The DP World Tour visits Spain for a fourth time this season as the 2022 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters returns to Real Club Valderrama for its eighth edition.
Matt Fitzpatrick is back to defend his title at the 1997 Ryder Cup venue, Robert MacIntyre will look to continue his fine run of form, while Rafa Cabrera Bello leads a strong Spanish presence on home soil.
If you have not done so already, you can sign up now to the official Fantasy Game of the DP World Tour and submit your six-man team before round one on Thursday: https://fantasy.dpworldtour.com/
Favourite – Matt Fitzpatrick
The defending champion is the headline act in the field this week in Andalucía. Last year, in his second appearance at the event, the Englishman won his seventh DP World Tour title with a nerveless bogey-free final round of 69 to claim a three-shot victory. Such is the prestige of Valderrama, the World Number ten admitted victory there had long been on his bucket list of ambitions. Fitzpatrick has since written his name into golf’s history books with a maiden Major Championship title at the U.S. Open in June. The 28-year-old is yet to miss a cut on the DP World Tour this season in nine events, and with a recent second to his name in Italy last month has the form to mount a strong defence of his title.
Form horse – Thomas Detry
Confidence is high for the Belgian after a hugely encouraging start to his rookie PGA TOUR season. After securing his card across the Atlantic via the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals, he has recorded two top 15 finishes in his opening three events in the United States. The 29-year-old also finished in the top five at the BMW PGA Championship last month – his best result on the DP World Tour this year. His recent excellent run of form has seen the 29-year-old near a return to the world’s top 100 for the first time since the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January. Detry has played in the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters on four previous occasions with his best result a tie for eighth at this week’s venue in 2019. After four runner-up finishes to his name on the DP World Tour, an elusive breakthrough might just be around the corner.
Wild card – John Catlin
The American is one of two former champions of this event in the field this week, alongside Fitzpatrick. His impressive wire-to-wire victory here in September 2020 was the first of two titles in three events as he won his first three DP World Tour titles in an eighth-month span. On his defence last year, Catlin finished in a commendable share of 11th position as he matched the best closing round score of 67. The 31-year-old has missed his last four cuts, but prior to that had finished in a tie for fourth at the Horizon Irish Open this summer. Could a return to the scene of past glory inspire him to mount a strong finish to the season?
