Golf betting tips: Who will reign in Spain and the Baycurrent Classic?

The golf action is back in full flow this week with the Open de Espana on the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai. 

Also, what was formerly known as the Zozo Championship has a new sponsor as the Baycurrent Classic hits our screens from the Yokohama golf club on the PGA Tour. Nico Echavarria (70/1 with Spreadex) will defend.

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Prize money for the two events is $3.25m (£2.4m) and $8m (£5.94m) respectively, with 5,000 Race to Dubai points on offer in Spain and 500 FedEx Cup points for the winner of the Baycurrent Classic PGA Tour event.

Open de Espana: John Rahm looking to win again on home soil

Robert MacIntyre made it a double celebration winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in his native Scotland following on from the European's Ryder Cup success at Bethpage Black last week. He sits this one out.

The Open de Espana comes from the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid for the sixth time in a row. 

It’s a tight little parklands gem close to the Spanish capital’s city centre that has hosted several DP World Tour events including the last five Spanish Open’s. Favourite Jon Rahm (16/5 across most bookmakers) has won two of them. 

In fact, Rahm has won three of the last six Spanish Opens and five of the last six have been won by a Spaniard. Angel Hidalgo 125/1 with Ladbrokes will defend this week.

Club de Campo de Villa Madrid is a parklands track playing to a par of 71 at 7,112 yards. It’s a fiddly little course with small greens. Accuracy and shot making skills reign supreme over length.

Rahm leads the Open de Espana market at 3/1 with Ladbrokes and his South American LIV tour rival Joaquin Niemann is making the trip over and is second in the betting at 9/1 with William Hill. 

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Spaniard David Puig who registered a third-place finish last year here is 20/1 with Spreadex. Interestingly he tied with Grant Forrest who is getting my interest this week.

Forrest has been off the radar since winning the Nexo Championship. He returned to form last week at the Alfred Dunhill links Championship, finishing t11. 

Interestingly Forrest was also third here four years ago so there must be something he likes about the course.

The LIV guys are playing a lot of DP World Tour events these days and a player I like for the track in question at his price this week is Patrick Reed. 

He played last year here and finished in the top 10. He has hit 60% of fairways over the last two years on the LIV Tour and finished fourth in scrambling this year.

With Spaniards doing so well here in recent years I’m going to stick with a youngster I’ve backed a lot this season. 

He missed the cut last year on debut but on the DP world tour this season Angel Ayora has had two top fives, a top eight, and a 13th place finish in his last six events. 

A win on the big tour is just around the corner for the dynamic Spaniard who ranks 10th in ‘driving distance’, 23rd in ‘greens in reg’ and 19th in ‘stroke average’.

FIRST’s top tips for the Open De Espana

Patrick Reed looks to have the perfect skillset for this course and he’s one of the top players in the field. Back the American at 22/1 each way (six places) with Spreadex.

Pick: Patrick Reed - 22/1 (six places) e/w - Spreadex

Angel Ayora is touted as the next big Spanish superstar and Spaniards have a great record in their home open. Back him to win the tournament at 30/1 seven places each way with Coral.

Pick: Angel Ayora - 30/1 (seven places) e/w - Coral

Grant Forrest is a two-time tour winner and he’s bouncing back into form after his latest win. Back the Scot to win in Spain at 80/1 (five places) each way with Betfred.

Pick: Grant Forrest - 80/1 (five places) e/w - Betfred

Baycurrent Classic: Schauffle and Matsuyama looking for the icing on the cake

Steven Fisk is the latest winner on the PGA Tour having bypassed Garrick Higgo (45/1 BetMGM) with a round of 8-under par at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday. 

We don't know a lot about this week’s venue at Yokohama Golf Club which takes over from the Zozo Championship’s Accordia Golf Narashino’s Country Club.

What we do know is that Yokohama Golf club will play to a par 71 at 7,315 yards in length. The last four winners at the old venue were Nico Echavarria, Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley and home Hero Hideki Matsuyama. 

There was a standout theme to profile for at Accordia Golf Narashino but now we are playing a bit of a guessing game.

Leading the market is Xander Schauffele again at 10/1 at Betway with Morikawa and Matsuyama in behind at 16/1. Recent two-time winner Alex Noren is fourth in the betting at 22/1 with Betfred.

I’m going to plump for a couple of two European Tour stalwarts here.

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First up is Rasmus Hojgaard who it’s safe to say didn’t enjoy his personal Ryder Cup debut. He certainly bounced back though with a t3 last week at the Sanderson Farms. That’s his third top three in his last five events.

The same unfortunately can’t be said of Min Woo Lee but he will enjoy playing in this part of the world and prior to the Sanderson Farms he looked primed to win again. 

A t11 at the BMW Championship was followed by a t5 in France, but that ought to have been much better. Min-Woo is 15th in ‘driving distance’ and 13th in ‘strokes gained around the green’ this year.

Home favourite Keita Nakajima is unsurprisingly seeing money despite a form line that’s not overly impressive. 

He does have a sneaky top 20 at the Omega European Masters to his name in recent events and a top four finish recorded at the Betfred British Masters. Nakajima is excellent on home soil though and the 25-year-old has picked up five major titles in his homeland. 

Nakajima spent 87 weeks as the number one amateur in the world. He’s already picked up his maiden DP World Tour win.

FIRST’s top tips for the Baycurrent Classic

Rasmus Hojgaard is on a mission for his first win on the PGA Tour. Back the Dane at 25/1 (six places) each way with Spreadex.

Pick: Rasmus Hojgaard - 25/1 (six places) e/w - Spreadex

Another DP World Tour stalwart looks primed for another win soon. You can back Min-Woo Lee to win the Baycurrent Classic at 35/1 (six places) each way with Spreadex.

Pick: Min-Woo Lee - 35/1 (six places) e/w - Spreadex

Young Japanese superstar Nakajima already has five International wins to his name and he excels on home turf. Back the 25-year-old for more glory this week at 80/1 (five places) each way with Betfred.

Pick: Keita Nakajima - 80/1 (five places) e/w - Betfred

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Odds correct at the time of writing.