Damien Kayat previews the 2023 ISPS Handa World Invitational.
2022/2023 DP World Tour/ LPGA Tour/ Ladies European Tour
ISPS Handa World Invitational
Galgorm Spa & Golf, Ballymena, Northern Ireland
17th– 20th August
This will be the first DP World Tour event since Brian Harman sauntered away with the Claret Jug at Hoylake. And the tour returns with one of the gimmickier events out there: the ISPS Handa World Invitational. The ISPS Handa World Invitational came into existence as a Challenge Tour event in 2013. It was elevated to full DP World Tour status in 2021, as Keith Pelley and his cohorts attempted to freshen up the tour in the wake of the pandemic. The ISPS Handa World Invitational is a mixed event that is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour. The men and women will play the same course at the same time and there will be equal prize money on the line. But unlike the recent Scandinavian Mixed event, there will be separate men’s and women’s champs this week. And it would really be disingenuous of me to really make much of a stab at the women’s draw this week.
Like last year, this event will alternate between two different courses throughout the first two days. Host course Galgorm will exclusively host the weekend action. The first two days will alternate between Galgorm and Castlerock Golf Cub. Castlerock Golf Club replaces Massereene Golf Club this year and it is said to be a true links test. Galgorm Castle Golf Club has been the host course of this event since its inception in 2013. It also hosted the Irish Open in 2020. It is a stern, tree-lined test and the rough is extremely penal. It’s little surprise that the surgical John Catlin won the Irish Open title here in 2020. It’s very scorable if you are able to hit the fairways (Ferguson shot a 61 here on the first day last year). There aren’t many stats to go on but I would favour accurate types who can run hot on the greens.
Robert Macintyre will be the key attraction this week. He currently finds himself nestled in an automatic Ryder Cup qualification spot and a solid showing here will further help his claim. Other Ryder Cup hopefuls in the field include Adrian Otaegui and Victor Perez. Ewen Ferguson will be back to defend his title this week while Tom McKibben will receive a hero’s welcome on home soil in Northern Ireland. 2020 Irish Open champ John Catlin is also in the field this week. This is hardly an elite field and it could really be anyone’s tournament this week.
Past Winners (as DP World Tour event)
2022: Ewen Ferguson (-12)
2021: Daniel Gavins (-13)
Betting Favourites (To Win)
Robert Macintyre (12/1), Victor Perez (14/1), Ewen Ferguson (16/1), Romain Langasque (20/1), Tom McKibbin (22/1)
Value Bets
Marcus Kinhult- To Win (40/1), To Place (17/2)
I think there’s some value in backing 2019 British Masters champion Marcus Kinhult. He has been slightly frustrating of late but he still comes into this event off the back of ten successive made cuts. You have to back to the Dubai Desert Classic to find his last top 10 finish. Still, he has the sort of game that should suit this course. He drives the ball relatively straight and he is tidy around the greens. He also shot a 64 in the 2nd round at Galgorm last season. He comes into this event with some solid Stateside form, finishing T14 at the Barbasol and 20th at the Barracuda Championship.
Casey Jarvis- To Win (50/1), To Place (11/1)
This is a weak field and I think there’s value in backing a player with strong Challenge Tour form. And nobody is currently playing better than Casey Jarvis on the Challenge Tour. The young South African leads the Race to Mallorca standings and he will certainly be a DP World Tour player next year. He has a victory and three runner-up finishes this year. He has played in three events co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour this year, finishing in the top 25 in two of those. He clearly isn’t overawed by this stage and I think he could thrive in this field.
The Man to Beat- Adrian Otaegui- To Win (22/1), To Place (48/10)
I’m willing to overlook Spaniard Adrian Otaegui’s recent poor form. The tour has had a nice break and this will have given players the time to recharge ahead of the season’s climatic run-in. Also, Otaegui will still be harbouring outside hopes of competing in this year’s Ryder Cup side. So, he should be highly motivated this week. He finished runner-up at the KLM Open in late May and he actually sat 7th at the halfway point of the Open Championship. So, it’s hardly as if he is stuck in an abyss of poor form. But my main criteria for choosing Otaegui is statistical: he currently ranks 1st on the entire tour in Driving Accuracy. That is a huge bellwether for success around here and I am willing to look past some slightly indifferent recent form.
