A preview, stats and tips for this week's Euro Tour event - the ISPS Handa Perth International in Australia.
A preview, stats and tips for this week's Euro Tour event - the ISPS Handa Perth International in Australia
The European Tour makes the long journey Down Under for this week's event at Lake Karrinyup in Western Australia.
This will be the second year in a row that the Tour has taken up the challenge of an 84-year-old course that was given a facelift by leading pros Geoff Ogilvy and Mike Clayton in 2007.
During this renovation more than $3m was spent rebuilding every green and bunker.
Wooded and undulating, Lake Karrinyup will be hosting a co-sanctioned European Tour event for the fourth time in its history.
Kangaroos are a constant but pleasant distraction near to a venue that is staging the last event before the Tour's newly installed Final Series tees-off in China next week.
It means this will be the last opportunity for those outside or on the bubble of 110th place in The Race to Dubai to secure their playing rights for 2014.
CURRENT FORM for SELECTED PLAYERS
Last Eight Weeks
Player: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
Bjorn Akesson: MC / MC / MC / 67 / 47 / 63 / - / MC
Fredrik Andersson: 23 / MC / MC / - / 4 / MC / - / 22
Neven Basic: [MC] / - / - / - / [18] / - / - / [MC]
Richard Bland: MC / 43 / MC / 41 / MC / MC / - / 26
Rohan Blizard: [28] / - / - / - / [7] / [17] / - / [50]
David Bransdon: [8] / - / - / - / - / - / - / [7]
Mark Brown: [MC] / - / - / - / - / MC / - / [4]
Paul Casey: - / - / 15 / 41 / - / 50 / - / -
Robert Coles: MC / 64 / 49 / 63 / MC / 61 / - / 26
Nick Cullen: [Won] / - / - / - / [9] / - / - / [15]
Matteo Del Podio: MC / MC / MC / 75 / MC / 63 / - / MC
Christopher Doak: 52 / 31 / Ret / MC / 23 / 20 / - / 8
Andrew Dodt: MC / 73 / 15 / MC / - / MC / - / 63
David Drysdale: 10 / 31 / MC / 30 / 23 / MC / - / 57
Johan Edfors: MC / 18 / MC / MC / 47 / MC / - / MC
Kim Felton: [MC] / - / - / - / - / - / [46] / [4]
Richard Finch: 23 / MC / 26 / 63 / 47 / 55 / - / MC
Ross Fisher: 17 / 62 / 5 / 3 / - / MC / - / 8
Oliver Fisher: 52 / 31 / 49 / 11 / MC / MC / - / MC
Oscar Floren: MC / MC / - / 30 / 32 / - / - / -
Marcus Fraser: - / - / 20 / 16 / 8 / MC / - / -
Lorenzo Gagli: MC / MC / MC / 67 / MC / MC / - / MC
Mathew Goggin: [MC] / [30] / [57] / [37] / - / [MC] / - / -
Branden Grace: - / - / MC / - / - / 59 / - / -
Nathan Green: - / [MC] / [MC] / [MC] / - / [32] / - / -
Matthew Griffin: [35] / - / - / - / [3] / - / - / -
Matthew Guyatt: [MC] / - / - / - / [22] / - / - / [11]
Ashley Hall: [MC] / [MC] / [MC] / [MC] / - / [41] / - / [23]
Ryan Haller: [MC] / [59] / [47] / - / [MC] / - / - / [9]
JB Hansen: MC / - / - / MC / 53 / 55 / - / MC
Soren Hansen: 52 / 52 / 26 / MC / MC / 61 / - / 22
Andreas Harto: MC / 43 / MC / MC / 59 / MC / - / 68
Gregory Havret: 35 / MC / 7 / 3 / MC / 40 / - / 70
Scott Henry: 4 / MC / 34 / 50 / MC / MC / - / MC
Jake Higginbottom: [4] / - / - / [15] / - / - / [23] / [33]
David Higgins: MC / 26 / - / 58 / 2 / MC / - / 57
Michael Hoey: 28 / [MC] / 49 / - / MC / 26 / - / MC
Steven Jeffress: [64] / - / - / - / - / - / [18] / [MC]
Jin Jeong: - / [MC] / [56] / 50 / - / - / - / -
Dustin Johnson: *MC* / *27* / - / *62* / *5* / - / - / -
Steven Jones (Aus): [61] / - / - / - / - / MC / - / [4]
Michael Jonzon: 66 / 72 / - / 11 / MC / - / - / -
Alexandre Kaleka: MC / 43 / MC / MC / MC / 35 / - / 26
Shiv Kapur: [24] / MC / T26 / - / [14] / [MC] / [49] / -
Rikard Karlberg: MC / MC / 15 / 41 / MC / MC / - / [11]
James Kingston: MC / - / - / MC / 47 / 67 / - / -
Soren Kjeldsen: MC / 3 / 54 / 8 / MC / 26 / - / 46
Espen Kofstad: 23 / 62 / MC / 22 / 14 / MC / - / 63
Mikko Korhonen: 10 / 8 / 34 / 26 / 32 / - / - / -
Joakim Lagergren: 49 / 58 / - / 73 / 23 / - / - / -
Jose Manuel Lara: MC / 43 / MC / Ret / MC / MC / - / 38
Peter Lawrie: 58 / MC / MC / MC / MC / MC / - / MC
Scott Laycock: - / - / - / - / [16] / - / [6] / [9]
Craig Lee: 14 / 31 / 2 / MC / - / MC / - / MC
Alexander Levy: 42 / 18 / MC / 30 / 42 / MC / - / -
Sam Little: MC / MC / - / MC / MC / MC / - / -
Gary Lockerbie: MC / MC / MC / MC / Wd / 33 / - / MC
Peter Lonard: [9] / - / - / - / - / - / - / [23]
Richard McEvoy: MC / MC / - / MC / 71 / 26 / - / -
David McKenzie: [3] / - / - / - / - / - / - / [44]
James McLean: [Wd] / [MC] / - / - / - / - / - / -
Matthew Millar: [35] / - / - / - / - / MC / - / [14]
James Morrison: 57 / MC / MC / MC / MC / MC / - / MC
James Nitties: [MC] / - / - / - / - / - / [3] / [45]
Matthew Nixon: 35 / 31 / MC / 16 / 42 / MC / - / MC
Jason Norris: [19] / - / - / - / - / MC / - / [17]
