner, Chen Ze Shan Chuan. Home crowd favourite, Liang Wen Chong, will be hoping to make it a double celebration as his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child a few days ago. His place in the starting line-up is therefore confirmed and he will be keen to mark the event with a strong finish in his national open championship.
It’s been a great year so far for my golfing tips – following both European and PGA tours events each week, we’ve only had two losing weeks in 2012! And yet, for all that, I still feel it could have been so much better with the rub of the green. I hope that hasn’t jinxed my fortunes as I look at this week’s fields for the China Open and Texas Open in the states.
Paul Casey will be aiming to keep up his 100% record of finishing in the top four from his two appearances of the Volvo China Open. Both of these performances came when the tournament was played twice in the 2006 season. The Englishman beat Oliver Wilson in November 2005 at Shenzhen Golf Club in a play-off. As defending champion, he was tied fourth in April 2006 at Bejing Honghua International Golf Club.
Binhai Lake is a new Pete Dye-designed course created from reclaimed land in the old Binhai Lake. It will be a new experience for the majority of the field. From what I have seen of the course, it looks like a splendid feat of engineering, course design and landscaping. It would appear to offer an authentic links experience so the ability to play in wind is going to be essential, and I’m looking for my selections to have proven Links form. The greens, tees and fairways are all bent grass (Agrostis) and the roughs are Zoysia.
It’s been a great year so far for my golfing tips – following both European and PGA tours events each week, we’ve only had two losing weeks in 2012! And yet, for all that, I still feel it could have been so much better with the rub of the green. I hope that hasn’t jinxed my fortunes as I look at this week’s fields for the China Open and Texas Open in the states.
In 2011 Jamie Donaldson’s round of 61 (-11) in the Volvo China Open was the lowest total in relation to par during the 2011 European Tour season. Coincidentally, the Welshman carded a 61 (-11) in the 2012 Trophée Hassan II. This is to date the lowest 18 hole score this season and joint lowest to par.
This week I am looking for a player who ranks high on: driving accuracy and distance, putts per GIR, and with proven Links experience.
The qualifiers are: Peter Hanson, Van Zyl, Coetzee, Peter Hanson, Colsaerts, Brandon Grace (winner at Fancourt Links, SA another Volvo champions tournament) , Nicolas Colsaerts (3rd SA, 3rd Scottish Open), Eduardo Molinari and Francesco Molinari, Paul Lawrie, Ian Poulter, Stephen Gallacher (Scottish open, Gleneagles, SA), Chris Woods, Simon Dyson (won Irish Open last year), Peter Lawrie, George Coetzee, Larrazabal, Willett, Kruger, Lahiri, Hend.
That’s quite a long “short” list! Whittling it down, I’m going for:
Nicolas Colsaerts @ 22/1. Last year’s winner (although different course), high finishes on Links courses (e.g. Scottish Open), long hitter, in great form. No player has ever successfully defended China Open, but there’s always a first time.
Stephen Gallacher @ 66/1. Standout price with Stan James, could prove to be silly price come end of week. Solid Links form as you’d expect, great driving and GIR stats.
Francesco Molinari @ 28/1. Good Masters, greater putter, excellent tee-to-green, and some of his very best performances have come on Links courses.
Paul Lawrie @ 33/1. Game in really good nick, knows his way round a links course and windy conditions, already winner this year at Qatar Masters.
Chris Woods @ 50/1. Can boast a 3rd and 5th in British Open. Finished 2nd in Sicilian Open (windy conditions) and equalled course record last time out. Could have a big week.
Simon Dyson @ 40/1. Simon is an ex-Asian tour player who often saves his best golf for this continent. Winner of Irish Open in 2011, and looked to be on way back in Malaysian Open last time. Good for a place and knows how to win.

In Top-20 Finish Market, going for some value bets around the 4/1+ mark:
Liang Wen Chong @ 3/1. Local favourite who is playing well on Asian tour and will handle conditions better than most.
Danny Willett @ 9/5. Not a great price, but a great in-form player. Top-10 at Malaysian open, more beckons.
JBe Kruger @ 9/4. One of my outright tips last week and finished 16th having been top of the leaderboard at end of 2nd round. Showed a week temprement mid-round when things went against him but usually bounced back next day. Top-20 again.

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Posted on: 17.04.2012, 15.01 CET (Viewed: 117 times)
Match starts on: April 19, 2012

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