Andalucia Masters Tips

Established in 2010, the Andalucia Masters sits as one of the top events on the European Tour, taking over from the Valderrama Golf Club where the former Volvo Masters was played. Now the event is played at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. This event provides three players with entry into the Open Championship, the oldest Golf competition and one of the top events in both the European and PGA Tour.

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Andalucia Masters Predictions

There are just two tournaments left for DP World Tour players to force their way into the play-offs and that should ensure a competitive tournament at the Andalucia Masters this week.

Hot favourite Jon Rahm will not be worrying about that as he looks to complete his DP World Tour commitments so he can be eligible for the European Ryder Cup team and the LIV Tour champion has been in strong form, losing a play-off at the Spanish Open and then finishing seventh last time out at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Recent Irish Open winner Rasmus Hojgaard will also be fancied at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande after his 13th spot at last week’s Open de France.

This course hosts this tournament for the second time after Adrian Meronk won there last year.

Tip 1 - Thorbjorn Olesen to win & each-way @ 20/1

As well as places in the play-offs, the top-10 players who have yet to qualify will receive playing rights to the PGA Tour for next year, and one golfer fully focused on occupying one of them is Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen.

Olesen is just two places below the occupant of the ninth spot, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, so he looks ideally placed to strike with two tournaments left.

The Dane’s recent performances have put him right in the mix as he has concentrated his efforts on the DPWT rather than stay Stateside, where he has earned just two top-20 finishes this year.

His European exploits have been a lot better with 12th place gained at both the Irish Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links before he was second in the Open de France last week.

He has already won a DPWT tournament this year after taking the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in January, and he was ninth at Sotogrande last year having started with a disappointing 73, so a strong challenge is expected.

Tip 2 - Jordan Smith to win & each-way @ 20/1

England’s Jordan Smith finds himself in an almost identical position after coming good at just the right time.

The two-time DPWT winner, whose last title came at the 2022 Portugal Masters, has had a consistent autumn, finishing 12th at both the British and European Masters, seventh at the Irish Open, 19th in a strong field at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and then 13th last week in Paris.

He was 34th in this last year having started with a 74, so he should be able to get to grips with the track.

Tip 3 - Jeff Winther to win & each-way @ 70/1

Jeff Winther should have played his way into the top 70 of the Race to Dubai standings to make the play-offs - he is 56th - but he will still be keen to build on the second spot he claimed in France last week.

That was only his second top-10 finish of the year, but 17th at the European Masters recently and 18th at Wentworth suggest that he has the ability to consistently contend.

He was second at Le Golf National last year, four weeks before he finished sixth in this tournament, when a Sunday 74 put paid to his chances.

No one bettered his Saturday round of 65 and he should be encouraged by some decent Sotogrande memories.

Andalucía Masters: The Course

Real Club Valderrama, San Roque, Cadiz, Spain. Par 71, 7,000 Yards (3x Par 5s)

Valderrama itself is one of the oldest and most revered venues on the tour. One and a half hours south from Malaga, and an hour north of Gibraltar, Valderrama is a gem, and one that I have been fortunate enough to have played several times. Whilst not the longest of courses, it is extremely tight and challenging with heavily tree lined, undulating, fairways. The rough is not deep, but if you miss the fairway you are likely to be inhibited by one of the 2,000 cork trees lining the estate, and layups are commonplace, even for the straightest of hitters.

The greens are small and slopey, protected by significant bunkering, and measuring up to 13 on the stimpmeter to make the challenge all the more severe. Water is in play on several holes, including notably the par 5 4th and 17th holes. Good shotmakers will prevail here, and course form is a major factor in deciding who will contend.

Andalucia Masters Recent Winners