Lucas Bjerregaard got his first win on the European Tour last week at the Portugal Masters, and now the Tour moves on to the British Masters. This event started in 1946, became a European Tour event in 1972 and then removed in 2009. However, it came back in 2015 and will be held this year for the first time at Close House Golf Club in Newcastle upon Tyme in England.
Remember that during this week, the PGA is in the midst of the Presidents Cup. That event includes a slew of internationals, including four international major winners, like Jason Day. While you might think that given the prestige of that event and the ongoing festivities, we wouldn’t see many big names for the British Masters, you’d be wrong. This is a fairly star-studded cast that’s on tap for this week. Rory McIlroy is the headlines but Sergio Garcia, who won the 2017 Masters, Alex Noren and Ian Poulter are all participating. If you aren’t interested in the head-to-head style of golf that will be happening on the PGA Tour, you’ll be able to get your regular fill of action on the European Tour with the British Masters. Here’s a look at what to expect from this week’s event.
Details
Event: British Masters
Category: European Tour
Date: September 28th – October 1st
Location: Close House Golf Club, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Alexander Noren won with a -18 last year, but this will be the first time that the tournament will be held at Close House Golf Club. Therefore, it is difficult to guess what the winning score could be, although Lee Westwood, who lives 20 minutes from the course, predicts a winning score of -14 to -16.
Past Five Winners
2016: Alexander Noren -18
2015: Matthew Fitzpatrick -15
2008: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano -12
2007: Lee Westwood -15
2006: Johan Edfors -11
What To Know About The Course
Close House has been around for about 250 years and this event will be played on the Colt Course, on which design begun in 2007. It will be a par-70 for this event and the Colt Course has been known to be a windy place, so ball flight will be a very important skill to control this week. Keep an eye on the par-5 13th hole, which is around 525 yards and could yield a few eagles this week.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Sergio Garcia over Rory McIlroy
Garcia is the underdog in this matchup at +105 against McIlroy at -125, and Garcia closed the season played well, finishing T-35 at the Dell Technologies Championship, a T-12 at the BMW Championship and then a T-10 at the Tour Championship. McIlroy came in at T-34 at the Northern Trust, he missed the cut at the Dell Technologies Championship and then T-58 at the BMW Championship to end the season. However, that might have been what McIlroy wanted as he had been bothered by a rib injury and other ailments, and admitted on record that he just wanted the season to be over. That’s not a good mental state for McIlroy to have as he had this tournament on his schedule for a while, and could be playing it just to play it. Meanwhile, Garcia seems motivated after a solid year that included his first major at the Masters at Augusta National.
Top-Five Pick: Matthew Fitzpatrick +450
Fitzpatrick won the Omega European Masters earlier this month, and two of his best performances in 2017 have come in windy conditions as he finished T-5 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and a T-2 at the Nordea Masters in Sweden. Playing in England, Fitzpatrick is used to the win and he should be able to ride that skill to a top-five result, especially coming off a win in his last start.
Odds To Win The 2017 British Masters
Rory McIlroy +705
Sergio Garcia +805
Alex Noren +1415
Bernd Wiesberger +1850
Lee Westwood +1850
Matthew Fitzpatrick +2050
Shane Lowry +2250
Ian Poulter +2550
Tyrrell Hatton +3050
Eddie Pepperell +3250
Ross Fisher +3550
Martin Kaymer +3550
Richie Ramsey +3550
Chris Wood +3550
Andy Sullivan +4550
David Lingmerth +4550
Lucas Bjerregaard +4550
George Coetzee +4550
David Horsey +5050
Haotong Li +5050
Paul Dunne +5050
Russell Knox +5050
Fabrizio Zanotti +5050
Alexander Levy +5500
Scott Hend +6550
Kiradech Aphibarrnrat +6550
Dylan Frittelli +6550
Victor Dubuisson +6550
Jordan Smith +6550
Haydn Porteous +6550
The 2017 golf season is winding down. Click here to get all of the latest golf betting lines at BetDSI including head-to-head matchups, props and odds to win each tournament!
