we give you the better choice for putter grips...

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Fisher to catch the KLM crown

Hilversumsche once again plays host to the KLM Open this week and Simon Dyson will defend the title he won with a birdie on the final hole 12 months ago.

The venue was established in 1910 but really given its identity eight years later when Harry Colt was called in, and it's no surprise that it bears close resemblance to some of his beautiful works in the south of England.

Most famous of them, of course, is Wentworth, and the tight, undulating, tree-lined fairways of Hilversumsche could be mistaken for that Surrey masterpiece.

Some years later - 2006 in fact - Kyle Phillips was called in to make modifications to the course, but his mandate was to restore Hilversumsche to the quality given by Colt and he's done a fine job.

At just under 7,000 yards, this course isn't a monster by modern standards, but several length par-fours do make for a supreme test of mid- to long-iron play and those who aren't on their games will struggle.

A glance through the winners points to exceptional ball-strikers as well as those comfortable should the wind whip around the trees, while as ever a hot hand with the putter will help.

Dyson will of course have his backers and at 25/1 I can't put anyone off, but my headline selection is Ross Fisher at 35s.

Fisher honed his game at Wentworth as a boy and although he's struggled to get to grips with that venue's revamp, his second to Paul Casey there in 2009 highlights that Colt's original layout very much suited him.

As such, it's no surprise to see that in his last two visits to Hilversumsche he's finished 11th and sixth, ranking seventh and 10th respectively for greens hit during the week.

Last year, Fisher both opened and closed with superb, bogey-free 66s, only to be undone by a second-round 74 which was his work of the week by some seven shots. That was a repeat of what happened in 2010, when a second-round 74 prevented him from finishing closer to runaway winner Martin Kaymer.

Clearly, then, it's a venue that plays to his strengths, it's just a question of whether he's playing well enough to contend this week.

Some will see a share of 64th in Switzerland as proof that he isn't, but given that he'd not visited Crans for six years and had never previously made the cut at that idiosyncratic venue, I'd suggest that it was very much a positive performance.

Before that, only an opening 76 prevented him from competing in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and given that he'd been off for a month since a respectable 45th in the Open Championship, we can give him the benefit of the doubt there.

Earlier on this season he gave notice that a return to his brilliant best wasn't far away with top-10s in Ireland (Colt-designed Royal Portrush), Germany, Sweden, Wales and Korea, and he may not be far away from that sort of form again.

Remember, his first European Tour win came in this event at Kennemer back in 2007, and Dyson has since shown that form at that venue can carry over to Hilversumche.

With those positive memories on a course that resembles those he grew up playing, Fisher could be poised to get back among Europe's elite.

Along similar lines of logic, Miguel Angel Jimenez is next on the list at a potentially generous 40/1.

The evergreen Spaniard hasn't had a spectacular year by his own lofty standards and, much like Fisher, will have been disappointed not to play his way into Jose Maria Olazabal's Ryder Cup side.

Jimenez does have the consolation of being one of his compatriot's vice captains, but for now his focus will be on getting back to winning ways at a venue he's won at before, albeit some 18 years ago.

And, on the evidence of some of his recent play, there has to be every chance that he can do just that.

Jimenez was ninth in the Open, again demonstrating his ability in the wind, and confirmed that once more with a share of 27th in the PGA Championship on a course that favoured those who hit it further than he can.

It was disappointing that he returned to Europe with a missed cut in the Johnnie Walker Championship and an opening 77 last week had alarm bells ringing, until he went 65-66-66 to finish just outside the top 10.

He'll consider that a chance missed given that anything sub-70 in round one would've in theory seen him win the European Masters for a second time, but he'll be really encouraged by a return to the form with the putter having averaged just 25 putts for rounds two, three and four combined.

As well as having won at this venue before, Jimenez is also a past champion at Wentworth, and although he's not played in the event since the modifications were made I'm more interested in how well he's playing.

