BlogKLM Open Preview and Picks

KLM Open

September 11 – 14, 2014

Kennemer G.&C.C.

Zandvoort,, Netherlands

Par: 70 / Yardage: 6,626

Purse: $2.3 million

with $383,445 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Joost Luiten

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This week’s field includes:

The field includes 14 of the top-100 in the latest Official World Rankings, with the highest rank player in the field being #29 Thomas Bjorn and #35 Miguel Angel Jimenez.  Here are the other top-100 players in the field: #51 Joost Luiten, #52 Mikko Ilonen, #55 Jonas Blixt, #62 Shane Lowry, #65 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, #68 Brooks Koepka, #79 Pablo Larrazabal, #85 Matteo Manassero, #88 Paul Casey, #89 Tommy Fleetwood, #94 Fabrizio Zanotti and #100 Hennie Otto..

So it has two more top-100 players in the field as last year’s event had.

The field includes 27 of the Top 50 on this year’s Race to Dubai money list.  Those players include #4 Thomas Bjorn, #14 Miguel Angel Jimenez, #15 Mikko Ilonen, #16 Shane Lowry, #17 Joost Luiten, #18 Jonas Blixt, #19 Marc Warren, #23 Kristoffer Broberg, #24 Pablo Larrazabal, #26 George Coetzee, #27 Fabrizio Zanotti, #29 Edoardo Molinari, #30 Tommy Fleetwood, #34 Brooks Koepka, #35 Simon Dyson, #37 Robert Karlsson, #39 Hennie Otto, #40 Tyrrell Hatton, #42 Romain Wattel, #44 Ross Fisher, #45 Michael Hoey, #46 Matthew Baldwin, #47 Andy Sullivan, #48 David Howell, #49 Marcel Siem and #50 Alejandro Canizares.

The field includes 11 past champions: Joost Luiten (2013), Peter Hanson (2012), Simon Dyson (2011, ’09 & ’06), Darren Clarke (2008), Ross Fisher (2007), Gozalo Fernandez-Castano (2005), David Lynn (2004), Maarten Lafeber (2003),  Sven Struver (1997), Miguel Angel Jimenez (1994) and Jose Maria Olazabal (1989).

The field includes 16 players that have won on the European Tour this year: Miguel A. Jimenez (Hong Kong & Open de Espana), Thomas Bjorn (Nedbank), Pablo Larrazabal (Abu Dhabi), George Coetzee (Joburg Open), Thomas Aiken (Africa Open), Ross Fisher (Tshwane Open), Alejandro Canizaro (Trophee Hassan II), Marco Crespi (NH Collection), Felipe Aguilar (Championship at Laguna National),  Daniel Brooks (Madeira Island Open), Mikael Lundberg (Lyoness Open), Mikko Ilonen (Irish Open), Fabrizio Zanotti (BMW International), David Horsey (M2M Russian Open), Marc Warren (Made in Denmark) and Hennie Otto (Open D’Italia)

A perfect way for fantasy golfers to check on the past performance of all the players in the KLM 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 KLM  in the last five years or check out our sortable 8-year glance at the KLM.

