The European Tour heads to the Made in Denmark at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort this week, but which players should Fantasy gamers be keeping an eye on? Let us help you out with that.
Himmerland will be hosting one of the most popular events on the calendar for the fourth straight year, with its par three 16th hole a symbol of the fine atmosphere this event generates. The course sets up tough, playing as the sixth hardest course on tour since 2014, and this part of Denmark is known for its strong winds. Statistics show that those who hit greens and lag-putt well can perform better on the par-71 course.
Pick of the Favourites: Thomas Pieters
It’s hard to ignore the defending champion when looking at contenders for the 2017 Made in Denmark. After posting a winning total of 17 under par last year (the best in the history of the event), the Belgian will be confident about defending this week. Pieters has saved his best golf for the big occasions this season, having posted top five finishes in two WGC events and one at the Masters, and will regard the possibility of successfully defending as a big occasion. The Antwerp native is a cumulative 21 under par from both of his visits to Himmerland and has beaten the field’s average score by 2.92 shots per round, second best among those who’ve played more than eight rounds here. Despite being known for his prodigious length, Pieters ranked in the top two players in the field last year in both Scrambling (79 percent) and Putts per Green in Regulation (1.63).
This season, the 25 year old ranks in the top 35 in Driving Distance, Putts per Round and the Stroke Average. With that type of form, his fourth win in two years might not be too far around the corner.
Form Horse: Thorbjørn Olesen
With only one missed cut from 16 starts on the European Tour this season it’s easy to see why we’re selecting one of the home favourites as the ‘form horse’ for this week. When you add to the remarkable consistency Olesen has shown, with a tied tenth finish at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, and a sparkling opening round 67 which saw the Dane lead after round one of the US PGA Championship, it’s safe to say the 27 year old’s game is in a good place.
Since winning the Turkish Airlines Open last year, Olesen has posted two top five finishes, most recently at the HNA Open de France, and 10 top 35s. He posted a top ten finish in his home event in its inaugural year in 2014 but has missed the last two cuts at Himmerland, so will be keen to give his loyal home fans something to cheer this week. Another who has the putter rolling well this season, Thorbjørn is ranking in the top 20 in the Average putts per round category – an area which might be key this week on the tricky greens of the Backtee course. With the home fans behind him and his confidence clear for all to see, this week might see Olesen make a real impression on home soil.
Wildcard: Aaron Rai
The fairy-tale rise of Aaron Rai, from the EuroPro Tour in 2015, to winning three times on the Challenge Tour this season to gain automatic promotion to the European Tour, has been nothing short of sensational, and this week the Englishman will be making his first appearance on the European Tour since winning the third of those aforementioned events, at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge last month.
With a very impressive stroke average of 68.64 on the Challenge Tour this season, it’s fair to say Rai has been playing some very good golf. But it’s not only the Challenge Tour where Rai has been impressing - he also won qualifying for the U.S. Open to set up a Major Championship debut at Erin Hills earlier this year, and posted two top 50 finishes on the main circuit at the Australian PGA Championship and the Trophee Hassan II. Rai, who is showing signs of emulating fellow Challenge Tour graduate Jordan Smith’s extraordinary rise through the ranks, will be easily identified on the course by the two gloves he wears for every round, and the man who once holed an astonishing 207 consecutive ten foot putts as a 15 year old, will be keen to make an immediate impression on the European Tour in Denmark.
Those are our three picks, now it's time to make yours.Pick your seven-man Daily Fantasy teamfor each round of this week's event and play in either free or money games.
