The European Tour is back on schedule after taking a break last week to allow players to compete at the WGC in Mexico. The field gets back to work this week with a return visit to the Middle East for the third playing of the Oman Open, the first of two straight events in the Persian Gulf. Most high-profile Euro players are in the states competing ahead of The Masters leaving our field thinned out, but there are some well known players who will compete for the title. Thomas Pieters opened as the betting favorite at online sportsbooks with former World No. 1 Martin Kaymer and 2018 champ Joost Luiten at the top of the odds board. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds and to place your wager.
Thomas Pieters +1100
Martin Kaymer +1400
Thomas Detry +1800
Joost Luiten +2200
Min Woo Lee +2500
Gavin Green +2500
Adri Arnaus +2800
Haotong Li +3300
Benjamin Hebert +3500
Andy Sullivan +4000
George Coetzee +4000
Jordan Smith +4000
Paul Waring +4000
Ross Fisher +4000
Shaun Norris +4000
Victor Dubuisson +4500
Dean Burmester +4500
Jason Scrivener +5000
Romain Langasque +5500
Ashun Wu +6600
Sam Horsfield +6600
Scott Jamieson +6600
Travis Smyth +6600
Justin Harding +6600
Matthieu Pavon +6600
Brandon Stone +7000
Jorge Campillo +7000
Joachim B. Hansen +7000
Zander Lombard +7000
Alexander Bjork +7500
Jeff Winther +7500
Alexander Levy +8000
Clement Sordet +8000
Darren Fichardt +8000
Pablo Larrazabal +8000
Mikko Korhonen +8000
Renato Paratore +8000
Richie Ramsay +8000
Jack Senior +8500
Kalle Samooja +8500
Adrian Otaegui +9000
Aaron Rai +9500
Odds Analysis
Joost Luiten +2200
This is a good spot for Luiten to break out of a slump. He is 3 for 3 this season, which is good. But he hasn’t finished inside the top-40, which is not good. The Dutchman lit up Al Mouj two years ago to take the inaugural title by two swings at 16-under. His defense would have gone much smoother if not for a second round 77. Still, he solved the blustery conditions on the layout and rallied for T12. He’s performed well in both extremes at this course and knows what to expect and how to handle it. At least he should, and that’s why I’m backing him.
Martin Kaymer +1400
I was a little hesitant to back Kaymer in this one only because it’s his first start at Al Mouj. That’s not a big deal in most cases, but this track is a roller coaster ride with changes at every hole. It helps having some knowledge. Then I remembered Kaymer was No. 1 in the World not that long ago and over his career he’s seen it all, or close to it. And he enters playing solid golf with T21 or better in six of his last seven starts. He stands out in the field and the payoff isn’t too shabby for someone listed among the favorites.
Gavin Green +2500
Course knowledge is vastly different from course form. Green knows the track having competed in the last two Oman Opens, but he hasn’t mastered it. Green has only one sub-par round in the six he’s played here, yet he’s coming back for more. That tells me his confidence level is high. And it should be with a 4 for 4 run to start the ET season, including a T3 last time out in Saudi Arabia. He ranked No. 1 in GIR in Saudi Arabia and he’s ready to break through.
Adri Arnaus +2800
Another superb ball-striker, Arnaus is a guy who can do damage on this course. He’s looking to improve on his T45 from last year and enters on a heater having cashed in his last nine starts. He grabbed a T4 at the Spanish Open and was T3 in Dubai among those nine. Arnaus is now based in Dubai and he’s worked on the courses in the area. And the short trek to Oman isn’t going to affect his travel plans. There’s a lot to like about the Spaniard’s chances and at his price he’s worth a look.
Clement Sordet +8000
There is talent among the favorites, but this is the kind of field where someone further down the odds board has a better chance. And Sordet caught my eye. He’s available at this price because he’s spent most of his time on the South African Tour posting two top-20s in four starts. He is a horse for this course, though. He played Al Mouj three times on the Challenge Tour winning the Grand Final in 2017. He also captured runner-up here last year. That’s good stuff that can’t be overlooked.
Course: Al Mouj – 7,365 yards, Par 72
Situated alongside the Indian Ocean, many consider Al Mouj Golf to be one of the best tracks on Tour. The layout offers contrasting looks over the 18 holes. Part of the course lies on the banks of the Indian Ocean overlooking the Gulf of Oman giving it a coastal feel. The track winds inland with the flattened feel of a desert course. It plays long at 7,365 yards but accuracy is more important than distance. Water hazards are in play on over half the holes and numerous bunkers are strategically placed down the fairways. Though the course is less than 10 years old, it has hosted a number of Challenge Tour events and is no stranger to many of those in the field this week.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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