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 KLM Open

Player European Masters BMW Champ. Italian Open Deutsche Bank Czech Masters The Barclays Made in Denmark Wyndham Champ. PGA Champ. WGC Bridgestone Barracuda Champ. Russian Open British Open
Marc Warren
(194 pts)
T13
(37)
DNP T35
(15)
DNP DNP DNP Win
(88)
DNP T15
(46.67)
DNP DNP DNP T39
(7.33)
Tommy Fleetwood
(146 pts)
T5
(70)
DNP T24
(26)
DNP T5
(70)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-13.33)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Brooks Koepka
(144.67 pts)
T3
(90)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T38
(8)
T15
(46.67)
DNP DNP DNP T67
(0)
Hennie Otto
(143 pts)
T61
(0)
DNP Win
(132)
DNP T39
(11)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Richie Ramsay
(130 pts)
8
(50)
DNP T4
(80)
DNP DNP DNP T70
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Lee Slattery
(120 pts)
T9
(45)
DNP T7
(55)
DNP T30
(20)
DNP T76
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
David Howell
(119.67 pts)
T47
(3)
DNP 2
(100)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP T52
(0)
DNP DNP T15
(23.33)
James Morrison
(115.67 pts)
T25
(25)
DNP T11
(39)
DNP T13
(37)
DNP T28
(14.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T51
(0)
DNP
Eddie Pepperell
(113.33 pts)
DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP T5
(70)
DNP T4
(53.33)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Joost Luiten
(105.33 pts)
DNP DNP T4
(80)
DNP T52
(0)
DNP DNP DNP 26
(32)
T56
(0)
DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Thomas Bjorn
(101 pts)
T40
(10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T4
(53.33)
DNP CUT
(-13.33)
T15
(35)
DNP DNP T26
(16)
Soren Kjeldsen
(100 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP T3
(90)
DNP T15
(23.33)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Sam Walker
(97.67 pts)
DNP DNP T14
(36)
DNP T7
(55)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T10
(13.33)
DNP
Romain Wattel
(94.67 pts)
T9
(45)
DNP T11
(39)
DNP DNP DNP T34
(10.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tyrrell Hatton
(93.33 pts)
T3
(90)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP T30
(20)
DNP T61
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Scott Jamieson
(85.67 pts)
T36
(14)
DNP DNP DNP T9
(45)
DNP T45
(3.33)
DNP DNP DNP DNP 3
(30)
CUT
(-6.67)
Graeme Storm
(80 pts)
2
(100)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP T61
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Thorbjorn Olesen
(79.33 pts)
T36
(14)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T7
(36.67)
DNP T30
(26.67)
DNP T47
(2)
DNP T64
(0)
Gareth Maybin
(79 pts)
T9
(45)
DNP T46
(4)
DNP T79
(0)
DNP T9
(30)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Edoardo Molinari
(79 pts)
T13
(37)
DNP T59
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T46
(5.33)
DNP DNP DNP T7
(36.67)
David Horsey
(77.33 pts)
DNP DNP T14
(36)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP T39
(7.33)
DNP DNP DNP DNP Win
(44)
DNP
Mikko Ilonen
(76.67 pts)
T40
(10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T7
(73.33)
T66
(0)
DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Craig Lee
(75.33 pts)
T54
(0)
DNP T35
(15)
DNP T13
(37)
DNP T15
(23.33)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T54
(0)
DNP
Shane Lowry
(72.33 pts)
T13
(37)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T46
(5.33)
DNP DNP DNP T9
(30)
James Heath
(70.67 pts)
DNP DNP T35
(15)
DNP T9
(45)
DNP 82
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T18
(10.67)
DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

Who’s Not Hot in the field for the KLM Open

Player European Masters BMW Champ. Italian Open Deutsche Bank Czech Masters The Barclays Made in Denmark Wyndham Champ. PGA Champ. WGC Bridgestone Barracuda Champ. Russian Open British Open
Daniel Brooks
(-36.67 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Jeev Milkha Singh
(-36.67 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Thomas Levet
(-36.67 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Victor Riu
(-36.67 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP 84
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Padraig Harrington
(-34.67 pts)
T73
(0)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-13.33)
DNP T47
(2)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Pablo Larrazabal
(-30 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-13.33)
T63
(0)
DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Jose Manuel Lara
(-30 pts)
DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Chris Doak
(-30 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP T57
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
David Higgins
(-30 pts)
DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Jbe Kruger
(-30 pts)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

The Buzz:

Has to be a big disappointment that the field only has one Ryder Cup player, Thomas Bjorn.  Now four European Ryder Cup players, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer are playing at the Tour Championship, but that still leaves seven others that could of teed up here and didn’t.

One person in the field is Simon Dyson, who has won the title three times including the last time that the KLM was played at Kennemar in 2009.  Dyson’s KLM win in 2011 was his last, he has struggle since as his best finish was 5th at the French Open three months ago.  Since then in five starts have finished T28th Johnnie Walker, his worst finish as he was T12th at the Scottish Open, 9th at the Russian Open, T18th at the Wales Open and T22nd last week at the Omega European Masters.

