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Fantasy Golf Picks & Predictions – 2017 Andalucía Valderrama Masters

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European Tour Fantasy Golf Picks and Predictions for the 2017 Andalucía Valderrama Masters

2017 Andalucía Valderrama Masters Fantasy Preview

This European Tour event feels like the calm before the storm, with a reduced purse of $2 million up for grabs ahead of the lucrative WGC HSBC Champions event in China next week and the Road to Dubai finals starting thereafter.

So there’s a thin field for the Andalucía Masters this week, and many might have been put off by the horror stories of host venue Valderrama’s complexity.

This is a major-style course that has hosted the Ryder Cup in years gone by, and yes it is a difficult stretch to navigate: Andrew Johnston won the Open de Espana here last year with a score of +1!

Sergio Garcia of Spain plays into the 17th green whilst standing in…

Sergio Garcia of Spain plays into the 17th green whilst standing in the water during the third round of the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama on October 29, 2011 in Sotogrande, Spain. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

But that event was played in rather different conditions in April 2016, when it was wet, windy and wild. The weather tends to be rather better in Spain at this time of year, and the forecast this week is for largely calm and clear conditions.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of Valderrama is just how short it plays: just 6,991 yards for its Par 71. It is a tight and tree-lined test that tends to favor accurate drivers and tidy iron hitters: Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, who won that Spanish Open named above, did so by ranking first for Driving Accuracy and GIR.

To elucidate the point further, Sebastian Gros ranked first for Total Driving but only 30th for Greens in Reg. – he finished on +16 at T45!

So good course management is key this week as is some red-hot iron striking, and we would even go as far as to say a light-hearted, jovial personality can help. Beef and another former winner here, Graeme McDowell, are as laidback as it gets, and that ability to shake off the occasional missed green or putt is essential at a venue of this nature. Perhaps swerving volcanic personalities like Jon Rahm, the bookmakers’ favorite, is wise!

So the tournament this week looks set to be rather different to the norm on the European Tour, and we’re looking forward to watching the grind unfold. But who are we drafting to our roster? Let’s have a look…

This Week’s Andalucía Valderrama Masters Fantasy Picks & Predictions

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