The European Tour Fantasy Race swings into Singapore this week and with a bumper field of 204 in action at Sentosa, we’re here to help you identify the pick of the bunch for your Fantasy team.
The first of our picks for the Barclays Singapore Open has had nothing short of a roller coaster ten days or so, having suffered the disappointment of finishing last in Andalucía after weekend rounds of 81-82 he then jumps on a plane, heads east and finishes in a tie for third in one of golf’s biggest events. We are of course referring to Graeme McDowell, who reminded us once again last week just what a talent he is.
It has been a season of transition for the Northern Irishman, as he comes to terms with his new standing in the game, and discounting his performance at the Andalucia Masters, he has been in much better form of late. For long periods at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last month he looked more than capable of taking the title eventually won by compatriot Michael Hoey, with McDowell eventually finishing third on his own. And last week he was superb, going bogey free and ten under par over the weekend, en route to another third place finish. He is clearly moving in the right direction, and having never finished outside the top five in Singapore – T5 (2009) and T3 (2010) – he must be a real favourite for victory this week.
Next up is another man coming to terms with a stunning 2010 and also just starting to show glimpses of what everyone knows he is capable of - last year’s Open Champion, Louis Oosthuizen. He has already won this year at the Africa Open in January, but other than that he has only managed three other top ten results and has struggled for consistent form so far. However, on the positive side, two of those have come in his last two outings with a tie for fifth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship preceding a very solid joint seventh in Shanghai last week. If it hadn’t been for bookend rounds in the low 70s either side of a 63-68 at the Sheshan International GC, then he may well have edged much closer to Martin Kaymer than the six shots he trailed by at the close of play. Oosthuizen is clearly very nearly back to his best, and although he has no previous form at the Barclays Singapore Open, he has no jet lag to deal with and will be acclimatised to the sweaty surroundings that will greet him this week. With all this in mind, he is someone very much worth keeping an eye on.
In the 12 years since Anders Hansen established himself as a regular on The European Tour he has been the model of consistency but has found another gear this year. Having previously achieved a best finish of 16th on the 2002 money list after his first win at the BMW PGA Championship, this year he finds himself sitting rather comfortably at sixth in The Race to Dubai.
So far in this season he has had more second place finishes than any other – three – as well as two third place finishes and four top 20s, with some of these coming in the biggest events. For a while he looked like a real threat in the final round of the US PGA Championship going on to finish third, the same result as he posted earlier in the season at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral. Throw in a second at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and this Dane has firmly established himself as a big time performer. He also finished fifth here in Singapore in 2009, and went even better last year, ending up three shots behind eventual winner Adam Scott in second place. Put all this together, and it would be no surprise if there was another Great Dane atop the podium on Sunday.
Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee was another who impressed in Shanghai this past week, with a couple of strong opening rounds leaving him well and truly in the hunt going into the weekend. It would not quite come together for the former paratrooper in the final two rounds – 72, 74 – but it was a welcome return for one of Asia’s finest golfing exports. The 2011 campaign has been tricky for Jaidee, who in the previous two seasons had put together his two best years in Europe finishing 19th and 29th on the Race to Dubai in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Until a few weeks ago he had even looked like losing his European Tour card for 2012, but recent solid – if not spectacular – finishes have removed that concern for another year. This return to form, coupled with his success at home in Asia, make Jaidee a very strong candidate for a win in Singapore.
This may seem like a spot on list to some, but for anyone looking to think a little more outside the box then take a look at our Form Guides before deciding on your five weekly changes or a brand new team.
Either way log into My European Tour and the Fantasy Race and make your changes to be eligible for one of our great weekly, monthly or annual prizes.
