The Punter 
/ Steven Rawlings / 27 March 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Tommy Fleetwood – Should like the course this week
“Playing at a venue that’s new to everyone will level out the playing field somewhat and if it does play like Kingsbarns Tommy Fleetwood could be heading for a really good week.”
Our man takes a detailed looked at this week's Race to Dubai event, where there's a brand new venue to ponder. Who's going to be suited to the Kyle Philips designed Verdura Golf & Spa?
Tournament
This is just the second ever staging of the Sicilian Open.
Venue
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort
Course Details
Par 72, 7,375 yards
Designed by Kyle Phillips, the tournament course is a composite of the three courses at the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, which only opened in 2009. Philips was also responsible for the Grove, home of the 2006 WGC - American Express and more importantly, Kingsbarns, which is one of the three courses used for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Verdura appears to be very similar to the links course of Kingsbarns.
Useful Sites
Course Site
Hole by hole guide
Course map
TV Coverage
Live on Sky all four days, 9.30am on Thursday and Friday and at 12.00pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Last Year's Winner
2011 -Raphael Jacquelin -12 (different venue)
Market leaders
After two top-six finishes in-a-row over the last fortnight, Matteo Manassero quite rightly heads the market but he's plenty short enough at just [8.4]. He was a short-priced favourite in-running at both events but never really looked liked winning either.
Second favourite, Nicholas Colsaerts, is much harder to dismiss. He's a fine links exponent and he's been in good form so far this campaign but he's been poor in-contention a couple of times - at the Volvo Golf Champions and at the Qatar Masters. Although I think he'll contend, given he's won just once in over 200 European Tour starts, I simply can't back him at just [13.0].
Third favourite Jamie Donaldson is quite frankly a laughable price at just [18.0]. He's still looking for his first Tour victory after 248 attempts and if he gets anywhere near the leaders the nerves tend to kick in very quickly.
Selections
If Kingsbarns form is the angle in here, then Tommy Fleetwood's the man to be on. He shot 63 there in last year's Alfred Dunhill Links and although he hasn't exactly set the world alight on the European Tour so far after heading last year's Challenge Tour rankings, it's surely only a matter of time.
Playing at a venue that's new to everyone will level out the playing field somewhat and if it does play like Kingsbarns he could be heading for a really good week.
I don't quite know what to make of Scott Jamieson yet but he looks worth chancing here. His results in his rookie season last year were very in-and-out. He would very often follow a high placed finish with a missed cut and vice versa and he seems to have started out 2012 in much the same manner. A promising top-12 finish at the Qatar Masters was followed by a brilliant top-five spot at the illustrious Dubai Desert Classic but since then he's failed to finish inside the top-50 at two low key affairs - the Avantha Masters and the Trophee Hassan II. I could be wasting my money but if he is 'on' this week the venue should suit him too. His best result last season was his tied third at the Barclays Scottish Open at the Castle Stuart Links so this gaff should suit.
Last up is James Morrison, whose case I've made in this week's Find Me a 100 Winner column.
Sicilian Open Selections:
Tommy Fleetwood @ [70.0]
Scott Jamieson @ [70.0]
James Morrison @ [160.0]
I'll be back later with a preview of the week's US PGA Tour event - the Shell Houston Open.
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