While most of the attention is on the U.S. Open this week, the European Tour continues with the Saint-Omer Open at Saint Omer Golf Club in France. With 11 different winners in the past 11 years of the golf event, it’s a chance for a lesser-known name to shine. Even with eight former Saint Omer champions returning, you may be wondering who some of these players are.
Hometown boy Victor Dubuisson leads the odds for this co-sanctioned Challenge Tour event. The 21-year-old Frenchman should do well on the course where accuracy is more important than distance. He finished 38th at the BMW Italian Open and 34th at the Wales Open.
Alastair Forsyth is competing in his first Saint-Omer but finished in a tie for 51st at the Alstom Open de France last year. He has shown glimpses of greatness with a tie for ninth at the 2008 PGA Championship and fourth at the 2011 Iberdrola Open, but he hasn’t been consistent. Fellow British golfer Jamie Elson may be a better bet in this weak field after finishing second here last year. He also finished fourth in the Joburg Open and tied for fifth in the Sicilian Open this year.
David Dixon won the 2008 Saint-Omer Open and could become the first player to win the tournament twice. He tied for 15th at the Italian Open and 37th at the Wales Open. Jose-Felipe Lima was the youngest Saint-Omer winner at 22 in 2004 after being raised on the French courses. 2010 winner Martin Wiegele became the second Austrian to get a European Tour event victory last year. Also in the mix is George Coetzee, who tied for 11th at the Italian Open and is a four-time champion on the South African Sunshine Tour.
Saint Omer Open Outright Odds (provided by Eurobet)
Victor Dubuisson: 20/1
Alastair Forsyth: 22/1
Jamie Elson: 22/1
Branden Grace: 25/1
Jose Lima: 25/1
Andrea Pavan: 28/1
George Coetzee: 28/1
Francois Delamontagne: 33/1
Lorenzo Gagli: 33/1
Magnus A Carlsson: 33/1
Martin Wiegele: 33/1
Chris Gane: 40/1
Chris Lloyd: 40/1
Daniel Gaunt: 40/1
Florian Fritsch: 40/1
Martin Erlandsson: 40/1
Pelle Edberd: 40/1
Tommy Fleetwood: 40/1
Alessandro Tadini: 50/1
Lee Slattery: 50/1
Lloyd Saltman: 50/1
Phillip Archer: 50/1
Ricardo Santos: 50/1
Wade Ormsby: 50/1