While the PGA Tour continues with the Wells Fargo Championship, the European Tour has the Open de Espana beginning Thursday as well. There are some standout European players competing in the golf event at El Prat Golf Club in Terrassa, Spain.
Matteo Manassero, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros are the joint leaders in the outright odds. Manassero is coming off a Malaysian Open win and is the World No. 33. He won in Spain at the Castello Masters and will be well rested after taking a week off. Jimenez finished runner-up in the Ballantine’s Championship to rise to No. 23 in the world rankings. He has finished in the top 10 only twice in nine events in 2011 and returns to his native Spain.
Quiros is the reigning Open de Espana champion and is tyring to become the first player to successfully defend the title since 1953. Quiros finished 27th at the Masters but won the Dubai Desert Classic and was the runner-up at the Qatar Masters.
There is a great disparity beyond the top three for the Open de Espana. Raphael Jacquelin finished third here last year and has finished in the top 10 in three of his last five events in Spain. The Frenchman also won the Sicilian Open this year. Nicolas Colsaerts won the China Open and has four top 20 finishes in eight appearances in 2011. He finished sixth here last year. Alexander Noren also has some value after placing fifth at the Ballantine’s Championship and third in the 2008 Open de Espana.
Open de Espana Outright Odds (provided by Ladbrokes)
Matteo Manassero: 12/1
Miguel Angel Jimenez: 12/1
Alvaro Quiros: 12/1
Raphael Jacquelin: 25/1
Danny Willett: 25/1
Rafael Cabrera-Bello: 25/1
Nicolas Colsaerts: 33/1
Alexander Noren: 33/1
Gregory Bourdy: 33/1
Gregory Havret: 40/1
Thomas Aiken: 40/1
Thongchai Jaidee: 40/1
Richie Ramsay: 40/1
Anders Hansen: 40/1
Robert-Jan Derksen: 40/1
Soren Hansen: 50/1
Paul Lawrie: 50/1
Brett Rumford: 50/1
Pablo Larrazabal: 50/1
Alejandro Canizares: 50/1
Simon Dyson: 50/1
Stephen Gallacher: 50/1
Peter Lawrie: 50/1
Gareth Maybin: 50/1
Alvaro Velasco: 50/1