The European Tour continues this week with the Open de Espana at Club de Campo, Villa de Madrid, Madrid.
The 132 field will all be competing around this par 71 parkland lay out for the €1.5m purse with the winner collecting the title and €250,000.
World No.1 Jon Rahm returns to Spain as the hot favourite after winning this event in 2019 with five shots to spare over the field, last years event was cancelled.
The weather is forecast to be warm and sunny throughout the tournament with little or no breezes.
This event will be screened on Sky Sports Golf with live coverage starting at 1pm GMT on Thursday.
Last week on the European Tour we were unlucky not to bag another winner but we got second best with Tyrrell Hatton finishing in the runners-up spot at the Dunhill Links Championship, but still decent each way value at 18/1.
Over on the PGA Tour we did however single out the winner with Sam Burns winning the the Sanderson Farms Championship at an advised 16/1 to take our profits this year alone to over the £4000 mark to just £10 stakes.
So let’s try and keep those winners coming in week after week starting with the Spanish Open.
Adri Arnaus
For my first and main selection this week in Madrid I’m going to single out Adri Arnaus 35/1 EW 1-7 places Betfair.
I’m trying so hard here to oppose Rahm at such a short price and Arnaus could be the answer. The 26yr old from Barcelona is back on home soil and finished 4th here last time out in 2019.
The young Spaniard is still looking for that elusive maiden European Title and it could happen this weekend in Madrid.
He has finished inside the Top 25 in two of his last three events , 24th last weekend at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and 12th at the Italian Open just a couple of weeks back.
He seems to play his best golf in his homeland, 4th at the Canary Islands Championship and 8th at the Tenerife Open both earlier this year.
I just feel Arnaus will put on a show in front of home fans this week and if not winning then certainly challenging on the back nine at Sunday’s final round so 35/1 with seven places available looks huge.
Joakim Lagergren
For my next selection I’m going to advise Joakim Lagergren 90/1 EW Bet365.
The 29yr old from Stockholm, Sweden seems to be a tad overpriced in my book especially after his T2nd finish last weekend at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
It’s probably fair to say that the young Swede's form this year hasn’t been anything special apart from last weeks effort on the three links courses, St Andrew's Old Course, Carnoustie & Kingsbarns. However, I’ve just got an inkling that last week's performance will spur Lagergren on and he will come to Madrid full of confidence and possibly double up on his European Titles after winning the Sicilian Open in 2018.
It’s actually the price I’m backing here more that the player, if you look around the markets the Swede is as low as 50/1 with some firms so my advice is hurry up and grab the 90/1 each way while it’s available, knowing that just a place returns a tidy profit.
Jon Rahm
For my next pick I’m sorry after much consideration I simply cannot leave out the World No.1 Jon Rahm 9/4 Ladbrokes. My job is to pick winners and as much as I want to oppose Rahm at such a skinny price, it just wouldn’t be sensible to advise otherwise, Rahm is the World No1 for a reason.
Still only 26 years old, the kid from Barrika in the Basque Country is simply a model of consistency. Just check this out and you’ll realise why I can’t rule out Rahm this weekend; At his last nine tournaments Rahm has finished inside the Top 10 on no less than seven occasions.
Now what makes that even more special is that two were victories with one being a major winning the US Open at Torrey Pines and 8th at the PGA Championship.
His recent performance at the Ryder Cup was stunning, putting most of the points on the board for Europe. I could go on writing about Rahm all day as he just ticks every box and is a role model for the sport.
He has the next two decades ahead of him to win lots of majors and titles on both the European and PGA stages and it could be yet another run away victory in Madrid this weekend for the best golfer on the planet Jon Rahm.
Adri Arnaus v Rafa Cabrera
For my final selection it’s the customary matchbet and this week I’m going to advise Adri Arnaus to get the better of his fellow countryman Rafa Cabrera Bello 1/1 Nap Betfair.
