BMW International Open will take place a world away from the U.S. Open as the European Tour stops in Cologne, Germany and the Golf Club Gut Larchenhof. However, the memory of Dustin Johnson rallying to win the latest major will be fresh in bettors minds when they make their wagers for this week’s tournaments. The 28th edition of the BMW International Open won’t feature the same star-studded cast that last week’s event at Congressional did but Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson headline a talented field that will undoubtedly deliver a level of intrigue and excitement this week.
Event Details
Event: BMW International Open
Category: European Tour
Date: June 23-26
Location: Golf Club Gut Larchenhof, Cologne, Germany
Adding to the intrigue heading in to this week is the fact that three of the past five BMW International Open winners have prevailed in a playoff. There is every reason to expect another close finish with a very real chance that this event follows suit and goes down to the wire.
Past Five Winners
2015: Pablo Larrazabal -17
2014: Fabrizio Zanotti -19 (Playoff)
2013: Ernie Els -18
2012: Danny Willett -11 (Playoff)
2011: Pablo Larrazabal (Playoff)
What To Know About The Course
The BMW International Open returns to the Golf Club Gut Larchenhof following last year’s tournament at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried as the event continues to alternate venues. Pablo Larrazabal has won two of the past five tournaments but both of those were played at a different course and that has to be taken in to consideration. Meanwhile, the average Driving Distance for the last five course winners is 27.8 while the average Driving Accuracy ranking is 26.8, so both will factor in to this week’s event. The key stat to look out for could very well be Greens In Regulation with Scrambling also taken in to consideration. Head over to PGATour.com and click over to the stats section to have a look at who is leading in those categories so far this season.
The Field
Garcia followed up a victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson with a top-five finish at the U.S Open so it’s no surprise that he is the sports betting favorite to win this event outright. Garcia is listed at +800 odds followed by both Henrik Stenson and Danny Willett at +900. Joost Luiten and Andy Sullivan round out the top-five favorites for this week at +2000 odds respectively. Meanwhile, the defending tournament champion Pablo Larrazabal is listed at +5000 odds while Fabrizio Zanotti, who won at this course in 2014, is listed at +6600 odds to win outright.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Danny Willett over Joost Luiten
Luiten has recorded three top-10 finishes in his last six starts but he has also finished outside the top-25 in his other three starts including a missed cut at the Irish Open. We don’t expect Luiten to miss the cut this week but we do think that it makes sense to fade him in this head-to-head betting matchup. Willett’s form since winning at Augusta has been very inconsistent but he came very close to winning again at the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship. He also had a decent finish to the U.S. Open last week when he posted a 73 in Round 3 and a 71 in Round 4. We like him to contend for the outright victory again this week as a smart betting play versus Luiten.
Top-Five Pick: Sergio Garcia
Some might be hesitant to take Garcia to place in the top-five for the third event in a row but he is clearly playing some of his best golf in a long time so he is worth taking a chance on this week. Garcia won here as long ago as 1999 and he has recorded a handful of top-25 finishes at this course. Garcia is playing with the urgency and determination that he seemed to lack at times over the past couple of years and that should translate well at the BMW International Open this week.
Top 10 Odds To Win The BMW International Open
Sergio Garcia +750
Danny Willett +905
Henrik Stenson +905
Joost Luiten +2050
Tyrell Hatton +2550
Rikard Karlberg +2550
Andy Sullivan +2550
Ross Fisher +3050
Pablo Larrazabal +4550
James Morrison +3550
