BlogNordea Masters Preview and Picks

Nordea Masters

June 1st – 4th, 2017

Barseback Golf & Golf Club

Malmo, Sweden

Par: 73 / Yardage: 7,666

Purse: $1.63 million

with $278,438 (last year) to the winner

Defending Champion:
Matthew Fitzpatrick

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This week’s field includes:

The field includes 15 of the top-100 and 3 top-50 players in the latest Official World Rankings, with the highest rank player in the field being #5 Henrik Stenson, #8 Alex Noren, #40 Matthew Fitzpatrick and #55 Lee Westwood.  Here are the other top-100 players in the field: #60 Jeunghun Wang, #68 Chris Wood, #71 Andy Sullivan, #74 Joost Luiten, #75 Alexander Levy, #76 Thongchai Jaidee, #83 Scott Hend, #88 Fabrizio Zanotti, #89 Pablo Larrazabal, #95 Kiradech Aphibarnrat and #96 Thorbjorn Olesen.

Last year there was 3 top-50 players and 12 top-100 players in the field

The field includes 10 of the Top 25 on this year’s Race to Dubai money list.  Those players include #4 Alex Noren, #13 Alexander Levy, #14 Fabrizio Zanotti, #15 Pablo Larrazabal, #16 Henrik Stenson, #17 David Lipsky, #19 Jeunghun Wang, #22 Dylan Frittelli, #23 Lee Westwood and #25 Graeme Storm.

The field includes 8 past champions: Matthew Fitzpatrick (2016), Alex Noren (2015 & ’11), Mikko Ilonen (2013 & ’07), Lee Westwood (2012, 2000 & 1996), Richard S. Johnson (2010), Ricardo Gonzalez (2009), Peter Hanson (2008) and Marc Warren (2006).

The field includes 9 players that have won on the European Tour this year: Sam Brazel (UBS Hong Kong Open), Graeme Storm (BMW South African Open), Jeunghun Wang (Qatar Masters), Fabrizio Zanotti (Maybank Open), Brett Rumford (ISPS Hando World Super 6 Perth), S.S.P. Chawrasia (Hero Indian Open), Alexander Levy (Volvo China Open), Alvaro Quiros (Rocco Forte Open) and Alex Noren (BMW PGA Championship).

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

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 Nordea Masters

Player BMW PGA Championship The Rocco Forte Open Open de Portugal The Players Championship Wells Fargo Championship Volvo China Open Zurich Classic of New Orleans Shenzhen International Valero Texas Open Trophee Hassan II RBC Heritage Masters
Alex Noren
(264 pts)
Win
(198)
DNP DNP 10
(60)
T31
(12.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Henrik Stenson
(172.67 pts)
T3
(135)
DNP DNP T16
(51)
DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Alvaro Quiros
(145 pts)
CUT
(-15)
Win
(132)
T22
(28)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Nicolas Colsaerts
(144.33 pts)
T3
(135)
T58
(0)
DNP DNP DNP T42
(5.33)
DNP T39
(7.33)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Li Haotong
(139.33 pts)
T30
(30)
3
(90)
DNP DNP DNP T11
(26)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Pablo Larrazabal
(137.33 pts)
T24
(39)
DNP DNP DNP DNP 3
(60)
DNP T11
(26)
DNP T13
(12.33)
DNP DNP
Alexander Levy
(126.67 pts)
T51
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP Win
(88)
DNP T8
(33.33)
DNP T34
(5.33)
DNP DNP
Mark Foster
(110.67 pts)
DNP T8
(50)
T6
(60)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T48
(0.67)
DNP DNP
Sebastian Heisele
(109.33 pts)
DNP T31
(19)
T4
(80)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T19
(10.33)
DNP DNP
Dylan Frittelli
(108.67 pts)
CUT
(-15)
DNP DNP DNP DNP 2
(66.67)
DNP T5
(46.67)
DNP T19
(10.33)
DNP DNP
Andrew Dodt
(106.67 pts)
T6
(90)
T38
(12)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T33
(11.33)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Zander Lombard
(96.67 pts)
CUT
(-15)
2
(100)
T35
(15)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Graeme Storm
(95.33 pts)
T6
(90)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T42
(5.33)
DNP T57
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Oliver Fisher
(94.67 pts)
T40
(15)
T27
(23)
T6
(60)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Alexander Bjork
(91 pts)
T14
(54)
T27
(23)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T14
(24)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Scott Jamieson
(82 pts)
T14
(54)
T38
(12)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T21
(19.33)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Joost Luiten
(78 pts)
T24
(39)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T31
(12.67)
DNP T29
(14)
DNP T13
(12.33)
DNP DNP
Lee Westwood
(75.33 pts)
T14
(54)
DNP DNP T65
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T18
(21.33)
Paul Dunne
(74.67 pts)
T30
(30)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T33
(11.33)
DNP 2
(33.33)
DNP DNP
Marcus Armitage
(71.33 pts)
DNP T38
(12)
T10
(40)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T21
(19.33)
DNP T66
(0)
DNP DNP
Tom Lewis
(71 pts)
DNP T11
(39)
T18
(32)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T60
(0)
DNP DNP
Matthieu Pavon
(70.67 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
3
(90)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T13
(12.33)
DNP DNP
Jaco Van Zyl
(70 pts)
T14
(54)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T24
(17.33)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T34
(5.33)
DNP DNP
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
(66.67 pts)
T14
(54)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T21
(19.33)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Sam Walker
(64.33 pts)
CUT
(-15)
DNP T4
(80)
DNP DNP T36
(9.33)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

