Bahrain Course Notes and Selections BELOW MODEL.

COURSE NOTES & SELECTIONS

We might not be getting typical Pebble winds this week, but we are getting what is starting to look like typical Bahrain winds. I say this because it was super windy here last year as well, and this turned into a serious ball striking test. Frittelli won this event with a massive ball striking figure and did almost nothing with the short game. The names behind him on the leaderboard were also serious drivers and ball strikers who used that skill set to keep themselves out of the major trouble that lurks off these fairways and greens. Ultimately, the winds last year shifted things towards the power, ball strikers and in similar conditions I will go that route this week.

Patrick Reed is the favorite which is not scary and there is absolutely no reason why another huge price can’t win this week (or any week) in this current iteration of the DPWT. The numbers point to Puig who played well for me last week and came up short, which does make it scary to hop off. But, I can’t chase this deep of a price drop in a DPWT event and will fire further down the board.

The boys are also battling Vincent on the DP this year, and anything could happen. The DP is a true wildcard, and who knows where things end up.

Adam (-2 Point YTD; this week is to win +8.6 points)

Neergaard-Petersen +4000

He is a future star of the Viking Cup team and has the early signs of being a pure ball striker. He is on a rapid ascension since turning pro and a win at this level should come in short order. Will be on him at these prices all year.

Haotong Li +5000

The truly most random golfer in the world, but we are currently on one of the upswings when he is keeping his driver on the planet. At his best he is a world class ball striker, and these conditions should favor him if this hot streak is to continue which is far from a guarantee. But a fair risk at this price.

Francesco Laporta +7000

Kind of reminds me of Stevie Jaegs in that he wins when he goes down to the Challenge Tour but hasn’t found his way through at this level. But, Jaegs did it in testing conditions for his first breakthrough so if we are going to continue the comp then why not here for Laporta?

Joe Dean +7500

Elite flusher who made some noise throughout last year, and actually warms up for his rounds now apparently. Yes, this man didn’t warm up last year before rounds in the mix. Maybe that will be the difference in turning the contending efforts into a win.

Hammish Brown +8000

The Viking Cup is also calling Hammish’s name, and frankly we don’t have enough data to really know what he is good at. But, he keeps playing great golf and has the power of the Viking Cup behind him so I will start riding in this price range.

Connor Syme +11000

Extremely low dog, but at a price where that is acceptable this week. When he gets his game going he is as capable as anyone in this field with his ball striking, and no one would be shocked when he finally wins one.

Skov Olesen +15000

The Viking Cup plays continue with Skov Olesen who might be the best of the trio on the card, and at the longest price of all of them. The dude can flush every club in the bag which should make the winds a non-factor for his flight.

Yuto Katsuragawa +20000

Picked up a win on the DPWT on home soil last year, and I like taking shots on winners on the DP at these type of numbers. I especially like it this week at a spot where he has shown upside in both ball striking categories.

Matt (-2 Point YTD; this week is to win +6.3 points)

I went with some golfers in solid ball striking form as well as guys I prefer in tougher conditions. Also, a few guys who I trust to save that 10 footer for par.

Smith +3000

Langasque +5500

Hillier +6000

Ding +6600 

Luiten +7500

Cantero +8000

Schaper +11000

Syme +11000

D Brown +15000

Skov Olesen +16500

Vincent (-2 Point YTD; this week is to win +6.6 points)

DAVID PUIG +1600

The young Spaniard's aggressive style is backed up by elite driving stats (4th off-the-tee) and solid overall ball-striking (9th). His power-focused game mirrors last year's winner Frittelli, and he has the length to take advantage of scoring opportunities while having enough control to avoid the major trouble spots. His game seems built for these firm, windy conditions where power and ball-striking reign supreme.

JOHANNES VEERMAN +2200

An analytical pick who ranks top-5 in both ball-striking and off-the-tee stats, Veerman's tee-to-green game is perfectly suited for the expected windy conditions. The firm, challenging setup plays right into his strength of avoiding trouble, and his consistent all-around game (4th in total strokes gained) suggests he can grind out pars when needed while having enough power to take advantage of scoring opportunities.

JORDAN SMITH +3300

Smith stands out statistically across the board, ranking 4th in ball-striking and showing particular strength with his irons (8th in approach). His power game can be a major asset in these conditions, and he's proven himself capable of handling similar challenges on exposed, windy layouts. The tougher the conditions get, the more his elite ball-striking should separate him from the field.