
The DP World Tour returns this week with the ISPS Handa Championship and I cannot wait for this one to get underway. This is the first time the Taiheiyo Club in Japan has hosted a DP World Tour event and we have such a competitive field that it’s going to be hard to find the winner. That said, there are definitely a few players that look a little overpriced to me and I have selected two that I believe have got what it takes to do well here.
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The 2024 edition of the ISPS Handa takes place on Gotemba Golf Course at the Taiheiyo Club. Last year's winner was Lucas Herbert, but as this event was held at a different venue last year, that isn’t something we need to consider here. This 7262 yard was completely redesigned by Hideki Matsuyama in 2018 and he has made it into a real challenge for players.
This tree-lined parkland course has been extended in length and the cutoffs round the greens are much tighter now, so tee to green is very important this week. Approach play is the key area to focus on and beyond that you need a player who can putt accurately over distance. A lot of the Japanese players already have good form round here, but the DPWT is a step up from the events played here previously, so they don’t have a huge advantage.
As this is the first DPWT event since the Indian Open last month, you can expect the big names to be geared up for a big week, but if they don’t play well from tee to green then that’s irrelevant. You need a real all-rounder and someone who has a controlled ball flight, so I won’t be interested in shot shapers this week, just solid, consistent ball strikers first and foremost. This is destined to be a really good event and one that will take a lot of winning too.
My first selection for this week is Italian player Matteo Manassero who is highly overpriced at 60/1. He was a teenage superstar, who is finally fulfilling his potential and he has been playing some seriously special golf this year. He got back to winning ways when he took the Jonsson Workwear Open in really impressive fashion last month and he also managed to finish in a tie for fifth in the Indian Open.
Confidence is a huge thing and Matteo should be brimful of it now - he certainly won’t be resting on his laurels that’s for sure.
There are a lot of players higher up the leaderboard that don’t strike the ball as well as Matteo, and his approach play is up there with the best. I think he has a huge chance this week and he’s a really decent bet at that price.
Next on my list is Sebastian Soderberg, who has been quite a regular selection of mine this season and is fast becoming a very impressive player. He has improved a huge amount over the last 12 months and his approach play and putting is now extremely solid.
Sebastian is becoming a very popular player on Tour. He has racked up no less than four top 10s in his last eight starts and he has one of the best golf swings out there. Plus, he has a calm temperament and all of his best results come at approach play-dominated courses. I believe that he will play very well here this week and I am happy to get involved at the price.
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