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After a hugely frustrating fortnight watching the world's top two players hole nothing, Mike Norman is glad to have a relatively weak field to get his teeth stuck into at the Czech Open.


After two high quality tournaments in the last fortnight the European Tour stages a pretty low-key affair this week, and to be quite honest, it can't come soon enough for myself.

Watching Luke Donald (at the Bridgestone Invitational) and then Lee Westwood (last week) miss countless birdie putts whilst the leaders rolled them in from all over the place was very painful viewing indeed. Having backed both players at each event there's perhaps a bit of bias in my sentiments, but I'm still struggling to accept that my account balance didn't increase after at least one of those tournaments. Still, I've been highlighting Westwood's poor putting this season so his failures really shouldn't have come as a surprise. Let's move on.

The Miguel Angel Jimenez-designed Prosper Golf Resort is the host venue for this week's Czech Open, the third consecutive year that the tournament has been staged here. Measuring 7,452 yards long, and with water coming into play on a lot of holes, the course is by no means a birdie-fest (-10 was the winning score last year; -13 in 2009) and it is generally perceived that accuracy from the tee is a big advantage.

If that aspect of the game is to be key during the four days of competition then three players stand out as having an excellent chance of winning, Peter Lawrie - available to back at 25.0 in the Winner market - Lorenzo Gagli (30.0), and Richie Ramsay (48.0).

Lawrie ranks fourth (and second amongst the players in the field this week) in Driving Accuracy having found 73.2% of all the fairways he's played in 2011. That in itself is a huge tick in the right box, but the Irishman also has some excellent course and recent form to his name to encourage his backers. Lawrie was beaten in a three man play-off here last year following a terrific final round 66 (the joint lowest score of the weekend), and more recently, he finished in a very respectable tie for eighth place at the Irish Open. He has to be on anyone's shortlist this week and it will be a big surprise if he doesn't go well.

It's no surprise at all to see a resurgence in Italian golf following the success of the Molinari brothers and the brilliant Matteo Manassero, and the latest Italian to shine on the European Tour is 25-year-old Lorenzo Gagli. The Challenge Tour graduate has been a constant figure on leaderboards in recent months, finishing 11th in a high quality renewal of the Open de France, third at the Scottish Open, and eighth - tied with Lawrie - at the Irish Open.

The key to Gagli's recent success has undoubtedly been his excellent ball striking. He has moved up to 15th in Driving Accuracy, 17th in Greens in Regulation, and he ranks in the top 25% of all European Tour members for Driving Distance. Stats like these will set up many birdie opportunities, and thankfully - unlike a certain world number two from Worksop - Gagli looks quite assured in the putting department also.

Ramsay is another player who drives the ball well, very well in fact as he ranks number one in Driving Accuracy on the Tour, finding over 75% of fairways from the tee. His fifth place finish at the Open de France last month was a terrific effort and if he can bring that form to the table this week then he undoubtedly has the class to go close.

Gary Boyd (32.0) - the other player beaten in a play-off alongside Lawrie last year - was very close to being a selection, as too was Thorbjorn Olesen (34.0), a player who has been in good form of late, but I'm more than happy to back the three I've mentioned outright.

At a huge price keep an eye on a bit of a favourite of mine, Indian starlet Gaganjeet Bhullar. The 23-year-old is a prolific winner in his home country, has recorded wins on both the Asian Tour and the Challenge Tour, and showed his game to be in good order when playing very well at an Omega Mission Hills World Cup qualifying event a fortnight ago. The downside is that he has never taken this step up in class in his stride previously and perhaps won't do so again. But he's young and still learning, so at 370.0 to win he's worth a small wager with a view to trading out if he appears on the leaderboard at any stage.

Recommended Bets

Back Peter Lawrie @ 25.0
Back Lorenzo Gagli @ 30.0
Back Richie Ramsay @ 48.0
Back Gaganjeet Bhullar @ 370.0


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