European Grand Prix

For the second year in a row, this event is held the week after the US Open and the effect on the field is as expected. However, as last year, both Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke do play. In their absence, this would be a woeful field.

The parkland course is quite long at 7100 yards and as the course compatibility figures suggest, length is important this week. The greens are usually excellent and so long as the current excellent weather holds out - the 1998 event was abandoned due to waterlogging of the the course - there should be some excellent golf on view. After the hostility of conditions last week, it will be refreshing to see more than just one player make birdies!

Lee Westwood heads the ratings by quite a distance and it is totally warranted. He has two top-5 finishes in the last two completed events here and is not one whose golf suffers from jetlag. Top-ranked in current form and second-ranked in course form, he looks the automatic choice for this event and provided his game did not suffer too much of a battering at Pebble Beach, the 11/2 outright at the Starnet books looks attractive particularly as it is a couple of points higher than at most of the British books.

It is also hard to ignore Darren Clarke as he was 2nd and 1st in his last two European Tour events before leaving for Pebble Beach. He is strong enough to put last week's disappointment behind him and in such a weak field, then if Westwood were not to win this, then Darren Clarke certainly should. A little less attractive than the 11/2 on Westwood, but the 6/1 on offer at William Hill and the Starnet books could be a worthy insurance.

The outsider this week is Jamie Spence. He has already won the Moroccan Open this year and has finishes of 9th (1996), 6th (1997) and 11th (1999) on this course, plus he was very prominent before the event was abandoned in 1998. A true course specialist and with a field lacking Tour winners, he looks good at the each-way price of 40/1 at Victor Chandler who pay 1/4 odds on the top-5 places [most places pay on the top-4 only].

Will have 72-hole plays after the 1st round tee-times have been released.

72-hole plays:

David Carter to beat John Bickerton -110 @ Intertops
Carter has been 2nd and 6th on his two visits here, Bickerton finished 9th in 1996, but has since missed the cut twice. With much more consistent current form, Carter looks a much better prospect

Alastair Forsyth to beat Jean-Francois Remesy -111 @ Easybets
Probably not a matchup to survive the cut, but the rookie Forsyth is an exciting prospect and looks good when he makes the cut. He should do in a weak field, but this is also a problem for Remesy and on his only visit here it lasted just two days. Youth to prevail

Ian Garbutt to beat Greg Owen -111 @ Easybets
Top-10 finishes in Garbutt's last two events, missed cuts in Owen's last three events. Added to 24th here last year for Garbutt and a missed cut for Owen, this should be another mid-table battle that doesn't make it to the weekend

Adding:

Ian Garbutt to beat Greg Owen -111 @ Easybets [2 units]
Have looked at this more closely in respect of the tee-times and really like this matchup - upgraded to banker status

Jamie Spence to beat David Park +100 @ Easybets [2 units]
Course specialist Spence should produce another top-10 finish here; Park may be the defending champion [was only his 2nd European Tour event!], but has broken 70 once in last five tournaments

Adding:

Mark James to beat Brian Davis -110 @ SIA
The former Ryder Cup's game is somewhat rejuvenated at the moment and he's reveling in the controversy about his Ryder Cup book - he's finished 2nd and 8th in his last two starts. Davis has been impressive this year, but wildly inconsistent. James should be top-20 at least, Davis could finish anywhere

Finally the Sportingbet lines are up, so adding:

Jamie Spence to beat Brian Davis -111 @ Sportingbet [2 units]
Just a combination of the reasons above on why to support Spence this week and why to never back Davis; very generous price!

Halfway round-up:

It may have been very blustery and difficult for the golfers so far, but when two of your picks miss the cut with scores of +19 [Alastair Forsyth] and +16 [Mark James] then it's a little embarrassing. Forsyth lost by thirteen to Remesy and James by eight to Davis. Two other plays were also concluded at the halfway cut, though these were both wins: Spence beat Park by fourteen and Garbutt missed the cut by one, though he still managed to beat Owen by one shot as well. Only two plays remain live, but both these are looking good: Spence leads Davis by nine and Carter leads Bickerton by three.

As for the outright bets, Westwood leads the event by three shots, Clarke lies in 6th place eight shots behind and the e/w bet, Spence, lies in 5th place, seven shots behind Westwood and 5th place would be enough for a place win. With the two losses so far being one unit plays, looks like another good week on the Euro Tour.

Final update: 4-2 and +5.79 units for the week; for outright bets: 1-2 and +3.50 units

Only two plays were still alive after the cut and both these were winners. Spence beat Davis by nine shots and Carter beat Bickerton by six shots. Of the three outright wagers, Westwood won the event (@ 11/2), Clarke was 3rd and Spence was 6th, agonizingly one place outside being a winner @ 40/1 e/w.