Golf
Open de Espana preview: Rahm seeking third win
The DP World Tour travels south to Madrid for the Open de Espana on Thursday, where two home players and former winners are fancied to stake their claim again.
In what should be warmer conditions compared to the wet and windy setting of St Andrew’s last week, we preview the tournament and highlight who may be best placed to take home the €291,600 winner’s share.
Rahm difficult to overlook
Two-time winner Jon Rahm is the overwhelming favourite at 23/10 to pick up a second tournament win of the season – generally looking like one of the strongest players on the tour. The 27-year-old Spaniard shot -22 on this course three years ago and won by 5 strokes, the largest margin of victory since 1982, claiming a second successive Open de Espana crown in his home country.
Spanish players typically perform well on this course – with all three of the last winners being home bred players – and the world number 2 looks to have a very good opportunity to get a second win of the season at this Par-71, having generally showed signs of discovering his best form after a slow few months following victory in Mexico.
Rahm, who shot 62 in the final round of the BMW PGA Championship last month, remains imperious from the tee and statistically resides in the highest of most key long-game categories, meaning any recent short-game deficiencies are often concealed. The Spaniard ranked 12th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green last season on the PGA Tour, but 28th in Strokes Gained: Putting, highlighting the fact the greens are where he tends to fail to convert his chances. However, if he can manage to get his putter firing, then Rahm will be a force to be reckoned with.
Victory in Madrid this weekend would see him tie with another Spanish great, Seve Ballesteros, who won his third Spanish Open title in his final European Tour title triumph in 1995.
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Cabrera-Bello provides threat
If you’re looking for an outside chance to offer a threat to the heavily-fancied Rahm, and frankly provide some more attractive odds, then look no further than a fellow Spaniard – last year’s champion Rafa Cabrera-Bello. The 38-year-old recorded his first victory in four years when he beat another Spaniard, Adri Arnaus, in a play-off after shooting 19-under, to win last year. Before that in 2019, he had finished as runner up to Rahm, so it’s clear that he rises to the challenge in this event.
With this course proving a happy hunting ground for Spanish players, Cabrera-Bello’s odds of 28/1 feel somewhat long, especially after finishing a commendable ninth at Wentworth recently. With Rahm’s price being as low as it is, it would be worth punting last year’s winner if you’re looking for a respectable return.