A number of Dutch players are in the field, but the one with the best shot is defending champion Joost Luiten.  He came close to winning this title in 2007 at Kennemer when he finished 2nd to Ross Fisher, he also finished 6th in 2011.  Despite not winning 2014 has been a success for Luiten with five top-tens, including a pair of third place finishes at the Volvo Golf Champions and Lyoness Open.  In his last start at the Italian Open he was T-4th.

One person in perfect form is American Brooks Koepka who was a shot out of the playoff last week in Switzerland.  Koepka has come close to winning on the European Tour and this could be the week.  Another American in the field is Peter Uihlein, who has been in a free fall this year after a strong 2013.  Many feel that despite the slump, Kennemer suits Uihlein who won at Madeira last year.  After not playing 72 holes in 13 of 14 events, Uihlein seems to have gotten things under control with a T-78th at Made in Denmark, T-19th at Czech Masters and T-36th at Omega European Masters.  So maybe he will be worth a look at this week.

What about Kennemer Golf & Country Club:

The course is located in Zandvoort, a popular Dutch seaside town about 30 miles outside of Amsterdam.  This is a gem of a course, a links course that was founded in 1910.  The original nine was moved to it’s present location in 1927 when Harry Colt laid out a 18 hole course in towering dunes. In 1985 Frank Pennink was hired to add another nine holes and today Kennemer is 27 links holes in which a composite course is used for the tournament.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the KLM Open:

Key stat for the winner:

  • Look for the player that can control his game in windy conditions.  The weather has been poor the last couple of days with rain, but the good news is that weather will be great for this week with no chance of rain.
  • So look for a player that will be able to drive it in the fairway and be able to bump and run it on the green.  Now with the course being a links nature that means slow, flat greens so those that aren’t great putters have a bit of a edge.

Here are some more key stats to look to for this week:

  • So what does Simon Dyson, Darren Clarke and Ross Fisher have in common?  They have won four of the last five KLM’s played at Kennemer and they are all from Great Britain who learned to play their golf on seaside courses.  So look for someone that does have lots of links experience as a player that will do well this week.
  • One interesting thing of the last five winners, they all played the best on the par 5s, last year Luiten was six under on them.  So that shows that overpowering holes is needed to win.
  • There are six events left before the four tournament playoff series so this will be a perfect week for many to pick up more race to Dubai money.
  • The weather will play a part so look for a player that does well in the wind to win this week.  Also length will help with soft fairways so the winner will be above average in hitting it long.

 

 

 

Who to watch for at the KLM Open

Best Bets:

Brooks Koepka

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T22

Like him after his good play last week in Switzerland. He is long overdue for that first victory.

Thomas Bjorn

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
CUT

Look for him to play well as he gets ready for the Ryder Cup.

Ross Fisher

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T3 CUT T6 T11 T20 Win T47 T52

Another Englishman that learned the game on courses like Kennemer.

Best of the rest:

Joost Luiten

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
Win CUT T6 T57 CUT CUT 2 CUT CUT

Usually don’t like defender but his game is sharp and he could do it again.

Tommy Fleetwood

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T30 T17

Has played well the last month, he may be ready to shine and knows how to play in wind and by the sea.

Pablo Larrazabal

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T9 T2 CUT T34 CUT

Has played well the last two years, look for another good week from him.

Graeme Storm

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
CUT T5 CUT T26 T59 T45 T40 CUT

Good last week also finished T5th in this event in 2012.

Solid contenders

Marc Warren

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
CUT T12 T68 CUT CUT T4 CUT WD

Still playing well, he is worth a look at.

Simon Dyson

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T3 T46 Win CUT Win T12 T27 Win T60 T15 CUT

He seems to dominate this event and Kennemer.

Shane Lowry

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T26 CUT T64 T50 T15

Has lot’s of experience on links course, could be good this week.

Pablo Larrazabal

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T9 T2 CUT T34 CUT

Good finishes the last two times he has played Kennemer.

Long shots that could come through:

Richie Ramsay

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
T22 T2 T16 T64 T26

Another of those players that cut his teeth on links courses, finished T-2nd in 2012.

Romain Wattel

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
CUT CUT CUT

Playing great of late, this could spell over to this week.

Peter Uihlein

2013 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05 ’04 ’03 ’02
First time playing in this event

His game is coming along, just wonder if this course suits him.

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