Damien Kayat previews the British Masters coming your way from The Belfry.
2022/2023 DP World Tour
British Masters
The Belfry, Wishaw, Warwickshire, England
29th June- 2nd July
Thriston Lawrence held off a spirited Joost Luiten in a gripping final round of the BMW International Open. After winning a 4th DP World Tour title, Lawrence is fast developing a reputation as one of the most dangerous players in any DP World Tour field. I was pleased with Maximillian Kiefer’s performance after picking him as my outside bet last week. The German fired a 4-under-par final-round to finish in a tie for 3rd. The tour now moves to England for the British Masters. Originally conceived as the Dunlop Masters, the British Masters dates all the way back to 1946.
The event was in the wilderness for a few years before being successfully reintroduced to the DP World Tour roster in 2015. The event has been nomadic, with an elite English professional hosting each new renewal. But this will be the 3rd consecutive edition hosted at the Belfry and Sir Nick Faldo has been named the new long-term British Masters host.
This four-time Ryder Cup venue is one of the most iconic venues in British golf. It is pleasing to see the DP World Tour embracing this arena and I hope this becomes the permanent home of the British Masters. The Belfry is rather flat and predominantly tree-lined. Some of the fairways are extremely narrow and its little surprise that this course suits the more surgical operators.
Some of the Poa Annua greens are genuinely minute while others feature plenty of huge undulations. The greens are protected by numerous bunkers so you simply have to hit accurate approach shots to compete this week. Scrambling could also prove pivotal, with some tricky runoff areas surrounding these Poa Annua greens.
There is a fairly decent field in attendance this week. This is possibly due to the fact that this event has been pushed slightly later in the calendar. Players will use this as a warm-up for the fast-approaching Open Championship. They will also be keen to get some much-needed Ryder Cup points. 2002 champion Justin Rose leads the markets after a highly successful spell on the PGA Tour. Min Woo Lee is an exciting talent who has the capacity to decimate a field.
The likes of Rasmus Hojgaard and Adrian Meronk have proven to be consistent presences atop DP World Tour leaderboards. Defending champion Thorbjorn Olesen will also be in attendance this week. His victory last year was a key step in his attempt to rehabilitate his image after that ill-fated plane trip.
Past Winners
2022: Thorbjorn Olesen (-10)
2021: Richard Bland (-13) *playoff
2020: Renato Paratore (-18)
2019: Marcus Kinhult (-16)
2018: Eddie Pepperrell (-9)
2017: Paul Dunne (-20)
Betting Favourites (To Win)
Justin Rose (9/1), Min Woo Lee (12/1), Adrian Meronk (14/1), Jordan Smith (16/1), Thorbjorn Olesen (28/1)
Value Bets
Robert Macintyre- To Win (33/1)
It’s time for Macintyre to put up or shut up. His Ryder Cup possibilities really could use a kickstart this week. Funnily enough, I actually backed Macintyre in this event last year. He produced a top 10 performance from tee-to-green but battled on the putting surfaces, ultimately settling for a 36th place finish. He contended briefly here in 2021 before finishing 8th. He is fresh off a decent 18th in Germany (his best finish by some distance in Munich). Hs approach play and putting look rock-solid of late and I expect him to contend this week.
Guido Migliozzi- To Win (66/1)
Italian Guido Migliozzi must be one of the most frustrating talents on the entire DP World Tour. But I’m hoping that a top ten in Germany last week will be just what the doctor ordered. He has been typically inconsistent since his brilliant win at the Italian Open in September. He led after 36 holes in Abu Dhabi earlier this year only to falter to a 20th place finish. Crucially, he lost in a playoff here to Richard Bland in 2021. A trip back to this venue may be just what he needs to reinvigorate his career.
The Man to Beat- Alexander Bjork- To Win (28/1)
Swede Bjork is arguably the most in-form player in the field. His last seven worldwide results read T16, T14, 4, T4, T29, T6, T9. He has an incredible four top 10’s in his last five starts. He currently sits 3rd on the DP World Tour for total strokes gained. Sure, it’s a bit disconcerting that he missed the cut here last year. But he is in a totally different frame of mind this year and I think his precision-based style should make him an ideal candidate for success this week.
