The European Tour heads down under for a cross-over event with the women’s pros at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Victoria, Australia. The inaugural tournament on the Euro circuit will be played across the Beach and Creek Courses at the 13th Beach Golf Links in order to accommodate the large field. Both groups of pros will play a round on each course with a cut after 36 holes. The remaining players have to avoid a second cut, which takes place after Round 3. What’s left of the field will compete on the Beach in Sunday’s final round. Several Aussies will be competing on their home soil with Jason Scrivener and Lucas Herbert listed as co-favorites with odds of +1250 at BookMaker.eu. Those two are also featured in a head-to-head matchup with odds for the pairings listed below.
ISPS Handa Vic Open Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jason Scrivener -140 v. Ryan Fox +110
Jason Scrivener -130 vs. Lucas Herbert +100
Ryan Fox +100 vs. Lucas Herbert -130
Aaron Rai -115 vs. Jazz Janewattananond -115
Aaron Rai -130 vs. Justin Harding +100
Jazz Janewattananond -120 vs. Justin Harding -110
Adrian Otaegui -130 vs. Scott Hend +100
Adrian Otaegui -150 vs. Oliver Wilson +120
Scott Hend -120 vs. Oliver Wilson -110
Jorge Campillo -115 vs. Jake McLeod -115
Andrew Johnston -110 vs. Dimitrios Papadatos -120
Sihwan Kim -125 vs. Masahiro Kawamura -105
Matthew Millar -120 vs. Ryo Ishikawa -110
Callum Shinkwin -115 vs. Wade Ormsby -115
Brad Kennedy -115 vs. Paul Dunne -115
Thomas Aiken -120 vs. Ben Eccles -110
Scott Vincent -115 vs. Kurt Kitayama -115
Nicolas Colsaerts -115 vs. Yuta Ikeda -115
Marcus Fraser -120 vs. Andrew Dodt -110
Matthew Griffin +105 vs. Ricardo Gouveia -135
Adam Bland +105 vs. David Drysdale -135
Jeunghun Wang +100 vs. Kim Koivu -130
Harrison Endycott -120 vs. Jordan Zunic -110
Sam Brazel -130 vs. Nick Cullen +100
Robert MacIntyre -130 vs. Michael Sim +100
Need to Know
Played over two courses with both the ladies and men competing will slow the pace of play making patience a necessity. The host Beach Course will be played three times if you make it to Sunday. While it’s not long at just under 6,800 yards, it offers a wide array of obstacles. The biggest is likely to come from Mother Nature with gusty winds along the coast. The Creek Course is a bit longer, but still short by Tour standards at roughly 6,940 yards. Situated inland the layout doesn’t have the natural obstacles, but challenges players in a different way. The fairways are narrow and lined with native foliage while a number of greens are guarded by deep bunkers. Hopefully no one goes Sergio Garcia on us this week. Approach play and accuracy are a must for whoever is going to handle hardware on Sunday.
ISPS Handa Vic Open Matchup Picks
Aaron Rai -115 vs. Jazz Janewattananond
I almost didn’t pick this matchup to analyze not wanting to type Janewattananond. So instead we are on a first-name basis and the grouping is worth looking at. Jazz might be the hottest player in the field after winning the Singapore Open in his last start and he’s becoming a star on the Asian Tour with three top-5s prior to his victory. However, this isn’t the Asian Tour, and while the field may be watered down, it’s still a notch or two above what Jazz is accustomed to. He also has limited experience down under. So instead I’m going with Rai, who returns to more familiar course surroundings. He collected his first Euro Tour win in Hong Kong on a layout similar in length, and his tee-to-green play has been top notch.
Dimitrios Papadatos -120 vs. Andrew Johnston
I’m leaning toward Papadatos simply because of his recent course form. Outside Australia and off the 13th Beach layout, the Aussie hasn’t fared all that well. But here, that’s a different story. He captured the Victorian Open two years ago matching the lowest total in the last six playings. He also had a T6 and T15 in two prior starts at this venue, so he certainly knows the intricacies of the track and the hazards that come with it. Johnston will be a favorite among the assembled masses, but his game isn’t conducive. He’s a big hitter with inconsistent approach play. He may string a few good rounds together, but that’s about it.
Lucas Herbert +100 vs. Jason Scrivener -130
Two home boys duking it out in the mother land makes for some exciting golf. Oh, and they just happen to be the co-favorites on the odds board. This might come down to the wire but Scrivener’s missteps here can’t be overlooked. Sure, he’s on a run of fantastic form with a T3 in Hong Kong and a T6 at the Australian PGA Championship, but twice he missed the cut here and lost a third-round lead in another start. Herbert plays well on home soil and has been a consistent player since the start of the season.
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu. The ISPS Handa Vic Open is scheduled for February 7-10 and can be seen on Golf Channel.
