A preview and key stats ahead of this week's European Tour event - the Avantha Masters in India.
A preview and key stats ahead of this week's European Tour event - the Avantha Masters in India
The European Tour makes its first trip to Asia this calendar year, pitching up in India for the sixth running of the Avantha Masters.
A new venue - Jaypee Greens - will greet the players this year. The venue, in Greater Noida, is a Greg Norman-design which opened 13 years ago and is situated approximately 40 miles from Delhi's international airport.
The flat 7347-yard par 72 parkland course is well-bunkered, has wide fairways and little rough due to lack of growth during the cold weather and is therefore expected to provide a low-scoring contest.
It last staged an Asian PGA Tour event in 2008 - the SAIL Open.
TOP-5 Finishers at most recent event held at Jaypee Greens
1st Mark Brown
T2nd Scott Hend
T2nd Noh Seung-Jul
T2nd Jyoti Randhawa
T5th Gaganjeet Bhullar
T5th Danny Chia
SELECTED PLAYERS with GOOD to REASONABLE FORM in ASIA
Last 10 Co-Sanctioned Events on European Tour
Player: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
Felipe Aguilar: - / - / 17 / MC / 69 / 7 / - / - / 17 / MC
Kiradech Aphibarnrat: - / 7 / 10 / Ret / MC / 15 / - / - / 41 / 30
Gaganjeet Bhullar: - / MC / MC / MC / - / - / - / 18 / 22 / MC
Gregory Bourdy: 6 / 53 / - / 47 / MC / - / - / - / 41 / 22
Alejandro Canizares: 66 / MC / 10 / MC / 64 / - / - / - / MC / 22
Robert-Jan Derksen: - / 11 / 29 / 47 / 18 / MC / - / - / - / -
Victor Dubuisson: - / - / - / 11 / 4 / 3 / - / - / - / MC
Simon Dyson: - / - / - / 24 / 36 / - / 51 / - / 24 / 19
Oliver Fisher: 48 / 53 / MC / MC / MC / 25 / 16 / - / - / -
Jean-Baptiste Gonnet: - / - / 6 / 70 / 14 / - / - / - / - / 66
Ricardo Gonzalez: - / - / MC / 24 / 6 / 65 / - / - / - / -
Anders Hansen: - / - / - / - / - / - / 43 / - / 7 / 10
Gregory Havret: 60 / 2 / 14 / - / - / 32 / - / - / 63 / 61
Scott Hend: 60 / 62 / 41 / 11 / - / MC / - / 24 / MC / 72
Dave Horsey: - / 21 / 54 / MC / MC / - / 33 / - / MC / 15
Thongchai Jaidee: 15 / 15 / 41 / MC / - / 25 / 16 / 21 / MC / 10
Shiv Kapur: 15 / Ret / 35 / 52 / - / MC / - / - / 22 / MC
Rikard Karlberg: 23 / MC / 51 / 16 / - / Ret / - / - / 17 / -
Soren Kjeldsen: 7 / 39 / - / 16 / 29 / 20 / 20 / - / 37 / 50
Jason Knutzon: 23 / 17 / MC / 47 / - / MC / - / - / 50 / MC
Jbe Kruger: - / 46 / Won / 11 / 18 / MC / - / 68 / MC / -
Jose Manuel Lara: 8 / 11 / 4 / - / MC / - / - / - / MC / MC
Pablo Larrazabal: - / MC / - / 24 / 18 / - / 58 / - / 50 / 8
Wen-Chong Liang: - / 17 / 35 / 29 / MC / Wd / 20 / 24 / 17 / 22
Joost Luiten: Won / - / 17 / 20 / 18 / - / 26 / 36 / 29 / -
Prom Meesawat: - / - / 6 / 24 / - / 20 / - / 11 / 17 / 30
James Morrison: 3 / MC / - / MC / 39 / 61 / - / - / 70 / 19
Chapchai Nirat: 38 / - / 23 / 20 / - / MC / - / - / 7 / -
Julien Quesne: - / - / 17 / 20 / 11 / - / - / 42 / MC / 22
Jyoti Randhawa: 29 / 29 / - / 11 / - / MC / - / - / 63 / 22
Brett Rumford: 15 / MC / - / MC / 29 / 20 / - / - / - / 40
Ricardo Santos: - / - / 10 / - / 23 / - / - / - / MC / 15
Mohd Siddikur: 15 / MC / 17 / 52 / - / - / - / 76 / MC / -
Bernd Wiesberger: - / 42 / 41 / 57 / - / Won / 40 / 28 / 24 / -
Key: 1: Iskandar Johor Open (Malaysia); 2: Hong Kong Open; 3: Avantha Masters (India); 4: Malaysian Open; 5: Volvo China Open; 6: Ballantines Championship (Korea); 7: BMW Masters (China); 8: HSBC Champions Tournament (China); 9: Singapore Open; 10: Hong Kong Open
SELECTED PLAYERS with POOR to MEDICORE FORM in ASIA
Last 10 Co-Sanctioned Events on European Tour
Player: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
Seuk-Hyun Baek: - / MC / MC / MC / - / - / - / - / 50 / MC
Robert Coles: - / - / MC / - / MC / MC / - / - / - / MC
Carlos Del Moral: - / - / MC / - / 70 / MC / - / - / - / MC
Tommy Fleetwood: - / - / MC / MC / MC / - / - / - / - / -
Rahil Gangjee: 60 / MC / MC / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
Gaurav Ghei: MC / - / MC / 40 / - / - / - / - / - / -
David Gleeson: MC / MC / MC / MC / - / MC / - / - / MC / MC
