The European Tour Moves back across the boarder to Spain this week and tees up at The Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, in the hills overlooking Castellón, just outside Valencia.
The Ramon Espinosa design is a compact parkland track, and has two nines with a totally different feel to them. The front nine holes are relatively flat, but the back nine is the more interesting nine with undulations and more movement in the fairways.
The course lays in a green oasis-like valley, it’s in a very picturesque environment, peacocks, swans and red squirrels have made their home around the palm trees here. The track has good quality fairways, artificial water hazards and is set in gently undulating terrain.
My tips to win:
Sergio Garcia 8/1 has had nine Top 25 finishes in the States this year from sixteen starts, he also finished runner up at the BMW International Open. He will be looking to do well back on home soil, he has also been in good form and the new putting stroke seems to be working well.
Pablo Larrazabal 25/1 has had a good year winning nearly a million Euros, he sits in eleventh place on the money list and has a win under his belt at the BMW International Open and nine other Top 25 finishes this year.
This is George Coetzee’s 25/1 second season on the European Tour having to go back to qualifying after winning his tour card for the 2010 season. This year has seen George have a steady season sitting 26th on the money list, his third place finish at the Portugal Masters was his sixth Top 10 finish this year.
My each-way tips:
Peter Lawrie 40/1 has had an unspectacular season far, but the Dubliner has been in the hunt on the last day a few times this year, his best finish being at the Volvo China Open, where he finished runner up. Nine Top 25 finishes from 20 starts is a good return and great finish at last weeks Portugal Masters will see him start with plenty of confidence.
Johan Edfors 50/1 is still trying to get back to the form that see him win three tournaments back in 2006, this year he sits 32nd on the money list, with eight Top 25 finishes from twenty three starts, his best finish being a runners up spot at the Open de Andalucía.
Jose Manuel Lara 66/1 is another Spanish player who will enjoy being on home soil, he’s a local boy born in Valencia. Lara has had three Top 10 finishes this year and will be looking to impress here.
For updates and betting odds during the tournament click here.