Tuesday 16 September 2014 13:55, UK
While the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia take a much-needed break after the hectic run of FedEx Cup play-off events, four of Europe's more rested Ryder Cup stars have chosen to hone their games at this week's ISPS Handa Wales Open.
Celtic Manor is an ideal spot to start feeling the Ryder Cup buzz ahead of next week's showdown at Gleneagles as this was the venue four years ago where Colin Montgomerie's men scored a thrilling 14.5-13.5 victory over the Americans - a scoreline the Euros repeated in such dramatic style at Medinah in 2012.
England's Lee Westwood, Scotland's Stephen Gallacher, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Welshman Jamie Donaldson are the quartet from Paul McGinley's 12-man team teeing it up in Wales while the field also includes last week's KLM Open champ Paul Casey, whose win came too late for Ryder Cup selection.
Casey played in that 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor while three more of his teammates from that win - Ross Fisher and the Molinari brothers - are also in the field.
Winning scores
The last three runnings of the Wales Open have been won with single digits under par so the course can certainly play tough. Frenchman Gregory Bourdy triumphed with -8 last year while Thongchai Jaidee took victory with -6 in 2012. Sweden's Alex Noren posted -9 to win in 2011. Between 2003 and 2012 the event was held in late May/early June but last year the final round finished on September 1st.
The course
The Twenty-Ten Course at the Celtic Manor Resort has been used since 2008. It's a fairly lengthy 7,352 yard par 71, with four par fives and an extra par three. Nine of the holes are routed through the Usk Valley while nine involve water hazards. Originally half of the holes were part of the Wentwood Hills course (designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr) which was once described as "a bit of Augusta, a bit of Florida and a lot of Wales".
Key skills
Last year's winner Gregory Bourdy ranked a lowly 53rd in Driving Distance for the week while runner-up Peter Uihlein topped that category so that suggests there are more ways than one to skin a cat on this track. Bourdy's best work was done on and around the greens. He was sixth in Scrambling, 12th in Putts per GIR and third in Putts per Round. He was also second in Par 5 scoring, showing that strong wedge play was also part of his armoury as the long holes at Celtic Manor can't be reached in two by many (the 2nd and 18th are over 600 yards).
The weather
Unforgettably, It was atrocious for the 2010 Ryder Cup. As for this week, the temperatures are pleasant (20 degrees) but there are plenty of showers forecast too.
Conclusion
The fact that a highly unfancied US team did so well in the 2010 Ryder Cup suggested that this venue could really suit one of their compatriots Peter Uihlein.
And so it proved last year when the American, on his tournament debut, made a great run at the title before being narrowly edged out by Gregory Bourdy and finishing runner-up.
The course's obvious similarities with American style layouts obviously made Uihlein feel at home and he could be ready to go one better here.
After some wretched form he's posted a couple of top 25s in his last three starts and before last week's disappointing closing 73 at the KLM Open he'd carded rounds of 67-68-66-69-65-67.
Take Uihlein at 40/1.
One non-Welshman who should have plenty of support is Chris Wood.
The Bristolian said last year: "I really like it here, probably because I can stay at home and I feel really comfortable. It's half an hour over the bridge for me, and I think the golf course sets up really nicely for me, as well. I can hit a few drivers and I feel comfortable on the greens, as well."
Wood has made all four cuts in this event, with a 10th in 2009 and a 14th in 2014, while he also opened up with a 65 in 2010 to hold the first round lead.
He'd been struggling over the last month with three missed cuts in a row but a tied 22nd in the KLM last week suggests he's finding his form again.
Take him each-way at 66/1.
At 100/1, England's Robert Rock looks a decent price.
The 2012 Abu Dhabi Championship winner is another running into some decent nick again after a lull and, following a top 25 in Italy last month, he closed 67-65-68 in last week's KLM Open to finish tied 19th.
That sets him up nicely for another good week in Wales. Rock has teed it up four times in this event and has finished fourth (2010), 15th (2013) and 26th (2009).
His putting has been a concern this year but it might not matter so much in an event where scoring is tough. Of more importance could be strong tee-to-green figures which showed him fourth in Driving Accuracy and third in Greens In Regulation last week.
Finally, Pablo Larrazabal has to be worth a close look at 45/1.
The Spaniard was brilliant at times in the KLM Open last week and one round cost him as he fired 68-62-75-65 to finish fifth.
As for course form, he finished fourth here in 2011 while he's also placed 28th or better on three other occasions.
Larrazabal is also a winner at Le Golf National and it's worth noting that 2012 Celtic Manor champ Graeme McDowell has won the last two runnings at the French course which has some obvious similarities with the Twenty-Ten track.
Best bets
1.5pts e.w. Peter Uihlein at 40/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Chris Wood at 66/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Robert Rock at 100/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1.5pts e.w. Pablo Larrazabal at 45/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
