BlogOpen D’Italia Preview and Picks

posted on September 16, 2013

Open D’Italia

September 19 – 22, 2013

Golf Club Torino

Turin, Italy

Par: 72 / Yardage: 7,208

Purse: $1.95 Million

with $326,425 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This week’s field includes:

The field includes six of the top 100 in the latest Official World Rankings, with the highest ranked player in the field being #31 Matteo Manassero and #47 Francesco Molinari.  Here are the other top-100 players in the field: , #54 Nicolas Colsaerts, #53 Gonzalo Fdez-Castano,  #61 Bernd Wiesberger and #95 Marcus Fraser.

The field includes 17 of the Top 50 on this year’s Race to Dubai money list.  Those players include #5 Matteo Manassero, #22 Gregory Bourdy, #25 Scott Jamieson, #29 Francesco Molinari, #30 Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, #31 Tommy Fleetwood, #32 Nicolas Colsaerts, #33 Thomas Aiken, #36 Bernd Wiesberger, #37 Simon Kham, #40 Felipe Aguilar, #42 Victor Dubuisson, #44 Shane Lowry, $45 Raphael Jacquelin, #46 Rafa Cabrera-Bello, #48 Marcus Fraser and #50 Alejandro Canizares.

The field includes 8 past champions: Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (2012 & ’07), Robert Rock (2011), Hennie Otto (2008),  Francesco (2006), Steve Webster (2005), Mathias Gronberg (2003), Gregory Havret (2001) and Patrik Sjoland (1998).

The field includes 7 players that have won on the European Tour this year: Scott Jamieson (Nelson Mandela), Thomas Aiken (Avantha Masters), Raphael Jacquelin (Spanish Open), Matteo Manassero (BMW PGA Championship), Simon Thornton (Najeti Hotels Golf Open), Michael Hoey (Russian Open Open) and Gregory Bourdy (Handa Wales Open).

A perfect way for fantasy golfers to check on the past performance of all the players in the Italian Open field is our performance chart listed by average finish. One last way to check who is the best is through a special formula worked out in Golfstats that gives us the best average performances at the Italian Open  in the last five years or check out our sortable 8-year glance at the Italian Open.

A good cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmakers in England.

Another cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmaker in Las Vegas.

Time to look at our who’s hot and who isn’t:

