Five things to know: Canary Islands Championship

Five things to know as the European Tour remains in Tenerife for the Canary Islands Championship

Final leg of the Canary Islands Swing

The European Tour returns to Costa Adeje for a second consecutive week as the Canary Islands Championship marks the third and final event of the Canary Islands Swing.

So far, South African winners have triumphed in both the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and the Tenerife Open, with Garrick Higgo and Dean Burmester respectively earning their second European Tour victories.

Low scoring at Costa Adeje

The Tenerife Open was just the second event in European Tour history to host a tournament at Costa Adeje, and this week the field return to the Jose Gancedo-designed course for a third time.

The big difference between the course that Kenny Ferry triumphed at in the 2003 Open de España and now is that the course is being played as a par 71 due to the eighth hole being changed from a par five to a par four for the tournament. It is also 41 yards longer.

Despite a lower par, what you can expect this week is some more low scoring rounds. Last week saw rounds of 62 from Thorbjørn Olesen (Round 1), Nicolai von Dellinghausen (Round 2) and champion Dean Burmester during his final round.

But they were all bettered by Scott Jamieson, who set a new course record with a second round 10 under par 61.

“I just did the simple things well, holed the putts at the right time and kept momentum on my side,” said Jamieson.

The longest par four in European Tour history

At 560 yards, the eighth at Costa Adeje is the longest par four in European Tour history – and is typically played as a par five.

Last week, the field average score at this hole was 4.40, making it the hardest hole during the Tenerife Open.

Inside the field

The Canary Islands swing has so far been dominated by South Africans, with back-to-back winners in Garrick Higgo and Dean Burmester – following Justin Harding and Daniel van Tonder as fellow South African winners on the European Tour already this season.

Higgo is the only player over the past two weeks to record top tens in both Gran Canaria and Tenerife. He will be searching for a fourth consecutive top ten this week ahead of his US PGA Championship debut, while others like Burmester and last week’s runner-up Kalle Samooja will hope another strong result will help them into the field for the second Major of the year.

Other players in form to look out for this week include Thorbjørn Olesen (who has finished in a tie for fifth and 12th over the last two weeks), Adrian Meronk (who was third last week following a tie for 15th in Gran Canaria), and John Catlin, who recently finished in a tie for fifth in Tenerife after picking up his third European Tour victory in less than 12 months at the Austrian Golf Open.

Fantasy Race to Dubai

The European Tour’s Fantasy Race to Dubai continues in Tenerife for the Canary Islands Championships and, with weekly prizes on offer, it’s never too late to sign up.

Players can create their own six-man team and compete in Private Leagues, Weekly Top Ten Challenges and Head to Head competitions, with prizes given out weekly and across the season.

Unsure who to pick? Our Fantasy Golf Experts Kit Alexander and Sophie Walker have you covered as they explain who they favour in this week’s edition of Ones To Watch.

Sign up here: Et.golf/fr2d