Written by Matt Cee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
The Hero Indian Open | 17 March – 20 March | Delhi Golf Club
This week the European Tour heads to India for the Hero Indian Open, and with the Masters just around the corner and the prestigious Arnold Palmer International taking place on the PGA Tour, we’re left with a considerably weakened field participating in this event. Be that as it may, these less exciting tournaments still offer a lot of value for punters. This is only the second year that the event has featured on the European Tour calendar, although it has been a part of the Asian Tour for a number of years. For that reason, those players who have been on the Asian Tour for a while, hold an advantage of their European competitors who will not be used to the conditions or the layout of the course.
Measuring just under 7,000 yards, this par 71 layout is relatively easy to deal with although when the wind blows things start to get challenging. The fairways are wide and mishit tee shots aren’t punished severely. The real key will be hitting greens in regulation, though, because a number of bunkers come into play and surround the greens on almost every hole. Once on the green, putting will also be important as birdies will be coming in thick and fast.
Overall this looks like a tournament that could be won by anyone so keep an eye on the bigger prices as these have a great chance of coming in.
To Win Outright
Anirban Lahiri: 15/2 | Joost Luiten: 10/1 | Marcus Fraser: 12/1
Brett Rumford: 14/1 | Padraig Harrington: 18/1
VALUE BETS
Romain Wattel (35/1 Win & 77/10 Place)
Romain Wattel looked to be in great form at the beginning of the season but after posting a couple of Top 10 finishes his game seems to be on the slide, and he has missed four cuts from his last six starts. For that reason, he’s available at a very healthy price this week, especially when you consider that he is one of the few European players with a bit of course experience. Last year he seemed to enjoy the course and his accurate iron play was a huge asset. If he can arrive here and find some form, he could be a real competitor this week. Each way is the bet for me.
David Lipsky (45/1 Win & 99/10 Place)
David Lipsky will arrive in India in good form and with two Top 10’s from his last two starts he can’t be ignored in this company. He has always been a confidence player and when he gets going he can be tough to stop – although he generally finishes inside the Top 10 rather than the Top 5. This week, I’m willing to take a bit of a risk though as his putter seems to be working and he should make more than his share of birdies. Each way on Lipsky is the bet for me.
Joost Luiten (10/1 Win & 22/10 Place)
This week Joost Luiten finds himself 2nd in the betting, just behind last years winner Anirban Lahiri. Based on his current form I reckon he has Lahiri’s number though and for that reason I’m picking him ahead of the favourite. He got the season off to a flying start with a number of Top 10 finishes in South Africa and on the Desert Swing, and last week he seemed to be getting back to his best when he finished 6th in Thailand. The price is a bit short for my liking but against this field, Luiten has a real chance.
TOP BET:
Peter Uihlein (18/1 Win & 4/1 Place)
Given the quality of this field, it’s surprising that Peter Uihlein is available at such a large price, especially when you consider that he will be arriving in India in better form than anyone else competing this week. This will be the second week that we’ve tipped him and although he couldn’t go all the way last week he earned us a decent profit with a Top 5 finish in Thailand. Prior to that, he finished 4th and with those stats in mind, he’s tough to ignore. Let’s hope this week he goes all the way but to be safe I’ll be backing him each way.
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