I can't understand why he's twice the price of David Lynn, a bigger price than Anders Hansen and the same price as the admittedly red-hot Romain Wattel, and at 40s Jimenez rates must-bet material.

There are two I like at prices this week, and we'll start with a somewhat obvious selection, Jose Manuel Lara.

The dual European Tour winner put together three top-10 finishes in four starts in the spring, but went through a torrid summer which is why he's currently 90th in the Race To Dubai standings.

He'll need a good autumn to make it to the season-ending Dubai World Tour Championship, and this venue rates a perfect place to begin that run.

Lara shot 68-69-68-68 to finish sixth here last year, having closed with a round of 65 for fourth in 2010, so since the changes were made to the course he's among those you could call specialists.

Recent form is thin on the ground but it's only been one round in each of his last two tournaments that have cost him a spot inside the top 40, and he's never excelled at Gleneagles or in the Alps.

Indeed, he'd just missed the cut in Switzerland prior to finishing sixth here a year ago, while in 2010 he arrived with a run of five consecutive missed cuts, so it's perfectly possible to argue that he's in better form this time.

Lara has placed twice already season, one of which came on a Phillips-designed course, and having shown that the changes that man has made to this venue fit his eye I reckon he's overpriced at 125/1.

Another player who has caught the eye lately is Rhys Davies and he gets the nod at 150s.

The Welshman currently lies just outside the top 115 on the Race To Dubai, and needs to move inside that number to keep his full playing rights for 2013.

With that incentive clear, he opened with a round of 66 in Switzerland last week when that famous putting stroke looked back to its best.

After that round Davies told reporters that his game was improving thanks to hours spent on the range.

"It hasn't been the best this season but I feel I've turned a corner and hopefully I can maintain what I'm doing," he said.

"It's been a while (being at the top of a leaderboard) but it's not through a lack of effort or trying. I know my game is getting better and hopefully that will show on the scoreboard.

"I had five weeks off before Scotland, which was the longest break I've had for about five years, and I used that time I had off wisely.

"I've come back refreshed of mind and attitude and I feel pretty good."

Poor rounds on Friday and Saturday saw him slip out of contention, but a closing 69 was a step back in the right direction and could provide the platform from which he can enjoy a fruitful week.

Hilversumsche is clearly a venue he enjoys as he was out of form when arriving last year, only to open with a round of 67 on his way to 16th.

That was his course debut, and on his next start he showed further liking for the works of Kyle Phillips when shooting 64 in the Alfred Dunhill Links at Kingsbarns.

Davies is a player who has shown that he repeats form at certain venues - he came close to defending his Trophee Hassan II title last year - and has all the shots to play well again here.

Finally, I'm going back to the head of the market for a win-only wager on 2010 champion Martin Kaymer.

The German's form has really dipped during the summer, to the point where he's now 28th in the world and some began to question whether he would voluntarily pull out of the European Ryder Cup team.

However, he's made of sterner stuff than that and has been working tirelessly on the range in a bid to ensure that he doesn't let his colleagues down at Medinah in three weeks.

He's received positive words from Olazabal, and had this to say himself: "I have been struggling with my game for the last few months but since the USPGA I have made a lot of progress with my coach (Gunther Kessler) and had some really good sessions.

"I have started to feel confident with what I am doing again, my fade is coming back and the ball striking is getting better and better."

Fans of Kaymer will be hugely encouraged that he's working to get that trusty fade back into his game, one that saw him top the greens in regulation stats on his way to a comfortable win here two years ago.

Last year, he was 9/1 to defend his title before disappointing, but at 22s I'm prepared to give him another chance.

I just feel that it's too easy to forget that he was 15th in the US Open not so long ago, and he's definitely the type of character to rise to the occasion and answer his critics with a big performance.

There's no denying that he could bomb out altogether, but few men are better in contention and I'm happy to trust that his work at home will have paid off.
Fisher to catch the KLM crown Reviewed by Agrizal on Sunday, July 1, 2012 Rating: 4.5

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Popular