Who’s Not Hot in the field for the Nordea Masters

Player BMW PGA Championship The Rocco Forte Open Open de Portugal The Players Championship Wells Fargo Championship Volvo China Open Zurich Classic of New Orleans Shenzhen International Valero Texas Open Trophee Hassan II RBC Heritage Masters
Simon Dyson
(-41.67 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP WD
(-3.33)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Romain Langasque
(-41.67 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Adrian Otaegui
(-38.33 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T56
(0)
DNP DNP
Alexander Knappe
(-35 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T67
(0)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP DNP
Gary Stal
(-33 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T34
(5.33)
DNP DNP
Trevor Immelman
(-31.67 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Ryan Fox
(-31.67 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T51
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Magnus A Carlsson
(-28.33 pts)
CUT
(-15)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Richard Bland
(-26.33 pts)
CUT
(-15)
CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T53
(0)
DNP T34
(5.33)
DNP DNP
Jeunghun Wang
(-25 pts)
CUT
(-15)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T59
(0)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)

How Player Rankings are Computed

The Buzz:

After a good BMW PGA in which the players loved all the changes to Wentworth, it’s back to what is regular on the European Tour, with mostly tour regulars playing.  It’s off to Sweden for a tournament which had its origins in the late 1960s with the Volvo Open, which became the Scandinavian Enterprise Open in 1973, when it also became the first Swedish stop on the European Tour schedule. In 1991, the SEO merged with the PLM Open, with the resulting tournament being called the Scandinavian Masters.  The Scandinavian Masters is currently the only European Tour event to be held in Scandinavia.  A total of seven venues have hosted the Nordea Masters and two players have won the title three times – Lee Westwood, who returns this year, and Colin Montgomerie.  Other names on the rich list of past winners include Sir Nick Faldo (1992), former World Number Ones Luke Donald (2004) and Adam Scott (2003), and US Open winner Graeme McDowell (2002).

What about Barseback G & CC:

Located 20 miles north of Malmo, Sweden which is just across the bay from Copenhagen Denmark.  The first nine holes at Barseback Golf & Country Club was completed in 1969. The second nine followed the year after. The course was named the Old Course, in 1992 Barsebäck Golf & Country Club hosted the Scandinavian Masters for the first time. Since then another full course and a 9-hole executive course were built and a unique course was created especially for this, mainly from the Old Course together with parts of the New Course. This arrangement proved so popular, a further 12 European tour events (this event 9 times) and the 2003 Solheim Cup have been held on the course since then. In 2003 the “competition course” became a permanent fixture named the Masters Course. The course is on dunes that overlooks the Oresund Sound and is a delightful mix of wooded holes ringed with wind sculpted pines, open fairway holes and beautiful links holes overlooking Oresund. Barsebäck is the home club of Henrik Stenson who was made and honorary member in 2007.