Joonas Granberg: MC / MC / MC / 40 / - / MC / - / - / MC / 40
Tetsuji Hiratsuka: - / - / MC / MC / MC / Ret / - / - / MC / -
Daisuke Kataoka: - / - / MC / 40 / - / MC / - / - / MC / 40
Simon Khan: - / MC / - / 52 / MC / - / 55 / - / 58 / 54
Chiragh Kumar: Wd / - / MC / MC / - / MC / - / - / MC / Wd
Sung Lee: 69 / MC / MC / 66 / - / 65 / - / - / 67 / MC
Thomas Levet: 48 / - / - / - / - / MC / 73 / - / MC / MC
Richard McEvoy: - / MC / 41 / 66 / MC / 49 / - / - / - / -
Unho Park: MC / MC / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / MC
Chinnarat Phadungsil: 60 / MC / MC / MC / - / - / - / - / 41 / 54
Kieran Pratt: MC / - / 62 / MC / - / MC / - / - / MC / -
Angleo Que: - / - / MC / MC / - / MC / - / - / MC / MC
Himmat Rai: - / - / 54 / MC / - / MC / - / - / MC / MC
Sujjan Singh: MC / MC / MC / MC / - / MC / - / - / - / -
Digvijay Singh: Ret / MC / MC / MC / - / 70 / - / - / MC / Wd
Joel Sjoholm: - / - / 53 / MC / MC / MC / - / - / - / 54
Namchok Tantipokhakul: - / MC / MC / MC / - / MC / - / - / MC / MC
Oliver Wilson: - / MC / - / - / 52 / MC / - / - / - / MC
TOP-10 Finishers at most recent co-sanctioned event in Hong Kong (Not Already Listed)
Peter Lawrie: (T4th)
Mark Foster: (T10th)
LOWEST 15 STROKE AVERAGES in ASIA
For Last 10 Co-Sanctioned Events on European Tour
Average (Rounds)
69.43: Victor Dubuisson (14)
69.58: Anders Hansen (12)
69.75: Prom Meesawat (24)
69.78: Joost Luiten (27)
69.94: Soren Kjeldsen (31)
70.10: Thongchai Jaidee (31)
70.14: Ricardo Santos (14)
70.18: Julien Quesne (22)
70.21: Peter Lawrie (19)
70.30: Simon Dyson (20)
70.35: Kiradech Aphibarnrat (23)
70.35: Jose Manuel Lara (17)
70.39: Wen-Chong Liang (31)
70.42: Brett Rumford (19)
70.43: Gregory Havret (23)
Min. No. of Rounds = 12
LOWEST 15 AVERAGE TOURNAMENT POSITIONS in ASIA
(Last Four Years in Co-Sanctioned Events on European Tour - since Jan 1st 2009)
Average (Events)
20.40: Anders Hansen (10)
24.73: Joost Luiten (15)
25.73: Thongchai Jaidee (26)
28.17: Simon Dyson (18)
34.55: Bernd Wiesberger (11)
35.80: Raphael Jacquelin (10)
36.22: Soren Kjeldsen (18)
38.89: Peter Lawrie (19)
40.06: Gareth Maybin (18)
41.14: Chapchai Nirat (22)
43.61: Brett Rumford (18)
44.71: Jason Knutzon (21)
45.00: Tano Goya (12)
46.46: Wen-Chong Liang (28)
46.71: Robert-Jan Derksen (17)
Min. No. of Events = 10
Conclusion
The stats above highlight the strong record of Victor Dubuisson in co-sanctioned events in Asia (11-4-3 in last three starts).
And with the rough down and the players saying they were smashing driver all the time in practice rounds, it could play into the hands of the big-hitting Frenchman.
Ninth in Qatar earlier this season, Dubuisson can step up here and land victory at 50/1.
Angelo Que is a massive hitter whose putter is hot right now and he's finished in the top five in both of his last two Asian Tour starts.
As a bonus he also has a bit of course form having finished 17th on this track when it staged the SAIL Open in 2008.
Take the three-time Asian Tour winner at a three-figure price.
This course hosted the team-based Louis Philippe Cup last month and topping the individual scoring charts with 16-under was Gaganjeet Bhullar.
The rising star of Indian golf is a brand ambassador for the course and, as a teenager, was fifth here in the SAIL Open.
He also claimed two Asian Tour victories at the back end of 2012.
Finally, add in big-hitting Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
The young Thai's only Asian Tour win came in Delhi (2011 SAIL Open), he has form figures of 3-6-6 in his last three starts and also just booked his place in The Open after winning the Asian qualifier by four shots.
He averaged 335 yards off the tee when third in the Myanmar Open last month so has conditions to suit.
Best bets
1pt e.w. Victor Dubuisson at 50/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Angelo Que at 100/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Gaganjeet Bhullar at 30/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Kiradech Aphibarnrat at 35/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
