Damien Kayat previews the 2022 edition of the DP World Tour’s Made in Himmerland taking place at the Backtee New Course in Denmark.
Thriston Lawrence proved his doubters wrong at Crans-sur-Sierre, picking up a nail-biting playoff victory against Englishman Matt Wallace.
If you recall, Lawrence won his maiden title at the inaugural event in DP World Tour history: the Joburg Open. But the event was decimated by inclement weather and the emergence of the Omicron Covid variant.
Many European players were forced to scurry home as the event was shortened to a 36-hole affair. Not only was this a somewhat inauspicious start to the newly revamped tour- it also tainted the South African’s maiden European victory.
In LIV golf news, Open champ Cam Smith has officially joined the rebel tour ahead of this week’s LIV Boston event. That news filtered in as LIV Golf rebels were handed a slight legal reprieve on the DP World Tour.
They will be allowed to play in DP World Tour events- where eligible- until a hearing in February. That means up to 18 LIV Golf rebels may be in participation at next week’s flagship event at Wentworth. This could cause chaos, with some predicting protest due to the presence of the rebel golfers.
From the Alps to HimmerLand
The tour now moves from the stunning Swiss Alps to the equally majestic HimmerLand Golf and Spa Resort in Denmark. Formerly known as the Made in Denmark, the Made in Himmerland has now returned to its old August timeslot after two May renewals.
This will be the eighth edition of this event and the seventh hosted at the Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort. The event enjoyed a brief sojourn at Thomas Bjorn’s home course in 2018.
This event is renowned for having one of the most famous par 3’s in European Golf. The signature 16th hole is a natural amphitheatre that has seen its share of drama over the years.
There have been bountiful aces at this hole and even a successful marriage proposal in 2016. In 2015, the 16th became the shortest recorded par 3 in DP World Tour history at 79 yards.
The stunning Backtee New Course could provide similar results to last week’s test at Crans-sur-Sierre. It will only play 6,686 yards this week. So, like Crans, it is one of the shortest courses on the entire tour.
This par-71, exposed parkland layout is perhaps more amenable to the bombers than Crans. But this undulating course won’t be conquered by power alone.
The rolling bentgrass greens could prove pivotal in deciding the victor this week. Scrambling and putting metrics have proven to be the greatest indicators of success at HimmerLand.
So, players with accomplished short-games should thrive here. But true power off the tee is always useful on an exposed track such as this.
The Contenders
Luke Donald- who recently replaced Ian Poulter as the upcoming Ryder Cup captain- will be in the field this week. This will put the onus on players keen to stake a place in next year’s event.
Thriston Lawrence and Matt Wallace look to resume their rivalry from last week. Two-time defending champion Bernd Wiesberger will not be in attendance due to LIV Golf commitments in Boston.
But it will be the Danish contingent that truly captures the crowd’s attention this week. Thorbjorn Olesen and the Hojgaard twins are in attendance. And Thomas Bjorn- the most iconic player in Danish golf- will no doubt enjoy plenty of nostalgic warmth out there.
Past Winners
2021: Bernd Wiesberger (-21)
2020: no event
2019: Bernd Wiesberger (-14)
2018: Matt Wallace (-19) *playoff
2017: Julian Suri (-19)
2016: Thomas Pieters (-17)
To Win Outright:
Matt Wallace 20/1
Thriston Lawrence 25/1
Connor Syme 25/1
Robert Macintyre 28/1
Adri Arnaus 28/1
Value Bets
Marcus Helligkilde
To Win (33/1)
With all the Danish talent present in this week’s field, I think this 25-year-old could easily be overlooked. But he has been a prolific winner on the lower tours, winning thrice in the Nordic League before three victories on last year’s Challenge Tour. He has looked comfortable- if unremarkable- since succeeding to the Tour proper. In fairness, he did make a key equipment switch at the beginning of the year. But things have started to look up for him. He had a T12 at the Qatar Masters before an impressive fortnight Stateside (he finished eighth the Barbasol before a 13th at the Barracuda Championship). He is a power-packed player who is familiar with this course. He finished fifth in a Nordic Golf League event here in 2018 (two of the three rounds were played at HimmerLand). And he finished 25th on his DP World Tour debut here last year.
Marcus Armitage
To Win (40/1)
Affectionally known as Bullet, Armitage has the right combination of power and short-game prowess to make him ideal for this layout. He proved this by shooting a pair of 66’s last time out in Denmark. He has been super consistent of late, making his last nine consecutive cuts. I just have the inkling he could do well in an event that has been kind to English players in the past.
The Man to Beat
Pablo Larrazabal
To Win 33/1
Pablo Larrazabal will be playing for the first time on the tour since missing the cut at the Open. His story is a real cautionary tale in the LIV Golf experiment. He finished 13th in the inaugural event (pocketing a cool 300,000 pounds in the process). But he hasn’t been invited back since LIV has picked up more attractive names. If the European Tour rules that he is not allowed back in February, he could find himself plying his trade on the Asian Tour. Still, you can’t argue with his form this year. He won the MyGolfLife Open in March and the Handa Championship in April. He also finished fifth at the BMW International Open and Qatar Masters. He may need a big result this week to get back into the LIV conversation. Quite a cutthroat business model they have there.
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