Preview & outright plays:
Rearranged just two weeks ago following the cancellation of the Estoril Open, the European Tour sees the return of one of the former leading season-opening events of the Tour. Monty and Woosnam, for example, regularly opened their European campaign at Cannes Mougins. Woosie won here in 1994 and Monty finished in the top-3 twice, but didn't win. However, after a year at a new venue, Royal Mougins, and with the event moved forward four weeks to a March slot, the 'name' players didn't return and the event started to struggle. The event's future is unknown, but this is a fine replacement for the Estoril Open.
The course is not long, just 6,860 yards, and being a par-72 it will probably be seen to struggle with the improvements in technology since it last staged this event in 1994. In that year, Woosnam won with a total of 271 and that will surely be bettered this year. The rough is thick and with the recent wet weather will be quite demanding, but the fairways are wide for a Tour course. This is a course that can be attacked.
The three selections this week are Ricardo Gonzalez, Jean van de Velde and Steven O'Hara. Gonzalez has been in great form this summer. He has four top-10 finishes in his last eight events and won the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre which is another course that rewards attacking play. Deserves his favorite's odds in this weak field and will surely go close.
It is unlikely that Van de Velde had scheduled himself for the Estoril Open, but given his current precarious position on the money lists on both the European and PGA Tours, 138th and 156th respectively, he will be very glad of the substitute event. He had been told to expect no preferential treatment by Ken Schofield if he failed to retain his Tour card so Q-school was looming. But now he returns to a course on which he finished 3rd behind Monty and Woosnam in 1994 and he followed that with 2nd a year later at Royal Mougins. Against a weak field and on a course and event in which he has had success, van de Velde should play much better this week and may even retain his card.
The final selection is a speculative punt on one of the Walker Cup players who turned professional soon afterwards. He finished 16th in the European Masters in his 2nd event as a pro last month and followed that with 3rd in the Challenge Tour's PGA of Austria Masters when he finished just two shots behind the winner, Iain Pyman. He has shown he is capable of competing at this level and at odds of 80/1 when others go half those odds, he makes the shortlist.
Outright plays:
Ricardo Gonzalez to win 14/1 e.w. @
Surrey
Jean van de Velde to win 28/1 e.w. @
Victor Chandler
Steven O'Hara to win 80/1 e.w. @
Sporting Odds or
Bet365