Nick O'Hern: [9] / [24] / [39] / [MC] / - / [24] / - / [11]
Peter O'Malley: [61] / - / - / - / - / MC / - / [4]
Wade Ormsby: - / - / MC / - / - / [7] / [16] / [39]
Gareth Paddison: [MC] / - / - / - / - / MC / - / [15]
Chris Paisley: MC / 31 / MC / 30 / MC / 12 / - / 72
Daniel Popovic: - / - / - / - / - / MC / - / -
Kieran Pratt: [35] / - / 67 / [21] / - / [MC] / [MC] / [MC]
Alistair Presnell: - / [11] / [MC] / [43] / - / [MC] / - / -
Brett Rumford: 6 / 8 / 15 / - / - / MC / - / -
Jason Scrivener: [5] / - / - / - / [10] / - / - / [23]
Joel Sjoholm: 35 / MC / MC / MC / MC / MC / - / 68
Andre Stolz: [16] / - / - / - / [Won] / - / - / [50]
Mark Tullo: 35 / 43 / 20 / MC / 23 / MC / - / 38
Dawie Van Der Walt: [60] / [MC] / [MC] / [MC] / - / [MC] / - / MC
Bo Van Pelt: *MC* / *53* / - / - / - / - / - / -
Simon Wakefield: 42 / 8 / 57 / 30 / 32 / MC / - / MC
Danny Willett: 63 / MC / 26 / MC / - / MC / - / 63
Peter Wilson: [48] / - / - / - / - / MC / - / [37]
Michael Wright: [MC] / - / - / - / [2] / - / - / [52]
Fabrizio Zanotti: MC / MC / MC / 30 / 16 / MC / - / MC
Key to results:
54 - European Tour; *54* - PGA Tour; [54] - Other event
TOP-25 Finishers at LAKE KARRINYUP in 2012
Bo Van Pelt Bo (Won)
Paul Casey (T-5th)
Steven Jones (T-11th
Scott Laycock (T-13th)
Mark Brown (T-15th)
Robert Coles (T-15th)
Richard Bland (T-17th)
Ashley Hall (T-17th)
Sam Little (T-19th)
James McLean (T-19th)
Jason Scrivener (T-19th)
Matthew Millar (T-25th)
Jason Norris (T-25th)
LOWEST ROUNDS at LAKE KARRINYUP (as a European Tour event)
63: Retief Goosen (2002)
63: Craig Spence (2003)
64: Seven times
Note: The lowest score recorded in 2012 was 65 by Michael Hendry & Alejandro Canizares
Lake Karrinyup: Par 72; 7,143 yards
Winning Total (Last three co-sanctioned tournaments at course):
2012: 272 (Bo Van Pelt)
2003: 259 (Ernie Els)
2002: 274 (Retief Goosen)
Conclusion
This looks a very tricky event to bet on.
Last year the US raiders, Bo Van Pelt and Jason Dufner, fought it out between themselves and the betting suggests something similar could happen.
Dustin Johnson is the clear 13/2 favourite while BVP is 14/1.
DJ was fifth at the Tour Championship on his last start and has played well in plenty of overseas events although he's never actually won outside of the U.S. so 13/2 looks tight.
Before he won 12 months ago, Van Pelt was coming off back-to-back top 10s in the final two FedEx Cup play-off events. This year, he arrives after nearly six weeks off and with poor form before that.
Paul Casey looks a strong contender after finishing fifth here last year when still trying to come out of the doldrums while Ross Fisher is in excellent form after three top eights in his last four starts.
At 10/1 and 12/1 they also look short in the betting.
However, when you look at the three Euro Tour events held here they were all won by the name players from overseas - Van Pelt, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
And looking at the top 10 from last year, it's dominated by either US Tour or European Tour regulars.
Therefore, rather than trying to pick out which short-priced player might win, there's more scope for picking an in-form European at bigger odds who might place and, with a little bit of luck, actually take victory.
One who fits the bill is Chris Doak.
The flat cap-wearing Scotsman has progressive form figures of 23-20-8 while he was also the halfway leader in his home Scottish Open in July.
He opened up 67-64 in Portugal last week and, on that form, he has definite each-way claims at 66/1.
Soren Kjeldsen has certainly been in good nick for the last couple of months.
The little Dane was third in the Wales Open at the very start of September and eighth in the KLM Open two starts later.
He's been prominent for 36 holes in the Dunhill (66-66) and Portugal Masters (69-65) so looks close to putting it altogether.
One added extra is that a much younger Kjeldsen has played here twice before, finishing 17th and 46th.
Take him at 40s.
The one home player worth getting on board has to be Marcus Fraser.
The Aussie missed the cut at the Dunhill despite a third round 67 but prior to that was 8th in the Italian Open, 16th in the KLM Open and 20th in Crans.
He's finished runner-up in two of his last three starts in Australia (Masters and PGA) so is tipped to get right in the mix again at 25/1.
Best bets:
1pt e.w. Chris Doak at 66/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Soren Kjeldsen at 40/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
2pts e.w. Marcus Fraser at 25/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