The last time the European Tour played at Barseback was in 2009 when Ricardo Gonzalez beat Jamie Donaldson by two shots.  Before that Marc Warren won in 2006 when he beat Robert Karlson with a par on the second playoff hole.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the Nordea Masters:

Key stat for the winner:

A great links course in which weather will play a factor, look for high scores which has been the norm.  The last time the course was used was in 2009 when Ricardo Gonzalez was 6 under par which included a third round 77.  This is a course in which weather does play a factor in things.  For this week the weather will be different each day, with partly cloudy skies and rain on Saturday.  Temperature should be in the 60s each doay but again wind will hamper the players.

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

  • Off of past events played at Barseback, there isn’t one key stat that a person dominated to win.  Unfortunately since we only have one year to look at data, 2009, it’s a bit misleading.  But I can say this, most courses by the sea is played well by those that are good ball strikers and are not normally good putters becasue of the slow greens.  If you are looking at players that did well in 2009 and playing this year, Jamie Donaldson was 2nd in 2009 and playing this year.  Marcus Fraser, Lee Slattery and Thorbjorn Olesen was T-4th in 2009 and playing this week.  One person I wouldn’t think will do well is 2009 winner Ricardo Gonzalez who is a part-time European Tour player and hasn’t been in the top-ten on the European Tour since 2013.
  • U.S. Open qualifying was Monday which meant that players had to go through a tough 36 holes at Walton Heath, then board a play for Copenhagen.  Look at the results and you can see that several players are in the field in Sweden.  Look for guys like Alexander Levy, who was T-3rd in qualifying and T-3rd in 2015 to be in the mix this week in Sweden.
  • One last key, look for players that have done well of late, so a guy like Alex Noren and Nicolas Colsaerts has a lot going for them.  After playing bad for the last couple of months Henrik Stenson onlayed has to be a very guarded pick since he has played really bad the last couple of weeks.  Now many will be behind Stenson with his Swedish roots, but it’s probably best if you are looking for a “Swedish winner” to look at Alex Noren who won last week at the BMW PGA.

 

Who to watch for at the Nordea Masters

Best Bets:

Alex Noren

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T12 Win T4 T10 Win CUT CUT T30 CUT T52 T18

Swed is the best player on the European Tour right now and you have to think he is prime to take his countries national championship.

Nicolas Colsaerts

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
3 T7 T11 CUT T24 CUT

Played well at Barseback in 2009, was T-3rd last week at Wentworth and has been consistent on the European Tour this year.

Henrik Stenson

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T4 T13 5 CUT T73 CUT 2

Had played terribly until he finished T-3rd last week at Wentworth. Could be a good sign that he will have a good summer, of all the players in the field probably knows Barseback better than anyone else and you have to think he will contend.

Best of the rest:

Pablo Larrazabal

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
CUT T43 T32 T14 T47 CUT T27

Always a person that you have to think about, has played before at Barseback and done ok, was T-24th at Wentworth.

Alexander Levy

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T3 T25 CUT

A winner last month in China, was T-3rd in this event in 2015 and playing well right now.

Lee Westwood

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

Lot’s of history playing in Sweden and this event, he was T-14th last week at Wentworth and could do well this week.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

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

Can’t discount the defending champion, he was T-12th last week at Wentworth so it could carry over to this week.

Chris Wood

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
CUT T22 T18

Always a good choice, was T-4th last month in China.

Solid contenders

Kiradech Aphibarnrat

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
CUT T30

Always a good choice, he seems to make a lot of cuts and every now and then does well.

Matteo Manassero

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
T12 T32 T4

Has played this event before and done well, also has had a consistent year on the European Tour.

Joost Luiten

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
CUT T11 T28

Another standout on the European Tour that’s had a consistent year and could contend.

Graeme Storm

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
CUT CUT CUT CUT T61 T28 T20

Gets our attention because he was T-6th at Wentworth, yes he has missed the cut four straight years in Sweden but that was on a different course.

Long shots that could come through:

Li Haotong

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

Playing for the first time, was in 2nd in U.S. Open qualifying and has done well of late, including a 3rd in Sicily two weeks ago.

Joel Stalter

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

Another first timer that did well in U.S. Open qualifying.

Rikard Karlberg

2017 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06 ’05
7 T43 T15 T4 CUT CUT CUT

A Swede that has done well in this tournament before and could do well this week.

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