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 Made in HimmerLand on the DP World Tour and the John Deere Classic on the PGA TOUR through our podcast - The Tips.
Joining regular host Ollie Silverton this week are golf writers Matt Cooper and Niall Lyons, 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
Made in HimmerLand
The Made in HimmerLand returns to HimmerLand for a final time this week as the event says it's goodbye to the venue which hosts one of the most iconic viewing holes on the DP World Tour - the par-three 16th.
Oliver Wilson defends on the course our experts describe as unique, due to the plethora of tee boxes that allow the ability to tinker dramatically with the distance of the holes.
"They’ve got plenty of tees to tinker with the distance of the holes," said Lyons. "There’s not a huge weight to driving off the tee, it’s mainly approach play and around the greens that matters this week because there’s often wind that materialises, so hitting greens in regulation will be important."
"It’s quite exposed, and a lot of holes sit uncomfortably," added Cooper. "Crans-sur-Sierre also sits on a hilly piece of land and is a good comparison, so it’s about selecting someone who can cope with that."
For Cooper, that meant singling out Scot Ewen Ferguson as his first pick, while Lyons opted for Jordan Smith. With a focus on approach play and putting, here's what our experts have to say about their first pick of players to contend this week.
Ewen Ferguson
MC: He started par, double bogey, bogey, bogey to be four over after four holes at The Belfry last week but he promptly carded a 69 on Thursday so a really really strong bounce back then came home in 68 on Sunday. He was really chipper about his week, and really excited he’d gone for it on Sunday, and felt like he was doing everything he needed. That’s a fourth top 10 for him, he’s a player I really like, and he finished second here last year. He was in the top four all week, shot an opening round 63, and really look like he liked the course. He’s also a proven winner, and I always feel like if he likes a course, he’s one to keep an eye on.
Jordan Smith
NL: We know Jordan Smith is a brilliant ball striker, which is so impressive, and that's something that will definitely help here. We talked about the importance of approach play, and he was fourth on strokes gained approach at the European Open a few weeks ago, and third on approach at the U.S. Open, which is an incredible feat in that field. He was also third here in 2021 which shows course form, and I think he’s someone that I have in mind to have a strong second half of the season because this is just his 13th start this year. A top six in Germany recently too, and he was 30 under in Portugal so he likes a low-scoring event - which this often is.
Fantasy Insight: As it stands, Nicolai Højgaard is the favourite for players of our Fantasy Game this week, featuring in 61.05% of teams. Other popular players include Thorbjørn Olesen (52.52%), Yannik Paul (35.3%) and Pablo Larrazábal. Comparatively, some of our expert choices feature much further down the ranks in terms of players chosen, with Alexander Björk in 28.41% of teams, Ewen Ferguson in 27.13%, Jordan Smith in 13.10%, and Matthew Jordan in 3.46%.
| EXPERT | PLAYER | REASON |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Cooper | Ewen Ferguson | Last week was a fourth top 10 for him, he’s a player I really like, and he finished second here last year. He was in the top four all week, shot an opening round 63, and really look like he liked the course. He’s also a proven winner. |
| Pablo Larrazábal | Two of his wins have come in his last five starts, this is the sort of course and field he is dynamite. Course form is good: fourth in 2019, 19th in 2021 when he was a first round leader and he’s also really good when it’s blustery – which is expected this week. | |
| Alexander Björk | He really knocks out the top 20s, so he’s one to watch there. In this quality of field, he’s had nine top 20s in 13 starts and two in three starts at Himmerland. Long game is good enough that he puts himself on the greens, he’s a nice putter and he’s in great form. | |
| Niall Lyons | Jordan Smith | A brilliant ball striker, and recently was fourth on strokes gained approach at the European Open and third on approach at the U.S. Open. He was third here in 2021, has a top six in Germany recently too, and he was 30 under in Portugal so he likes a low-scoring event. |
| Matthew Jordan | Excelling with the short-game lately, and it’s really important to putt well this week – which he’s been doing with a string of solid results. Irons may need improvement but there is reason to suggest that can happen. There is a links feel to the course with the wind, and he’s got great credentials in that area. Everything is pointing to a big performance. Just needs one decent week with the irons. |
John Deere Classic
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 John Deere Classic, held at TPC Deere Run.
With our experts outlining players who also fair well on undulating golf courses and those with good approach play, they take a closer look at who they think may have a good week.
| EXPERT | PLAYER | REASON |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Cooper | Adam Schenk | Second in Innisbrook earlier this year was very impressive, second in Colonial a few weeks ago, seventh at Muirfield and another top 10 last week. A great CV this year, and course form is great. Sixth in 2019, fourth in 2021. He’s got good form, and it feels like a simple pick this week. |
| Chez Reavie | Won in a field of this quality last year. Made nine of last 10 cuts, fourth at TPC River Highlands, and shot a 65 in Canada and in round three last week. A multiple winner on Tour that was fifth here in 2011, 18th in 2021. | |
| Niall Lyons | Nick Taylor | Won his home Open a couple of weeks ago. He’s a wizard with a wedge and his putter this year and there’s every chance he can win again. He’s only once broken the top 30 here, but course form isn’t a prerequisite to picking the winner. |
| Cameron Young | Still trying to get the monkey off his back with victory. Only two missed cuts in last 12 months, and his form isn’t as bad as people think. He was seventh at the Masters and since has problems with the putter, but that showed improvement at US Open, and is top 10 for birdie average. First time out here, but one good week in this field could get him over the line. | |
| Tyler Duncan | Bounced back to some form after five missed cuts in a row. Putter has been a real problem with him all season, but when he putts well, he finishes well. Turn around in ball striking last week is noteworthy, as is the improvement in putting – he’s got six weeks in a row where he’s improved on the greens, which is a sign of things turning around. |
