European Tour Fantasy Golf Predictions – The Nordea Masters

2018 Nordea Masters Preview

After a break which took in the British Open, the WGC-Bridgestone and the PGA Championship, the European Tour is back in full-time action with six straight weeks of tournaments to come.

The first of those is the Nordea Masters, which is essentially the Swedish Open. The local boys have a decent record in this event with four winners and three runners-up in the past decade, with a Finnish champion and two Danish runners-up as well. Don’t be surprised if our draft features plenty of Scandinavians!

We do have the added headache of trying to unravel a new course, however. The Hills Golf Club in Gothenburg will host this event for the very first time, and unfortunately details about the layout are rather thin on the ground – the European Tour’s website is as unhelpful as ever on the finer details.

Chris Wood of England plays his fourth shot from a bunker on the 18th…

Chris Wood of England plays his fourth shot from a bunker on the 18th whole during day four of the Nordea Masters at Barseback Golf & Country Club on June 4, 2017 in Barsebackshamn, Sweden. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

What we do know is that it will play at roughly 7,169 yards at Par 71, with the hilly, forest location presenting plenty of tall trees and elevation changes for the players to cope with.

There are lots of lakes around too, but fairways are described as ‘generous’ and there doesn’t seem to be too much in the way of danger bar some cannily-located bunkers around the greens.

But, don’t expect this to be a walk in the park. Gothenburg is a coastal city and the wind is expected to be up – the early forecast hinting at speeds of up to 20 mph. With squally rain around, only the toughest will thrive at Hills GC this week.

With all of that in mind, who makes our draft for the Nordea Masters?

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This Week’s Nordea Masters Fantasy Picks & Predictions

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This Week’s Nordea Masters Fantasy Picks

Alexander Bjork – $10,400 – As mentioned, there is a theme of classy Scandinavians going well in the Nordea Masters, and you wonder if Alexander Bjork will be classed among the likes of Noren, Stenson and co. in a few years’ time as a Swedish golfing sensation.

He’s certainly trending in the right direction, having broken his European Tour title duck at the Volvo China Open this season, and he has proven his chops in the wind too having served up a trio of top-20 finishes during the mini Links season in July.

Bjork has been in the US recently, and while his results are nothing to write home about it was noticeable that he ranked second for Strokes Gained: Approach at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

His game is in great shape, and he is arguably the most likely home winner this week.

Lucas Bjerregaard – $9,400 – During the early summer, this talented Scandinavian found some excellent form.

He banked three top-five finishes and a solo sixth in as far flung locations as England, Germany, Sicily and China, and with ball-striking stats to purr over it was something of a surprise that Bjerregaard didn’t convert a second European Tour victory.

He has tapered off somewhat since, but those missed cuts and lowly finishes came during the Links campaign, so there are explanatory factors to that.

We don’t doubt the Dane’s credentials in the wind, however, when he shot -14 on the coast of Sicily earlier in the season, and he really is one of the classier operators in this field.

Marcus Kinhult – $8,500 – It would be easy to focus on the negative aspects of Kinhult’s capitulation at the Open de France.

He led the prestigious Rolex Series event at the 54-hole mark, with the likes of Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas breathing down his neck.

The young Swede fell away to T5, but the learning experience should not be underestimated. If he gets into a similar position again, expect a very different outcome.

The 22-year-old really is a sublime ball-striker who has delivered five top-20 finishes in his maiden European Tour campaign. You sense he will continue to get better and better; could he be the next world-class Swede off their talent conveyor belt?

Jens Dantorp – $7,900 – If stats are your thing, then Jens Dantorp’s recent performances will appeal.

He ranked fifth for GIR at the Open de France, recorded outstanding Total Driving numbers at the Irish Open and then ranked sixth for GIR at the Scottish Open for good measure.

Oddly, apart from solo third at the Scottish Open his finishes don’t reflect the stats, which can be answered by an ice-cold putter. But in home conditions he should be familiar with, expect an improvement on that front.

A prolific winner in the Nordic Golf League, Dantorp is also a two-time Challenge Tour champion, and so can clearly get the job done when the time comes.

Peter Hanson – $6,900 – The wily old veteran has won and finished second in his home Nordea Masters, so he’s the kind of pick we can make irrespective of his recent form.

Which hasn’t been great, by all accounts, although a top-10 at the Shot Clock Masters in June is a gentle reminder of his talents.

A six-time European Tour winner, Hanson may struggle to add to that collection this week, but at $6,900 he is an excellent top-20 finish candidate to bag some all-important points for your roster.

Johan Carlsson – $6,600 – In weak field events there are always a few wildcards at the lower end of the salary listing, and Johan Carlsson certainly ticks that box.

He’s a good player, make no mistake, but lost his way last season and that explains why he is playing mostly on the Challenge Tour this term.

A couple of decent showings recently, including a T12 at the Shot Clock Masters and a pair of top-20s in Challenge events – including T11 last time out in the Vierumaki Finnish Challenge – serve as a reminder of his talents.

A former winner on Swedish soil, Carlsson at his best is a solid operator, so let’s hope that his recent upturn in form continues this week.

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Cover photo via Instagram