The European Tour stays in the Canary Islands this week for the Tenerife Open, Golf Costa Adeje, Tenerife.
The Tenerife Open is the latest edition to the European Tour and the 153 field will be competing on the par 71 parkland course for the $1.5M prize money with the winner receiving $230,500.
This should be a birdie fest with low scoring on a track with six par threes and five par fives. That leaves only seven par fours to negotiate on this shorter layout.
If the winds stay down then I wouldn’t be surprised to see a winning scorecard reading -20 or better. The weather is forecast to be sunny and warm throughout with light to moderate breezes but there is a as chance of thunderstorms on Thursday's opening round.
The event will be screened live on Sky Sports Golf with coverage starting at 2pm GMT on Thursday.
Antoine Rozner
For my main selection in Tenerife this week I’m going to stick with a golfer I’ve advised previously, and cashed in with at 28/1 just a couple of months back, Antoine Rozner 18/1 EW Betfair.
I selected the 28 year old Frenchman last week in Gran Canaria where he could only manage a T15th place. It would have been much better if he never got off to a sluggish start on the first two days and only just made the cut. However he did have a fairly long lay off playing his previous tournament at the WGC Dell Matchplay in America just over a month earlier.
He did warm up over the weekend and started a surge but left himself with to much to do in the end. He did however manage a final bogey-free round shooting 64 on the scorecard and if he comes here with that form then he will be the one they all have to beat.
At the WGC Dell Matchplay he overcame both Bryson De Chambeau and Si Woo Kim so this shows just how talented the Frenchman actually is.
Rozner has already won on the European Tour this year winning the Qatar Masters and also won the Golf in Dubai Championship back in December. He enjoys playing in this part of the world and won the Challenge de Espana in 2019.
I mentioned in my preview last week that Rozner is a class above most of this field and his world ranking, currently 68th, backs that up.
He is striving for a place in the Ryder Cup team and is also looking for that top 50 position for an invitation to the US Open so has plenty to play for.
If Rozner can bring last weekend's form to Tenerife then he is most certainly going to be a major contender on the back nine at Sunday’s final round and a likely winner, this is why he is always on my radar.
Maximillian Kieffer
For my next suggestion I’m going to advise Maximillian Kieffer 33/1EW Betfair.
The talented 30 year old German has been knocking on the door recently and I can see him winning his maiden European Tour title sooner rather than later. He played some stunning golf last week at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and was unlucky to finish 2nd but the signs are there and the writing could be on the wall.
In his previous tournament the week before he was also an unlucky runner up at the Austrian Golf Open.
The German is another who enjoys his golf around these parts and has previously finished runner up at the Open de Espana along with a 5th place at the same tournament. He does have a victory to his name on the Challenge Tour when winning the Gujarat Kensville Challenge in India but would more than welcome a breakthrough victory on the European stage.
I just feel Kieffer's time is now to make that much needed breakthrough and he is currently producing the form of his career at just the right time. It's maybe best not to ignore this in Tenerife over the next few days. I’m backing him to be there or thereabouts yet again and I’ll include him also for a top 20 finish 6/4 Bet365.
Victor Dubuisson
For my next selection I’m going to single out Victor Dubuisson 33/1EW Bet365.
The 31 year old Frenchman seemed to disappear off the radar for a while but has re-emerged with some notable form. Five Top 25 finishes in his last seven tournaments suggest he’s just another one of those golfers to come back on the scene from nowhere.
The Frenchman was 21st at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open last week and at the event before he was 7th at the Kenya Savannah Classic. At the other Kenyan event the week prior he was 16th at the Kenya Open, these are all events in the past few weeks so he definitely has hit a rich vein of form.
Unlike most at this tournament Dubuisson can boast a victory on the European Tour, in fact make that two, when winning the Turkish Airlines open twice in a three year period. He also has some fine form at majors finishing 7th at the 96th PGA Championship and 9th at the 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
He certainly has the experience if bringing the form so comes here this week with every chance to make it win number three on the European Tour.
Maximilian Kieffer v Kurt Kitayama
For my final pick I’m going for the customary 72 hole match bet and I’m keeping the faith with Maximilian Kieffer to get the better of Kurt Kitayama.
