Damien Kayat previews the 2023 Open de Espana.
2022/2023 DP World Tour
Open de Espana
Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
12th-15th October
I wonder how the rain-interrupted Alfred Dunhill Links will affect the trajectory of this year’s Open de Espana. Water-logged fairways meant that the event was shortened to 54 holes and was only resumed on Monday afternoon (with the metronomic Matthew Fitzpatrick holding off a brilliant charge from defending champion Ryan Fox). I wonder if there could be a few late withdrawals following the arduous week in Scotland.
The tour moves back to continental Europe for one of the oldest events on tour: the Open de Espana. This event dates all the way back to 1912 and has been practically a staple on tour since its inception in 1972. It was strangely absent from the schedule in 2017 and was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. This event has a storied history, with European legend Seve Ballesteros winning three titles between 1981 and 1995. Spanish superstar Jon Rahm will be looking to win his 4th title in six years. He was sensational last year, ripping this low-scoring course apart with a sizzling 25-under-par finishing total.
This will be the 4th consecutive time that the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid hosts this event. In 2008 it hosted the first of four editions of the now-defunct Madrid Masters. The Club de Campo Villa de Madrid is a picturesque, undulating course that just looks so inviting.
The tree-lined fairways are pretty wide and the undulating greens are surrounded by bunkers. It is located around 2,500 feet above sea level, making a mockery of the proposed 7,112 yardage. But deeper analysis suggests that what you do off the tee is largely irrelevant here. The fairways are too wide and the course too short for driving to be decisive. This is a low-scoring test that requires surgical iron-play and solid scrambling.
Jon Rahm is going to start as a ludicrously short favourite this week. This is a course that rewards familiarity and Rahm has won twice around this layout. He was in sparkling form during the Ryder Cup and there’s no reason to believe that the reigning Masters champ will not contend this year. Justin Rose enjoyed a far more low-key time at Marco Simone and he will be keen for a strong finish to a slightly frustrating campaign. There will be plenty of Spanish influence out there, with the likes of Adri Arnaus and Jorge Campillo attempting to send the home crowd into delirium. This is going to be a true birdie-fest and should make for entertaining viewing.
Past Winners
2022: Jon Rahm (-25)
2021: Rafa Cabrera-Bello (-19) *playoff
2020: event cancelled
2019: Jon Rahm (-22)
2018: Jon Rahm (-20)
2017: no event
Betting Favourites (To Win):
Jon Rahm (2/14), Justin Rose (12/1), Yannik Paul (25/1), Joost Luiten (28/1), Adrian Otaegui (25/1)
Value Bets
Adri Arnaus
This hasn’t been the greatest season for Spaniard Adri Arnaus. But an improved T14 showing at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links indicates that he could be about to turn a corner. Spanish golfers always thrive here and Arnaus has true course credentials. Arnaus finished runner-up in this event in 2021, losing in a tense playoff with compatriot Rafa Cabrera-Bello. Arnaus tends to play his best golf in low-scoring evens and he has the capacity to go super low.
Pablo Larrazabal
Pablo Zarrazabal is a perennial contender who I always think is woefully undervalued. He won the Korea Championship in April and the KLM Open in May. He also knows how to play on home soil, winning the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain last year. He has won four events over the past 18 months and remains one of the winningest European players currently operating (not named Rahm, McIlroy or Hovland).
The Man to Beat- Yannick Paul
I just can’t quite bring myself to choose Rahm this week (despite plenty of evidence to support the theory). Instead, I’m going to opt for the uber-consistent Yannick Paul. Paul’s form has gone slightly quiet of late. He seemed to be in perpetual contention towards the beginning of the year. In any event, his most recent results yielded finishes of T6 and T14 (at the French Open and Dunhill Links Championship respectively). The metronomic German tied for 8th at Club de Campo 12 months ago and I can see him contending this week.
