There is plenty on the line as the European Tour heads to Spain for the Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation. This week at Real Club Valderrama represents the last opportunity for players to earn enough Race to Dubai Ranking points to keep their card for the 2019 season.
Only the top 110 players in the Rankings are guaranteed to be teeing it up on tour next season, meaning the test on offer at a famously challenging course gains another dimension.
With cork trees lining the fairways of the site of The 1997 Ryder Cup venue, there’s a real necessity to be accurate off the tee, with small greens also requiring laser-like precision. Few courses are as tough to make birdies on, ensuring whoever keeps their card here will have really earned it.
Our stats guru has crunched the numbers and scoured the form book to select three players who could improve your Fantasy team.
Favourite: Sergio Garcia
Look no further than Sergio Garcia. Not only is the Spaniard returning to Valderrama full of confidence after an excellent display at The Ryder Cup three weeks ago, but he will be teeing it up on a course where he has won twice before. Garcia’s victory here 12 months ago was his third top ten in this tournament in as many appearances and saw him finish +18.66 in Strokes Gained for the week.
He finished tenth on his debut in 2010, before winning for the first time in southern Spain in 2011. A third placed finish at the 2016 Real Club Valderrama Open de España confirms Garcia’s pedigree in Sotogrande.
A fine performance at the Portugal Masters sent Garcia to The Ryder Cup on a high, with a final round of 65 securing him a share of seventh. A confident Garcia at Valderrama could be a serious force.
Form horse: Edoardo Molinari
Although younger brother Francesco has been in the spotlight recently, this week could be all about Edoardo. The self-proclaimed statistics fan couldn’t have failed to notice his impressive record from tee-to-green last week at the Sky Sports British Masters, where he hit 73.3 per cent of fairways, the fourth best performance of the week. The Italian was also ninth in Greens in Regulation (73.6 per cent). Molinari could enjoy himself at a course like Valderrama that rewards that kind of accuracy.
The three-time European Tour winner may not have a strong record at Valderrama, but his form of late has been solid; he finished in the top 24 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and took a share of 16that the British Masters. Positioned in 137thplace in the Rankings, Molinari will need a seriously strong week to keep his card for 2019. Recent form suggests he’ll give himself a chance.
Wildcard: Joost Luiten
Beware the recently injured golfer. Joost Luiten hasn’t played competitive golf since the BMW PGA Championship in May, but there’s reason to believe he could mark his comeback with a strong result this week.
The 32 year old has two runner-up finishes and another top five at Valderrama, including outright second at last year’s tournament. Luiten’s 2018 total of 273 would even have been enough to have won all of the previous 21 tournaments held at Valderrama.
Expectations will rightly be tempered for Luiten this week, as he begins his comeback from a wrist injury. However, if he can find his rhythm then there are few places he’d rather be. Don’t be surprised to see this Dutchman flying under the radar.
