The Tips returns this week with more expert insight to help you choose your Fantasy team ahead of events on both the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR.
How it works: Every week a panel of industry-leading golf tipsters and special guests provide their expert tips for the week ahead.
Whether it’s making picks to update your Fantasy Team or keep your eye on the betting markets, our experts provide their insights into the BMW International Open and the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour through our podcast - The Tips.
Joining regular host Ollie Silverton this week are sporting life’s Ben Coley and golf writer Martin Mathews, who outline their picks and reasons for both tournaments on this weeks podcast, which you can find here: https://linktr.ee/dpworldtour
If you have not done so already, you can sign up to play the official 2023 DP World Tour Fantasy game and submit your six-man team before round one gets under way on Thursday: https://fantasy.dpworldtour.com/
The 2023 season-long winner will win a trip to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next year, enjoy a lesson with a DP World Tour professional and a round of golf on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. For more information on this amazing prize and others, read here
Looking back - U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark was selected in only 1.90% of Fantasy teams and Captained in just 0.02% as the American claimed his maiden DP World Tour title at Los Angeles Country Club. Rickie Fowler, who scored the second most points, was also a relatively rare Fantasy pick, featuring in 3.25% of teams and Captained in 0.12%. Tommy Fleetwood's sensational final round of 63 saw the popular Englishman - selected in 15% of teams - score 146 points. Last week's most popular pick Viktor Hovland (43% of teams) finished in 19th place, scoring 115 points, the 17th most. Scheffler - the second most popular pick last week - rewarded paid back his selectors as the World Number One scored 140 points, the 5th most last week. Rory McIlroy was a popular choice with players coming into the week (30% of teams, 10% Captained) and those who selected the Northern Irishman were rewarded as he went on to score 139 points by finishing as the runner-up. Defending Champion Matt Fitzpatrick was picked in 13% of teams last week and ended the week in a tie for 17th, scoring 106 points.
BMW International Open Picks
Returning to Germany for second time this season are a wealth of home talent, Ryder Cup hopefuls and a group of players arriving from California after playing in last week's U.S. Open.
Golfclub München Eichenried, the scene of Haotong Li's dramatic play-off victory in 2022, plays host for the fourth consecutive year. With driveable par fours, reachable par fives and a tournament that tends to see low numbers, here's what our experts have to say about their first pick of players to contend this week.
Erring away from any U.S. Open competitors, Coley opted for Rasmus Højgaard, while Mathews singled out Frédéric Lacroix.
Rasmus Hojgaard
BC: I’ve been a little bit wary since he came back from the injury which kept him out of the start of the season, obviously missed the Hero Cup and a couple of other big tournaments. I was just waiting for him to starting driving the ball better. He’s done everything pretty well since he came back but he hadn’t really driven it well. That was the case in the KLM Open a couple of weeks ago when he drove it poorly and did everything else so well and still managed to challenge for that title. More significant I thought was his mid-pack finish in the U.S. Open, because he did drive the ball really well. If he can do that again, he returns to a course where he’s played really well so far. He’s fourth in scoring for those that have played the last two renewals of this event.
It’s a good course for him, and there are a couple of driveable par-fours here. There’s an altitude factor here too. The Belfry is a potentially very good guide to this, and there are quite a few players that seem to perform well at both courses. As is a top 10 in Dubai. If you think about the Dubai Desert Classic, Haotong Li has won there, Viktor Hovland has won there, and both have won here. It’s very similar: A Par 72, a couple of driveable par fours, reachable par-fives and it’s framed by trees..
Frederic Lacroix
MM: He isn't a household name to many people but he’s been quietly been making his way up the game. He was a three time winner on the Alps Tour, and didn't win but did earn his card through the Challenge Tour. It was a bit of a struggle for him last year but this was one of the events that he did pop up in and finished 10th. He’s now got two top 10s in Germany because he was fifth in the Porsche European Open a few weeks ago too, and also 12th in the Volvo Scandinavian Mixed. He’s finding a bit of form, and he said it’s an advantage for him seeing courses for a second time [which this is]. He’s a neat and tidy player, a fairways and green merchant like we need this week. And his putting has improved the last few events, so he’s someone who caught my eye. He actually went to university in Germany too, which may be why he has produced good results in Germany.
Fantasy Insight: As it stands, Yannik Paul is the favourite for players of our Fantasy Game this week, featuring in 59.82% of teams. Other popular players include Adrian Meronk (50.18%), Pablo Larrazabal (44.30%) and Marcel Siem (40.68%). Comparatively, our expert choices feature much further down the ranks in terms of players chosen, with Rasmus Hojgaard featuring in 23.22% of teams, Sean Crocker in 9.46%, Marcel Schneider in 9.81%, Frederic Lacroix in 2.67% and Andy Sullivan in just 2.56%.
| EXPERT | PLAYER | WHY? |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Coley | Rasmus Højgaard | He’s done everything pretty well since he came back but hasn't driven it well - until European Open. Fourth in scoring for those that have played the last two renewals of this event. |
| Sean Crocker | Runner-up in the Scandinavian Mixed. I like his game for this course. He was the second best ball striker in the field last year but one of the worst putters, but really good on the greens in Sweden. | |
| Marcel Schneider | He’s really strong through the bag. He’ll gain a stroke off the tee, a stroke with his approaches, a stroke with the putter on a normal week and if he can spike with one area then he’s got a title challenge in it. | |
| Martin Mathews | Frédéric Lacroix | Some good results in Germany, and is finding a bit of form. He said it's an advantage for him seeing courses for a second time, and he was 10th last year. |
| Andy Sullivan | Always been someone to keep an eye on in low-scoring events. A proven winner, top five finish here on his resume. 10th on Tour for par-five scoring, and that is a good stat to have here. |
Travelers Championship Picks
For those who are interested not only in our Fantasy Game but also tips for the PGA Tour, our experts also outlined their favourites and outsiders for the Travelers Championship, which is held TPC River Highlands.
A designated event status means a field packed with players who competed in last week's U.S. Open, and as a result Major fatigue, an emphasis on hitting the fairways and a look at who typically plays in this event informs the picks this week for our experts.
| EXPERT | PLAYER | WHY? |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Coley | Collin Morikawa | Rare for him to play venue like this but his game is perfectly suited to this course. Has come close to winning on shorter courses often. Accurate off the tee, his approach play is his biggest strength. In the top ten for that category last week. |
| Stephan Jaeger | Proflific on Korn Ferry Tour and struggled to bridge the gap. 13 of 15 cuts this year, despite losing strokes gained putting. Short course where low scores are possible is perfect for him: He hits a lot of greens, and looks like he's found the putter. | |
| Martin Mathews | Patrick Cantlay | Underwhelming T14 in last week's Major and something to prove after last year's Sunday. Love affair with this course, shot 60 as an amateur in 2011, and finished between 15th to 11th last few years. Tee to green improved during U.S. Open weekend, and putting strong too. Due another win. |
| Cameron Davis | He'll either shoot 78-78 or he'll be in the top ten, which is what's happening this season. He's got great Pete Dye form. He was sixth at TPC Sawgrass, couple of top fives at Hilton Head, a third at the Amex. And those results came off the back of nothing, so don't need to worry about what he did last week. | |
| Ryan Moore | A player who has to pick his courses, but someone who catches my eye on a shorter track like this. One of the most accurate hitters on Tour, iron play is good on short approaches, and he putted a lot better in Canada - where he finished with a 67. Could see a top five, definitely a top 30. |
