BlogVolvo China Preview and Picks

Volvo China Open

April 27th – April 30th, 2017

Topwin Golf & C.C.

Beijing, China

Par: 72 / Yardage: 7,261

Purse: $2.7 million

with $490,691 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Li Haotong

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This week’s field includes:

The field includes 13 of the top 100 in the latest Official World Rankings, with the highest ranked player in the field being #30 Bernd Wiesberger, #45 Ross Fisher, #52 Jeunghun Wang, #65 Chris Wood, #70 Thongchai Jaidee, #71 Joost Luiten, #78 Brandon Stone, #79 Fabrizio Zanotti, #80 Scott Hend, #83 Thorbjorn Olesen, #89 Kiradech Aphibarnrat, #98 Jordan L Smith and #99 David Lipsky.

Last year there were 11 top 100 players in the field.

The field includes 7 of the Top 25 on this year’s Race to Dubai money list.  Those players include #5 Rose Fisher, #6 Bernd Wiesberger, $10 Fabrizio Zanotti, #13 David Lipsky, #14 Jeunghun Wang, #17 Sam Brazel and #24 Dean Burmester.

The field includes 7 past champions: Li Haotong (2016), Wu Ashun (2015), Alexander Levy (2014), Brett Rumford (2013), Nicolas Colsaerts (2012), Y.E. Yang (2011) and Jeev Milkha Singh (2006).

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

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

Who’s Hot in the field for the Volvo China Open

Player Shenzhen International Trophee Hassan II Masters Shell Houston WGC-Dell Match Play Hero Indian Open WGC-Mexico Tshwane Open Joburg Open
Ross Fisher
(223 pts)
T3
(90)
DNP T41
(18)
DNP T5
(70)
DNP T3
(45)
DNP DNP
Bernd Wiesberger
(199.5 pts)
Win
(132)
DNP T43
(14)
T23
(18)
T17
(33)
DNP T45
(2.5)
DNP DNP
Edoardo Molinari
(145 pts)
70
(0)
Win
(132)
DNP DNP DNP T11
(13)
DNP T76
(0)
DNP
Dylan Frittelli
(132 pts)
T5
(70)
T19
(31)
DNP DNP DNP T29
(7)
DNP T12
(12.67)
T16
(11.33)
Gregory Bourdy
(106 pts)
T3
(90)
T34
(16)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
James Morrison
(104.67 pts)
T29
(21)
T13
(37)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T6
(20)
T4
(26.67)
Jordan L Smith
(104 pts)
T14
(36)
T8
(50)
DNP DNP DNP T17
(11)
DNP T29
(7)
T60
(0)
Fabrizio Zanotti
(89 pts)
T5
(70)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T12
(19)
DNP DNP
Joost Luiten
(81.5 pts)
T29
(21)
T13
(37)
DNP DNP T39
(11)
DNP T25
(12.5)
DNP DNP
Lasse Jensen
(81 pts)
CUT
(-10)
T4
(80)
DNP DNP DNP T17
(11)
DNP DNP DNP
Pablo Larrazabal
(76 pts)
T11
(39)
T13
(37)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T72
(0)
DNP DNP
Peter Uihlein
(72.67 pts)
T33
(17)
DNP DNP T23
(18)
DNP T17
(11)
DNP 4
(26.67)
DNP
George Coetzee
(70.67 pts)
T11
(39)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T8
(16.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
T7
(18.33)
Dean Burmester
(70 pts)
T39
(11)
T48
(2)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Win
(44)
T11
(13)
David Lipsky
(70 pts)
T5
(70)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T63
(0)
DNP DNP
Alexander Levy
(66 pts)
T8
(50)
T34
(16)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Carlos Pigem
(63.33 pts)
CUT
(-10)
T8
(50)
DNP DNP DNP T5
(23.33)
DNP DNP DNP
Thongchai Jaidee
(61 pts)
T8
(50)
DNP DNP DNP T39
(11)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Haydn Porteous
(51 pts)
T45
(5)
T13
(37)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T62
(0)
T23
(9)
Jorge Campillo
(51 pts)
CUT
(-10)
T19
(31)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP T2
(33.33)
DNP
Ricardo Gouveia
(50 pts)
T26
(24)
T19
(31)
DNP DNP DNP WD
(-1.67)
DNP T62
(0)
CUT
(-3.33)
Thorbjorn Olesen
(50 pts)
T8
(50)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T63
(0)
DNP DNP
Alexander Bjork
(49.33 pts)
T14
(36)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 5
(23.33)
T68
(0)
Gregory Havret
(48 pts)
T67
(0)
T19
(31)
DNP DNP DNP T34
(5.33)
DNP T15
(11.67)
DNP
S.S.P. Chawrasia
(44 pts)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Win
(44)
DNP DNP DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

Who’s Not Hot in the field for the Volvo China Open

Player Shenzhen International Trophee Hassan II Masters Shell Houston WGC-Dell Match Play Hero Indian Open WGC-Mexico Tshwane Open Joburg Open
Jeunghun Wang
(-30 pts)
DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-20)
DNP T58
(0)
DNP 71
(0)
DNP DNP
Felipe Aguilar
(-26.67 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Johan Carlsson
(-26.67 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
CUT
(-3.33)
David Howell
(-26.67 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
CUT
(-3.33)
Robert Karlsson
(-20 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Raphael Jacquelin
(-20 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Callum Shinkwin
(-20 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Nino Bertasio
(-19.33 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP 66
(0)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
T38
(4)
Y.E. Yang
(-18.33 pts)
WD
(-5)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
Marcel Siem
(-16.33 pts)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP T29
(7)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

 

The Buzz:

The Tour stays in China for the second week in a row, moving to Bejing for the oldest event in China, the Volvo China Open. This tournament is Volvo’s longest continuous sponsorship of a professional event, having first put their name to China’s national open in 1995, a span of 23 consecutive seasons. This beats the 21 years Volvo sponsored the Volvo Masters, between 1988-2008 inclusive. First played on the European Tour in 2005, it has moved around to ten different courses with TopWin Golf & C.C. being used for a second straight year.

