A regular part of the rotation since the European Tour’s inception in 1972, the Italian Open has a new home this year. For the first time the prestigious tournament will be played next to Lake Garda at the Chervo Golf Club starting Thursday. The Tour has endured a number of changes this year due to COVID and this event is no exception. It was removed as a Rolex Series event and we witnessed a slight dip in the talent level. It is a competitive field headed by betting favorite Matt Wallace. Bernd Wiesberger returns to defend his title, though on a different layout. Playing a course new to most in the field should make for some interesting matchups. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete, updated list of matchup betting odds and to place your wager.
Italian Open Matchup Odds
Nicolas Colsaerts -114 vs. Maverick Antcliff -116
Matt Wallace -162 vs. Bernd Wiesberger +129
Matt Wallace -144 vs. Martin Kaymer +114
Jorge Campillo -111 vs. Marcus Armitage -119
Lee Westwood -139 vs. Jordan Smith +109
Wade Ormsby -142 vs. Robin Sciot-Siegrist +112
Johannes Veerman +115 vs. Jason Scrivener -145
Steven Brown -111 vs. Dean Burmester -119
Matthew Baldwin -137 vs. Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez +107
Richard Bland -123 vs. Scott Vincent -107
Jordan Smith -113 vs. Adrian Otaegui -117
Antoine Rozner +110 vs. David Horsey -140
Laurie Canter -145 vs. Marc Warren +115
Matthew Jordan +120 vs. Joost Luiten -150
Martin Kaymer -134 vs. Bernd Wiesberger +104
Matthias Schwab -182 vs. Wilco Nienaber +144
Lorenzo Gagli -118 vs. Ashun Wu -112
Guido Migliozzi -110 vs. Scott Jamieson -120
Jonathan Caldwell +116 vs. Louis De Jager -146
Rikard Karlberg -116 vs. Matthieu Pavon -114
Martin Kaymer -105 vs. Victor Perez -125
Victor Perez -142 vs. Bernd Wiesberger +112
Renato Paratore -186 vs. Wilco Nienaber +147
Sebastian Heisele -135 vs. Clement Sordet +105
Matthias Schwab -112 vs. Renato Paratore -118
Jamie Donaldson -123 vs. Adrien Saddier -107
Joachim B. Hansen -117 vs. Wil Besseling -113
Matt Wallace -132 vs. Victor Perez +102
Thorbjorn Olesen -123 vs. Chris Paisley -107
Adrian Meronk -104 vs. Jack Senior -126
Lee Westwood -135 vs. Adrian Otaegui +105
Need to Know
During its nomadic existence a number of different venues hosted the Italian Open. Chervo Golf Club makes its debut as the country’s national open host and is the fourth different track in the last four years. Players will see a mix of two of the four layouts on the property with the total length reaching 7,434 yards at par 72. The distance certainly favors big hitters. And being a resort layout there are few hazards along the way. We are expecting favorable conditions making things even easier. Other than the length, the flat, exposed layout looks relatively easy. All in all it looks like a course that can yield plenty of birdie opportunities turning this thing into a putting contest.
Italian Open Matchup Picks
Lee Westwood -135 vs. Adrian Otaegui
When things are going well you have to ride the heater and that’s what I’m doing with Westwood. He may be ripe for a letdown after three straight weeks of top-20 finishes, but I’m betting on another strong showing before the veteran takes a break. Going back even further, Westwood finished among the top-20 in each of his last six starts, including a strong T13 at the U.S. Open. He’s just too hard to overlook with where his game is currently at.
Chris Paisley -107 vs. Thorbjorn Olesen
If this does indeed become a putting contest Paisley is a guy who can thrive. He was deadly with the flat stick last week earning a T4 at the Scottish Championship, and he’s had success on similar tracks with the same course designer. That’s about as much info as we have since Chervo is a rookie. Resort layouts appeal to Paisley and he’s a streaky player brimming with confidence on a track he can certainly dominate.
Wilco Nienaber +147 vs. Renato Paratore
Nienaber doesn’t have a lot of experience on the Euro circuit, which is why he’s still overvalued. It’s wise to jump on him now before the markets catch up. He’s a huge underdog in this matchup with local favorite Paratore, but Wilco has earned some respect with a T6 at the Andalucia Masters part of four straight made cuts. Nienaber’s strength is distance and Chervo should present numerous birdie and eagle opportunities.
Victor Perez -125 vs. Martin Kaymer
The only thing that might hinder Perez in this matchup is a week off after his runner-up showing at the BMW PGA Championship. The week prior the Frenchman was riding high until a Saturday 74 took him out of contention at the Scottish Open. Perez rallied for a closing 66 to finish with a share of 14th. He’s another player wielding a hot putter and is a solid pick to contend. Besides, I have a hard time backing Kaymer, who just hasn’t found his game.
Bernd Wiesberger +129 vs. Matt Wallace -162
I backed Wiesberger as the outright and a matchup winner last year and he paid off handsomely. It might be costly to dip my toes in that water again, especially since he’s paired with the tournament favorite. Dating back to before the break, Wiesberger has played the weekend in eight consecutive Euro Tour events, which is half the battle in a head-to-head.
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