Check out our preview for the Oman Open which takes place at Al Mouj Golf, Muscat between 28 February and 3 March 2019.
European Tour – 28 February – 3 March – Al Mouj Golf, Muscat, Oman
This week sees the European Tour return to the Middle East for its second unofficial Middle East Swing. The players will be heading to the more established Qatar Masters next week. This is also the time of the season where the European Tour starts to struggle for relevance in relation to its monolithic American competitor. It’s the Honda Classic this week while the Player’s Championship looms just two weeks away. The tour travels to Oman for what will be the second edition of the Oman Open. Joost Luiten was sublime in capturing last year’s inaugural edition. And for the second consecutive year, this event will be held at Al Mouj Golf.
This is one of the newest venues to be enjoyed on the tour having only been opened as recently as 2012. The Greg Norman design is ostensibly a links-style affair which is extremely exposed and flat. The fairways are generous, though, the penalty for missing them is severe, with extremely daunting rough to get entangled in. The course is composed of the rather unique SeaDwarf Paspalum. The greens are undulating and large and the course will really need some wind to offer some protection. The course has been a regular fixture on the Challenge Tour, meaning many of the so-called lesser players will have greater familiarity with the course.
Joost Luiten leads the markets in his title defence. The mercurial Dutchman has a feat or fathom approach to events and will like to work on introducing more consistency to his game. Clearly, this event has not attracted the most stellar of fields. Speaking of mercurial, Alex Levy is always one to watch with your eyes closed. The man veers from brilliance to disaster with alarming alacrity. Thomas Pieters is a real ambassador to the European Tour, often teeing it up in these slightly less grandiose events. Ross Fisher is also one who will be keen to exploit the less decorated field this week.
Past Winners
2018: Joost Luiten (-16)
To Win Outright
Joost Luiten (10/1), Thomas Pieters (11/1), Alexander Levy (22/1), Ross Fisher (25/1), Justin Harding (28/1)
Joost Luiten (10/1), Thomas Pieters (11/1), Alexander Levy (22/1), Ross Fisher (25/1), Justin Harding (28/1)
Value Bets
Fabrizio Zanotti – To Win (60/1), To Place (13/1)
When you look at the makeup of this week’s field, it’s hard to look past proven European Tour winners with some history in this particular event. Fabrizio Zanotti is a two-time European Tour winner who managed a highly creditable 7th place here last season. The 35-year-old is also in decent form, having finished inside the top 30 in all four of the events he has played in this year. A player of his pedigree looks appealing at 60/1 in this largely truncated field.
Clement Sordet – To Win (60/1), To Place (13/1)
It’s perhaps not the worst idea to look at Challenge Tour specialists this week considering they may have added familiarity with this course. Sordet won at this course on the Challenge Tour in 2017. That gives him a unique appeal this week. He finished lower the down the pecking order last season in 37th, though, he will have no doubt learned from his experience with more illustrious company. He is also entering this week’s competition on the back of two decent performances. He finished well at the Perth Super 6 and enjoyed a top 10 at the Vic Open. He looks an absolute steal at 13/1 in the place markets.
The Man to Bet
Alex Levy – To Win (22/1), To Place (48/10)
Yes, I know he’s about as consistent as an M Night Shyamalan movie but at 22/1, Levy looks the only man to back in the upper echelons of the market. The multiple tour winner has proved himself to be something of a Paspalum specialist. He has won at Genzon and finished 3rd at the 2013 Thailand Golf Championship. He also finished 4th last year in the Dubai Desert Classic, further enhancing his case in these conditions. He finished 5th at the recent Saudi International and has the capacity to murder this course. Let’s just hope that that oft errant putter doesn’t let him down this week.
Written by Damien Kayat for Hollywoodbets
