Damien Kayat previews the Mallorca Golf Open taking place in the scenic Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain.
2021 European Tour
Mallorca Golf Open
Golf Santa Ponsa I, Balearic Islands, Spain
21st-24th October
Let’s first address the Spanish bull in the room: Jon Rahm. Rahm looked shattered last week in his horrific 10-over-par showing at Valderrama. He has announced his plans to take a four-week break from golf to regroup. I think that’s the right move (even if it does put his World Number One ranking in real jeopardy). This week the tour will end its three-leg Iberian odyssey with the first-ever edition of the Mallorca Golf Open. This is just a one-off event intended to plug a hole in the pandemic-ravaged schedule. It will be interesting to see if this final Spanish event continues the trend of stellar champions. Rafa Cabrera Bello edged out Adri Arnaus at the Open de Espana while Matthew Fitzpatrick conquered the daunting Valderrama.
Designed by Folco Nardi and opened in 1977, Golf Santa Ponsa is a bit of a mystery this week. It has hosted six European Tour events previously, with Miguel Angel Jimenez winning the 1998 Turespana Masters with a score of -9. That doesn’t really jive with the information given on the venue’s website. They describe the course as amenable to all players. They also insist that the wide fairways will allow the big hitters to express themselves. I think that it’s probably foolhardy to base too much on results dating back 23 years. The evolution of equipment means that this course- which appears fairly small- should be chicken feed for the bombers. The only protection that it could offer is wind. Friday is the only day that has considerable wind predicted. I’m predicting a low-scoring affair that will favour the big-hitters.
This week’s line-up is certainly the weakest thus far during this swing (even if you take Jon Rahm’s absence out of the equation). None of the vanquished Ryder Cuppers will be in attendance this week. Former Ryder Cuppers Martin Kaymer and Thomas Pieters are amongst the most attractive names in this week’s roster. You have to think that Pieters could dominate this course with his power. Adri Arnaus was in the mix already during this spell and I’m sure he will be on many people’s lists of possible contenders. The likes of Canter, Johnstone and Catlin all looked in decent touch last week on the far more challenging Valderrama.
To Win Outright:
Thomas Pieters 18/1 | Andrew Johnston 20/1 | Laurie Canter 20/1 | Ryan Fox 22/1 | Adri Arnaus 22/1
Value Bets
Joachim B Hansen- To Win 33/1 | To Place 7/1
Hansen has been the picture of consistency in recent weeks, finishing in the top 24 in four of his last five starts. He also performed well on the ‘Canary Islands Swing’, finishing 7th at the Gran Canaria Open (one assumes this course will play similarly). He shot four rounds of 72 or better at an extremely challenging Valderrama last week. He also showcased the ability to go low at the Open de Espana, shooting a 66 in the 2nd round.
Sebastian Soderberg- To Win 80/1 | To Place 17/1
Soderberg will be replaying that tee-shot on the 17th hole in his head for some time to come. Soderberg led at Valderrama by two shots going into the 17th. He walked off the hole trailing Fitzpatrick by one. I think that the nature of that capitulation has helped keep his price at a healthy 80/1. I think he could use last week’s meltdown as motivation this week. Lest we forget, he beat none other than Rory McIlroy to the Omega European Masters title in 2019. He has also shown the capacity to perform in this region. His first top five on the tour came at the Madeira Islands Open.
The Man to Beat- Wilco Nienaber- To Win 33/1 | To Place 7/1
This is a course with generous fairways and five gaping par 5’s. This looks like a perfect opportunity for big-hitting South African to break his title drought. He has also performed well in this region, with finishes of 6-6-49 in his three European Tour visits to Spain. There’s something about this region that resonates with South African players. The climate and courses just suit the likes of Nienaber. South Africans dominated the Canary Islands Swing, with Garrick Higgo and Dean Burmester winning all three events between them. Nienaber has been solid in his last four events and this could be his moment.
