European Tour Fantasy Golf Predictions – ISPS Handa Vic Open

2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open Preview

The European Tour will tread new ground this week.

For the first time in the organization’s history, both the men’s and women’s editions of the ISPS Handa Vic Open will take place concurrently at the same venues. They are playing for different trophies, but the groups will play alternately at the two host courses.

There will be a cut made after 36 holes, and another after 54, to ensure that the tournament doesn’t get out of hand.

If that sounds rather chaotic then you’d be right, and when you factor in the strong winds blowing in off the ocean – and the likelihood of time spent looking for lost balls – it could be a long old four days for all involved.

Lucas Herbert of Australia takes his second shot on hole seventeen…

Lucas Herbert of Australia takes his second shot on hole seventeen during Day Three of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 26, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

That’s perhaps one of the reasons why the sport’s big names have opted to give this one a swerve, with local lads Lucas Herbert, Jason Scrivener and Scott Hend taking top billing.

They will have to tame two courses down in Victoria, Australia at the 13th Beach Links Club. The Beach Course will host one of the opening rounds and then both at the weekend. Playing at a short 6,795 yards for its Par 72, this is a Links-looking layout that will actually play like more of your classic Australian sandbelt courses, even if it is located right down on the south coast of the country.

The Creek Course will host the opening two rounds on a rotational basis, and this is another sub-7000 yard Par 72 where the fairways are generous in proportion but with stiff penalties should you land in the rough or bunker.

It’s a unique event and one where the players will have to overcome physically and mentally taxing conditions. The weather suggests there could be strong winds and stormy rain showers, and with the guys and gals out on the course for a long time this Vic Open may descend into a battle of will, as much as a test of golf.

Nevertheless, here’s the six we’re drafting for the ISPS Handa Vic Open.

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This Week’s ISPS Handa Vic Open Fantasy Picks & Predictions

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This Week’s ISPS Handa Vic Open Fantasy Picks

Lucas Herbert – $10,700 – The Aussie looks to be a European Tour winner in waiting, and it doesn’t take a genius to realize that that victory is most likely to come on home soil.

The Australians have a fantastic record in big events held in their country, and right now – besides the obvious – Herbert is one of the best Antipodeans in world golf.

He impressed on his home tour in 2017/18, and earned an invite to the ISPS World Super 6 – co-sanctioned by the European Tour – and a third place finish saw him invited back to more events with the big boys. Herbert has not looked back.

T3 in the Linksy Sicilian Open, Herbert went on to bank three more top-five finishes last season, including at the prestigious British Masters. In the mix there was also a T7 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

He was contending at the Dubai Desert Classic too last time out until a rather unfortunate penalty violation cost him at tilt at the title, but he responded well with a slew of birdies and looks to have the mental strength – and the golf game – to become a multiple-time champion in the future….possibly starting this week.

Jake McLeod – $9,700 – In this type of event it’s always smart to get a few Aussies on board, and Jake McLeod looks to be the next cab off the rank as far as quality players from the country are concerned.

He won his first senior-level tournament last year at the NSW Open, and just a week later followed up with a solo third at the Australian Open; very much a major for the guys from Down Under that was won by the classy Abraham Ancer.

McLeod was invited to take part in the Saudi international last week and impressed everyone; bookending his effort with rounds of 65 and 68 to finish ahead of the likes of Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka.

T2 here in 2017, McLeod is a better player now, and might just fancy his chances of lifting another trophy.

Kurt Kitayama – $7,800 – When you look through the formlines you will see lots of strange results from the European Tour players, but that’s because they have been playing desert golf lately and that does not suit everyone on such expansive layouts.

Back on a tighter, resort style course and Kurt Kitayama, who won the Mauritius Open at a track not all that dissimilar to those used this week, will feel back in his comfort zone.

The globe-trotting American has played plenty of golf in Australasia, and finished T4 at the New Zealand Open last year; an event won by former Vic Open champions Matt Griffin, Michael Long and Dimitrios Papadatos.

Kitayama is a classy-looking player who we expect to shake off his desert malaise this week.

Andrew Johnston – $7,200 – Beef seems to love playing golf in Australia.

He heads back to the country at every available opportunity, and finished inside the top-10 at the Australian PGA Championship at the tail-end of 2018.

Johnston hasn’t quite been at his best for some time, but hen you’re out of form and still delivering three top-10s – including a play-off loss to Matt Wallace at the Indian Open – in a calendar year it’s not all doom and gloom.

Besides, he just seemed to find something last time out at the Dubai Desert Classic, with a round of 65 helping the Englishman to a T24 return.

Niklas Lemke – $7,200 – As is the case on the PGA TOUR with the Web.com Tour graduates, we’re still learning about those who have made the step up from the Challenge Tour on the other side of the pond, but clearly Niklas Lemke has something.

The Swede finished T30 on a resort style course in Saudi Arabia, and his ball striking stats were exceptional: he ranked 21st for Driving Accuracy from an average drive length of 317 yards, and ranked first for GIR at a shade under 82%.

A cold putter denied him an improvement on that T30, but as we know form with the flat stick can return in the blink of an eye.

Lemke delivered four top-six finishes on the Challenge Tour last season, and arguably the most eye-catching was his T3 effort at the Irish Challenge played in typically Celtic conditions. He may just enjoy himself in Victoria this week.

Max McCardle – $7,000 – An intriguing play at the lower end of the price spectrum is Max McCardle.

The Aussie led the Australian Open after 36 holes at the end of 2018, and while he couldn’t convert what a rush he must have got leading the field in one of his country’s major events.

It’s also noticeable that McCardle finished T7 in the Western Australia PGA Championship; an event that both Papadatos and Long have both won prior to triumphing here.

A return of MC-6-15-18-25-28 in this event also offers encouragement that he could far outperform his paltry salary.

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