Who’s Hot in the field for the BMW Italian Open

Player KLM Open Omega European Masters Wales Open Johnnie Walker Gleneagles PGA Championship Russian Open WGC-Bridgestone British Open Scottish Open French Open Irish Open BMW International Najeti HotelsOpen
Simon Dyson
(205.67 pts)		 T3
(90)		 T22
(28)		 T18
(32)		 T28
(14.67)		 DNP 9
(15)		 DNP DNP T12
(12.67)		 5
(23.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)
Gregory Havret
(170 pts)		 T3
(90)		 T7
(55)		 CUT
(-10)		 T35
(10)		 DNP T5
(23.33)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T15
(11.67)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Soren Kjeldsen
(163.67 pts)		 8
(50)		 T54
(0)		 3
(90)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP DNP T31
(6.33)		 T8
(16.67)		 T18
(10.67)		 T68
(0)		 DNP
Gregory Bourdy
(161.67 pts)		 DNP T44
(6)		 Win
(132)		 T23
(18)		 DNP DNP DNP T64
(0)		 T49
(0.33)		 T34
(5.33)		 DNP T58
(0)		 DNP
Brooks Koepka
(149 pts)		 T22
(28)		 T7
(55)		 T18
(32)		 T28
(14.67)		 T70
(0)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)		 T12
(12.67)		 DNP DNP DNP T10
(13.33)
Damien McGrane
(140 pts)		 T3
(90)		 CUT
(-10)		 T6
(60)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP DNP T42
(2.67)		 T18
(10.67)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP DNP
Rafael Cabrera-Bello
(131.33 pts)		 T46
(4)		 DNP T15
(35)		 T35
(10)		 T29
(28)		 DNP DNP T21
(19.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T29
(7)		 T5
(23.33)		 T26
(8)		 DNP
Mikko Korhonen
(130.33 pts)		 T26
(24)		 T34
(16)		 T8
(50)		 T10
(26.67)		 DNP T10
(13.33)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T68
(0)		 T49
(0.33)
Seve Benson
(124 pts)		 T50
(1)		 T26
(24)		 T8
(50)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP T17
(11)		 T18
(10.67)		 T42
(2.67)		 T46
(1.33)		 3
(30)
Eduardo De La Riva
(122.33 pts)		 T16
(34)		 T57
(0)		 T15
(35)		 T49
(0.67)		 DNP DNP DNP T15
(23.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T3
(30)		 T32
(6)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Victor Dubuisson
(103.33 pts)		 DNP 3
(90)		 WD
(-5)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T17
(11)		 T18
(10.67)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T53
(0)		 DNP
Shane Lowry
(102.67 pts)		 T26
(24)		 DNP DNP T10
(26.67)		 T57
(0)		 DNP T48
(1)		 T32
(12)		 T31
(6.33)		 DNP T5
(23.33)		 T22
(9.33)		 DNP
Emiliano Grillo
(91 pts)		 T11
(39)		 CUT
(-10)		 T18
(32)		 T6
(40)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T53
(0)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Matthew Nixon
(89.67 pts)		 T16
(34)		 CUT
(-10)		 T31
(19)		 T35
(10)		 DNP T2
(33.33)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 T38
(4)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T22
(9.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)
Scott Henry
(87 pts)		 T50
(1)		 T34
(16)		 CUT
(-10)		 T4
(53.33)		 DNP T44
(2)		 DNP DNP T57
(0)		 T29
(7)		 T22
(9.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T15
(11.67)
Alexander Levy
(80.67 pts)		 T30
(20)		 CUT
(-10)		 T18
(32)		 T42
(5.33)		 DNP T10
(13.33)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 T52
(0)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 3
(30)		 CUT
(-3.33)
Alejandro Canizares
(76 pts)		 T67
(0)		 4
(80)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP T57
(0)		 T42
(2.67)		 T10
(13.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Bernd Wiesberger
(75.33 pts)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-10)		 T4
(53.33)		 CUT
(-13.33)		 DNP DNP T64
(0)		 T31
(6.33)		 T13
(12.33)		 DNP T4
(26.67)		 DNP
David Horsey
(75.33 pts)		 T9
(45)		 CUT
(-10)		 DNP T14
(24)		 DNP T17
(11)		 DNP DNP T24
(8.67)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP T58
(0)		 DNP
Simon Wakefield
(70.67 pts)		 T30
(20)		 T57
(0)		 T8
(50)		 T42
(5.33)		 DNP T44
(2)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T30
(6.67)
Oliver Fisher
(70.33 pts)		 T11
(39)		 T49
(1)		 T31
(19)		 T52
(0)		 DNP DNP DNP T32
(12)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T47
(1)		 T35
(5)		 DNP
David Howell
(66 pts)		 T41
(9)		 T26
(24)		 WD
(-5)		 T17
(22)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP T42
(2.67)		 T8
(16.67)		 T71
(0)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Graeme Storm
(62.67 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 T6
(60)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 T3
(30)		 T32
(6)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Michael Hoey
(62.33 pts)		 DNP T49
(1)		 DNP T28
(14.67)		 DNP Win
(44)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 T63
(0)		 T32
(6)		 DNP DNP
Marcus Fraser
(61.33 pts)		 T16
(34)		 T20
(30)		 DNP DNP T47
(4)		 DNP DNP T54
(0)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP DNP DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

Who’s Not Hot in the field for the BMW Italian Open

Player KLM Open Omega European Masters Wales Open Johnnie Walker Gleneagles PGA Championship Russian Open WGC-Bridgestone British Open Scottish Open French Open Irish Open BMW International Najeti HotelsOpen
Jeev Milkha Singh
(-47.33 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP T42
(2.67)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Bjorn Akesson
(-46.67 pts)		 T67
(0)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)
Gary Lockerbie
(-44 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP T32
(6)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Niclas Fasth
(-43.33 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 DNP CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)		 T57
(0)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Jbe Kruger
(-43.33 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Moritz Lampert
(-41.67 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 DNP CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP DNP WD
(-1.67)		 DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)
Ignacio Garrido
(-40 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 T58
(0)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 T59
(0)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP
Martin Wiegele
(-40 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 T69
(0)		 DNP T58
(0)		 DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T53
(0)		 DNP
Estanislao Goya
(-40 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 DNP CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T52
(0)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T74
(0)		 DNP
Peter Whiteford
(-33.33 pts)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-10)		 CUT
(-6.67)		 DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 T10
(13.33)		 CUT
(-3.33)		 DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