In the 22 previous stagings of the Volvo China Open there have been 22 different winners, from 14 different countries. China have won the most times with four. Then come Australia and England with three apiece. The host nation’s wins were by Chen Jun (1997), Zhang Lian-wei (2003), Ashun Wu (2015) and Li Haotong (2016).  Last year Li Haotong delighted the home fans at Topwin Golf and Country Club as he fired a closing bogey-free 64 to become the second consecutive Chinese winner of the Volvo China Open.

Bernd Wiesberger who won last week at the Shenzhen Interantional is in the field this week.

Topwin Golf & C.C.

Beijing, China

Par: 72   Yardage: 7,261

Topwin Golf and Country Club lies in the hills of Huairou, on the North side of Beijing and at the base of The Great Wall of China.  The Championship Course was designed in 2009 by former Masters Champion and Ryder Cup legend Ian Woosnam – the 7,261 yard par-72 course rolls through the countryside among fruit trees, pine trees, and chestnut orchards – with undulating greens and several waters hazards that will pose a tough test for all of the players.

 

Key stat for the players to win this week:

The event has only been played at Topwin once, last year and because at the time Li Haotong was not a member of the European Tour he didn’t have any stats for the week.  The one important stat for him was the fact that he shot a final round 64 to climb up the leaderboard.

Normally we would say that the hottest golfer in the field, either Ross Fisher or Bernd Wiesberger would be the key people to look at, but going off of last year Li Haotong missed the cut at the Shenzhen and wasn’t playing very good as after each round he got better with scores of 69-67-66-64.  So be sure to look at the chart above on who is playing the best coming into this week.

So common sense will tell us that a person that makes a lot of birdies will be tough to beat this week, last week Fabrizio Zanotti led the field with 25 birdies, followed by George Coetzee with 24.  Both are in the field this week

Weather will be perfect for the 4 days with no rain and tempertures just around the 90 degree mark.  Winds will be around 12mph for the week.

 

 

 

Who to watch for at the Volvo China Open

Best Bets:

Bernd Wiesberger

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T28 T25

Played the best last week thanks in part to tearing apart the par 5s and playing them in 10 under. He is always around for the weekend and I expect him to be in contention come Sunday.

Ross Fisher

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T44 T31 CUT CUT T56 CUT T4

His game has shown that he is ready to win, not only because of his T-3rd last week but his T-5th finish in the WGC-Match Play and T-3rd in the WGC-Mexico.

Fabrizio Zanotti

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T9 T51 T6 CUT T65 T33 T28 T65

His game has been pretty productive since he won the Maybank Open back in February. He played well last year finishing T-9th, but what I really like is that he had the most birdies at week, 25.

Best of the rest:

Alexander Levy

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T28 T3 Win

Here is a guy putting things together at the right time, in this event was T-28th last year, T-3rd in 2015 and won in 2014. Last week was T-8th in the Shenzhen.

Gregory Bourdy

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T21 T31 T19 CUT CUT T57 T19

A regular to China, he was T-21st last year and T-3rd last week. Also made 24 birdies, so his game is prime.

David Lipsky

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T9 CUT

He was T-9th last year and T-5th last week in the Shenzhen, it was his three top-five finish of 2017.

Peter Uihlein

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
WD T8 CUT

Has been in contention on Sunday in seven of his 12 starts this year.

Thongchai Jaidee

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T8 T20 T44 T7

Hasn’t played in this event since 2010, but was T-8th last week and been in the top-15 in three of his last four starts.

Solid contenders

Dylan Frittelli

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
First time playing in this event

Playing in this event for the first time, still he played well last week finishing T-5th.

Pablo Larrazabal

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
CUT CUT T36 T5 T18 T10 T8 CUT T8

Could his game be ready to peak, may of finished T-11th last year but shot 67-66 on the weekend.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T26 T12 CUT CUT CUT

His game is coming around, shot 66-70-67 to finish T-21st last week.

George Coetzee

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T4

In his only start in this event was T-4th in 2012, he finished T-11th last week.

Joost Luiten

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T44 T8 T18 15 T14

Always a reliable pick, was T-44th last year and T-29th last week.

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
First time playing in this event

Long shots that could come through:

Richie Ramsay

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T6 7 T32 T29 T52 T43

Was T-6th last year and T-21st last week, he is a good dark horse pick.

Jordan L. Smith

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
First time playing in this event

Playing in this event for the first time, his game has been solid the last couple of months, he has been in the top-25 in his last three starts.

Lucas Bjerregaard

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T3 T14

Has cash checks in seven of his eight starts this year, was T-3rd last year.

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