This will be the seventh renewal of the Turkish Airlines Open. It was originally a stop in the European Tour Final Series. It now carries Rolex Series status and could prove pivotal in defining many player’s seasons.
European Tour 2019 | Rolex Series
Turkish Airlines Open | The Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Antalya, Turkey
Thursday 7 November 2019 – Sunday 10 November 2019
Rory McIlroy’s sensational play-off victory over Xander Schauffele last week should serve as the ideal aperitif for the final three events of the season. The final three events close off the lucrative Rolex Series calendar. This will be the seventh renewal of the Turkish Airlines Open. It was originally a stop in the European Tour Final Series. It now carries Rolex Series status and could prove pivotal in defining many player’s seasons. The course returns to Montgomerie Maxx Royal after a three-year hiatus. Two-time defending champion Justin Rose will be looking for a historic three-peat that would really turn the heat up in the Race to Dubai standings.
The Montgomerie Maxx Royal was opened as recently as 2008. It is quite an untraditional par 72 layout, with the general ten par 4’s cut down to eight. Five par 3’s and five par 5’s round out this picturesque layout. Par 5 scoring could prove crucial in determining this week’s champion. This is a tree-lined, coastal course that has fairways of average width. The large, undulating greens are bentgrass and run at around 11 on the stimp. The course will be at the mercy of the players should wind not decide to take a part this week.
Bernd Wiesberger currently sits pretty atop the Race to Dubai standings. He will probably be feeling quite relived that a certain Northern Irish player has chosen to eschew this event. But Shane Lowry still lurks menacingly in the standings and will be looking to recapture some of that Royal Portrush magic. Justin Rose understandably leads the markets while Patrick Reed continues to show an endearing affinity to the European Tour. There will be many players jostling for position this week as the tour moves on to Sun City next. This should be an exhilarating ride at both ends of the golfing spectrum.
Past Winners
2018: Justin Rose (-17)*playoff
2017: Justin Rose (-18)
2016: Thorbjorn Olesen (-20)
2015: Victor Dubussion (-22)
2014: Brooks Koepka (-17)
Outright Betting (To Win)
Justin Rose (8/1)
Patrick Reed (11/1)
Tyrell Hatton (16/1)
Shane Lowry (16/1)
Matt Wallace (20/1)
Value Bets
Danny Willett
To Win (33/1), To Place (7/1)
The resurgence of Danny Willett has been one of the more heart-warming sub-plots on this year’s European Tour. Winning the season-defining BMW PGA Championship was obviously a crucial step in his re-emergence into the world’s top 30 golfers. He did finish way down the field in China, but I think that has only worked in making him a more attractive price. Willett also has decent course credentials when this event was played at Maxx Royal. He finished in a tie for 11th in 2015 and a tie for 4th in 2014. Willett loves tree-lined examinations, (Augusta and Wentworth), and he should be a real contender to add to his Rolex Series tally.
Shubhankar Sharma
To Win (110/1), To Place (24/1)
The 23-year-old Indian has been incrementally improving this year, flying somewhat below the radar. He rose to prominence with a sustained push for the prestigious BMW PGA Championship title at Wentworth: Sharma should be perfectly suited to this relatively short, tree-lined test. He has flirted with contention since, finishing in 7th place at a similarly classed Italian Open. He also hovered around the periphery of contention at the Portugal Masters. He should be hugely motivated this week, knowing an excellent week may propel him up the 15 places necessary to qualify for the Nedbank Golf Challenge. His wonderful tee-to-green game should come in handy on this par 5 dominated layout.
The Man to Beat
Eddie Pepperell
To Win (30/1), To Place (13/2)
I’m sure that Eddie Pepperrell would be the first to admit what a disappointing campaign this has been. Perhaps it started with his inability to force his way into last year’s Ryder Cup reckoning. Pepperell won two events in 2018 but has struggled to recapture that consistency. Having said that, he did mange to contend at TPC Sawgrass, looking well at home mixing it with the world’s golfing elite. He has managed two top 5’s on the European Tour, and he looked threatening last time out in Portugal: he had to settle for a tie for 6th. Pepperell is a precocious talent who just needs one weekend to regain his mojo. Pepperell currently sits inside the top 30 for par 5 scoring, which should prove a vital statistic this week.