The Buzz:

This is the national open of Italy, this event was first started in 1925 when Italian Francesco Pasquali won.  Last week’s KLM was won when Joost Luiten claimed victory in his national championship.  There will be a lot of pride as the Italians try to win there championship, the last Italian to win was Francesco Molinari in 2006.  He was the first Italian champion since Massimo Mannelli won in 1980.

Only problem, this event is very hard in getting sponsorship and it doesn’t have a very good date.  With the Alfred Dunhill Links next week and many players gearing up for the European playoffs in a months time, many have taken the week off.  So the field isn’t very good.  It also is being played on a course that has only held this event once, the Golf Club of Torino.  Still for Italians there is a lot of pride and importance to this championship.

What about Golf Club Torino:

The mystic of this tournament is that Edoardo and Francesco Molinari honed their games on Golf Club Torino’s two course.  The course is in La Mandria, which is at the base of the Alps and just like in the Omega European Masters this course has some great mountain views.  The club has two 18 hole courses and a nine-hole pitch & Putt.  The Blue Course is being used for this championship, it was built in 1956 by John Morrison and run through ancient trees that have been in the area for hundreds of years.  The course was used in the 1999 Italian Open which was won by Dean Robertson.

Key stat for the players to win this week:

Hit lot’s of greens and fairways.  The course isn’t terribly long and the greens are above avearge.  But you can’t wonder off the fairways, some very mature trees will make it impossible to recover if you miss the fairway.  Also look for a player that is hot, they are always favorites in events like this.

 

Who to watch for at the BMW Italian Open

Best Bets:

Ross Fisher

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
First time playing in this event
More info:

Full 8 year glance at his record

His game is very sharp right now after finishing T5th in Switzerland and T3rd at KLM.

Francesco Molinari

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T46 T8 T6 CUT T3 Win T17 T13 CUT T23 CUT
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Knows a lot on the Golf Club Torino since he grew up and played most of his younger years playing it.

Matteo Manassero

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T3 T8 T29 T25
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

He would love to win his national championship, his game has gotten better.

Best of the rest:

Gregory Havret

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T35 CUT T54 T7 T37 T16 T21 3 T60 WD Win
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Game is in great shape with a T7th in Switzerland and T3rd last week at KLM.

Marcus Fraser

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T23 T17 T25 T17 T7 T40 T28
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Another of those players that could find this course to his liking.

Brooks Koepka

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
First time playing in this event
More info:

Full 8 year glance at his record

Enjoying a great year, a win on the European Tour event would top it off.

Bernd Wiesberger

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T63 T15 CUT
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Game is sharp, has taken some time off so he should be very fresh.

Solid contenders

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
Win CUT Win T6
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Will have a tough time as defending champion, his game has been a bit inconsistent but shows some promise.

Retief Goosen

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
First time playing in this event
More info:

Full 8 year glance at his record

Game hasn’t been sharp in a while but he can always get it together and surprise us all.

Shane Lowry

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T13
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Kind of guy that could do well on a course like this were good ball striking rewards you.

Simon Dyson

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
WD
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Played well last week at the KLM, but he always plays well in that event and it doesn’t mean the good play could carry over to this week.

Long shots that could come through:

Damien McGrane

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T27 T52 CUT T28 T53
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

One of these unheralded players that have come together and is playing great right now.

Victor Dubuisson

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
T13 T39
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Watch him, his game was sharp in Switzerland and he should be ready to go this week.

Mikko Korhonen

2012 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02 ’01
CUT
More info:

Full BMW Italian Open RecordFull 8 year glance at his record

Game has cooled off a bit but he can always regain that great form from last month.