After a near month-long hiatus due to The Open Champions, The Olympics and co-sanctioned US-based events, the DP World Tour is back in full-swing as the European-based Tour enters the heart of its schedule
With 13 events remaining until the end-of-the-season DP World Tour Championship in November, golfers continue their pursuit to qualify for that exclusive event as well as play their way onto the PGA Tour.
This week also serves as the penultimate event in the DP World Tour’s ‘Closing Swing’ which will cap the fifth and final international swing on the Tour’s schedule.
This week’s stop sees the Tour head to the Czech Republic for the D+D Real Czech Masters, the only DP World Tour event held in the country.
Although the Albatross Golf Resort has played host since the event’s inception in 2014, there will be a new host course this season.
The PGA National Oaks will play host for the very first time on the DP World Tour this week.
The Field
This week’s field includes most of the DP World Tour regulars we have become accustomed to this season.
Tom McKibbin opens as the odds-on-favorite to win with the likes of Brend Wiesberger, Richard Mansell, Niklas Norgaard, Conner Syme, Matthew Jordan and Ryo Hisatsune right behind him.
This week’s field will also include three major champions with the likes of Danny Willett, Francesco Molinari and Jason Dufner teeing it up as well. Dufner received an invitation to compete this week.
2023 Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald too will be in attendance this week.
Todd Clements comes in as the defending champion as he held off Matt Wallace to win by a stroke a season ago.
The most recent winner of the DP World Tour, Ewen Ferguson, too will be playing this week as he looks to become a back-to-back winner.
The Course
As previously mentioned, PGA National Oaks will play host on the DP World Tour for the very first time this week.
It plays as a par-72 at 7,613 yards and was opened in 2020.
The course was designed by acclaimed golf course architect Kyle Phillips. Phillips also designed Kingsbarns, California Golf and South Cape in South Korea which are three of the top 100 golf courses in the world.
PGA National Oaks has been voted Czech Republic’s best golf course for the last four years by the World Golf Awards.
The fairways this week are described to flow across the alluring Czech countryside.
The par-four fourth hole features a fairway within an oak-studded valley with a stream and a wetland area along the left side of this tough, uphill hole which plays as the second hardest hole on the course.
The par five-fifth plays down from a ridge towards a green that features a central spine.
The par-four twelfth plays through a narrow chute of trees and the par four 14th features a dogleg right into a green that features a breath-taking view of the nearby Prague city skyline.
There are always a lot of unknowns when seeing a course for the very first time on any professional golf Tour, which will be the case here this week.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, Prague is currently under an excessive heat warning as temperatures are set to exceed 31-degrees Celsius (roughly 88 degrees Fahrenheit.) Thursday and Friday will remain around that level of heat, as Thursday is set for temperatures of 87-degrees and Friday 86-degrees. Temperatures will fall to 82-degrees on Saturday before falling to 69-degrees on Sunday. There is also a significant chance of precipitation this week, mainly on the weekend. Currently, forecasts are calling for an 80-percent chance of precipitation on Sunday and a 40-percent chance for both Friday and Saturday. Friday and Saturday are also calling for isolated thunderstorms. Winds will be minimal however, peaking at nine miles-per-hour on Saturday as Thursday through Saturday call for six-to-seven miles-per-hour winds.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Average Driving Distance
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Par 5 Average Scoring
Sand Saves Percentage
Scrambling
Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)
Betting Card
Matthew Jordan (+2500)
Jordan was one of the top stories at The Open Championship as he finished T10th after being one of just 12 golfers to finish par or better for the week. Prior to that he placed T26th at the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open. He also recently placed T12th at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, T13th at the European Open and T5th at the Soudal Open. He is currently tenth on Tour in SG: TTG, 11th in SG: OTT, 18th in SG: APP, 31st in average driving distance, 32nd in par five average scoring, 67th in sand saves percentage, 87th in SG: PUTT and 123rd in scrambling.
Julien Guerrier (+4000)
Guerrier is a guy I’ve been on a lot recently and that’s for good reason. He is currently 15th on Tour in par five average scoring, 29th in scrambling, 40th in SG: TTG, 49th in average driving distance, 52nd in SG: OTT, 68th in SG: APP, 71st in SG: PUTT and 103rd in sand saves percentage. He made the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open and placed T13th at the BMW International Open. He also placed T22nd at the Italian Open, T20th at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed and T4th at the European Open.
Joe Dean (+6000)
Dean has been one of the feel good stories of the 2024 DP World Tour season. He lost in a three-man-playoff at the KLM Open that saw him qualify for The Open where he placed T25th. He also placed T49th at the BMW International Open, T29th at the Italian Open and T5th at the Soudal Open. He also placed T2nd at the Kenyan Open this season. Dean is currently fifth on Tour in SG: PUTT, 26th in average driving distance, 27th in SG: OTT, 28th in sand saves percentage, 66th in scrambling, 67th in SG: TTG, 83rd in SG: APP and 122nd in par five average scoring.
Jannik De Bruyn (+10000)
De Bruyn is currently fourth on Tour in sand saves percentage, 23rd in SG: APP, 32nd in SG: TTG, 65th in par five average scoring, 67th in SG: OTT, 76th in average driving distance, 76th in average driving distance, 100th in SG: PUTT and 102nd in scrambling. He placed T27th at the BMW International Open, T3rd at the Italian Open and T18th at the European Open. He also placed third at the Kaskada Golf Challenge and T23rd at the Challenge de Espana on the Challenge Tour recently.
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