The DP World Tour crosses borders this week with the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, Vilamoura, Portugal.
The 118 field with the top 65 including ties making it to the weekend will all be competing for a share of the €2M prize purse with the winner collecting the Portugal Masters title and a winner's cheque for €333,330.
Thomas Pieters returns to defend the title he won here last year when seeing off the chasing pack with two shots to spare. His winning scorecard read 265, -19.
Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course will be playing 7,191 yards long this week, it’s a par 71 parkland layout that will definitely suit the big hitters .
With the DP World Tour nearing its close for the season and the PGA Tour season just beginning I always advise keeping stakes at a minimum at this time of the year on the golfing calendar. It’s hard to single out winners at the best of times but even more so at this time of the year.
We couldn’t pick out the winners last weekend but we were certainly knocking on the door. Jon Rahm fell just short with a T4th place and Sam Burns finished T7th but better news with the Naps as both landed yet again including the SuperBanker Nap, and Rory McIlroy to finish inside the Top 10. Why I didn’t pick the Irishman to win outright I’ll never know. With eleven outright winners this year, I’m looking for at least one more for the dozen so hopefully this weekend we can hit that target together.
The weather is forecast to be mostly sunny and warm with some cloudy intervals. Breezes are expected to peak at around 10mph.
This event will be screened on Sky Sports Golf with live coverage starting at 1 pm on Thursday afternoon.
So let’s move on with this week's betting tips at the Portugal Masters.
Nicolai Hojgaard 22/1 EW 1-6 places William Hill
For my first and main selection at Vilamoura, I’m going to point you all in the direction of Nicolai Hojgaard 22/1 EW 1-6 places William Hill. The 21 yrs old from Billund in Denmark has already won an event on the DP World Tour this year and could be eyeing up another this weekend. This venue is a big hitters' paradise and will suit Hojgaard’s game to a Tee, pardon the pun . He finished 16th last week at the Mallorca Open which could have been much better if not carding a poor final round 74.
Winner at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship earlier in the year as well as bagging the Italian Open in 2121, this kid has what most in this field don’t, not one but two DP World Tour crowns. On the stats front, the one that sticks out a mile is probably the most important this week.
This season Nicolai Hojgaard ranks 5th on the DP World Tour for Driving Distance, he’s averaging 322.38 yards Off The Tee and if he arrives in Portugal striking the ball like that then he will be well on his way to making it a hat-trick of victories when he’s crowned the Portugal Masters Champ on Sunday afternoon.
- Nicolai Hojgaard 22/1 EW 1-6 places William Hill
Robert MacIntyre 14/1 EW Bet365
For my next best selection I’m going to single out Robert MacIntyre 14/1 EW Bet365. The 26-year-old Scotsman from the Gateway to the Highlands finished inside the Top 10 last time out with a 9th place finish at the Andalucia Masters and has nine Top 20 finishes this year which include a victory and two respectable finishes at majors.
Winner at the Italian Open just a few weeks back along with 34th at the USPGA Championship and 23rd at The Masters means it’s been yet another fantastic year for The Flying Scotsman. In his last four events entered, Bob hasn’t finished any worse than 20th with, two Top 10s and the victory mentioned above.
Bob can usually smash the ball over 300yards and he has a hot putter to back that up. With spectacular recent form as well as Bob really enjoying his game at the moment, he has all the tools in the bag to make it another W on the DP World Tour when he bags the Portugal Masters in the sunshine this weekend.
- Robert MacIntyre 14/1 EW Bet365
Victor Perez 18/1 EW Bet365
For my next betting tip, I’m going to recommend Victor Perez 18/1 EW Bet365. The 30 yrs old Frenchman is another with a victory in the bag this year when scooping the Dutch Open, he has also hit the bar on a few occasions. He has four Top 10 finishes this year which include three inside the Top 5.
The win at the Dutch Open as well as 8th at the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain, T3rd at the European Porsche Open and 3rd also at the Italian Open. Perez is another who will appreciate this track and can use his long straight driving abilities along with Greens in Regulation figures to help him get another trophy in the cabinet.
He’s ranked just inside the World's Top 100 players and he’ll make sure that his 93rd place improves when he shoots way up the rankings when doubling up in 2022 with another win.
- Victor Perez 18/1 EW Bet365
For my final betting tip, it’s the customary match bet and for this week's NAP at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course I’m going to advise Victor Perez again but this time to beat Antoine Rozner over the 72 holes 10/11 Nap Bet365.
Portugal Masters Betting Tips
- Nicolai Hojgaard 22/1 EW 1-6 places William Hill
- Robert MacIntyre 14/1 EW Bet365
- Victor Perez 18/1 EW Bet365
- Victor Perez to beat Antoine Rozner over the 72 holes 10/11 Nap Bet365
