Rocco Forte Open

Question

the inaugural Rocco Forte Open @ the Verdura Resort, Verdura, Sicily is the Euro Tour event this week. looks to be pretty much a wide open "links" course running along the south-western coast of that Mediterranean island. big hitters like Nicky Colsaerts (who has been "flat" lately) may have an advantage. look for "home boy" Italians Matteo Manassero and Edoardo Molinari (who won recently @ Trophee Hassan in Morocco) to make some noise. favorites are the Englishmen Jordan L Smith and James Morrison along with the ChiCom Hao Tong Li and Manassero with the young Thai phenom Phachara Khongwatmai

I am chancing small "to win" bets on the players that did well last week in Portugal along with Trophee Hassan winner Molinari

Matt Wallace 30-1 <<< WON last week @ Portugal [-21]
Matthiew Pavon 50-1 <<< 3rd last week @ Portugal [-16]
Julian Suri 60-1 <<< 2nd last week @ Portugal [-18]
Edoardo Molinari 60-1 <<< WON @ Trophee Hassan [-9]
Sebastian Heisele 60-1 <<< T-4th last week @ Portugal [-15]

LeRinkRat · Answer

the inaugural Rocco Forte Open @ the Verdura Resort, Verdura, Sicily is the Euro Tour event this week. looks to be pretty much a wide open "links" course running along the south-western coast of that Mediterranean island. big hitters like Nicky Colsaerts (who has been "flat" lately) may have an advantage. look for "home boy" Italians Matteo Manassero and Edoardo Molinari (who won recently @ Trophee Hassan in Morocco) to make some noise. favorites are the Englishmen Jordan L Smith and James Morrison along with the ChiCom Hao Tong Li and Manassero with the young Thai phenom Phachara Khongwatmai

I am chancing small "to win" bets on the players that did well last week in Portugal along with Trophee Hassan winner Molinari

Matt Wallace 30-1 <<< WON last week @ Portugal [-21]
Matthiew Pavon 50-1 <<< 3rd last week @ Portugal [-16]
Julian Suri 60-1 <<< 2nd last week @ Portugal [-18]
Edoardo Molinari 60-1 <<< WON @ Trophee Hassan [-9]
Sebastian Heisele 60-1 <<< T-4th last week @ Portugal [-15]

LeRinkRat · Answer

watched some of the 1st round last night. winds were dead calm and scores reflected it. two players shot [-10] rounds for the lead, Michael Hoey and Sebastian Soderberg. my German Sebastian Heisele tied 4th [-8]. best "name" player so far the ChiCom Haotong Li tied 7th @ [-7] with the Khongwatmai kid [-5]. pre-tourney favorites Jordan L Smith [-3] and James Morrison [even]

LeRinkRat · Answer

WHAT a difference some WIND makes at a "links" golf course. Saturday 3rd round scoring average was 74.1, compared to 68.9 on Thursday and 69.3 on Friday. only seven players shot under par rounds. Spaniard Pep Angles fired the low round of the day with a [-3] 68 for a tourney [-10] moving up 23 places to tied 3rd. his fellow Spaniard Alvaro Quiros leads @ [-16] after an excellent (considering the conditions) [-1] 3rd round 5 shots up on South African Zander Lombard

LeRinkRat · Answer

WOW!!! stayed up until 7:30am here in Las Vegas watching the end of the tourney and WHAT a FINISH!!! absolutely HOWLING wind the back side for the leaders and it REALLY showed.

after a 3rd round 5 shot lead, which he got as high as 7 shots on the front side Sunday over Zander Lombard, Alvaro Quiros almost BONES the tourney going bogie-double bogie-bogie #15 thru #17 to end up in a TIE and a PLAYOFF. had to make a real "knee knocker" putt on #18 to hold on to THAT!!! looked like Lombard ad ALL the "MO" but JACKS a 3 foot putt on the 2nd playoff hole to hand the tourney WIN to Quiros which was HIS first win in a LONG time.

my ChiCom Haotong Li with a CRAZY final round including an "albatross" on #12 to finish 3rd outright. missed a make-able birdie putt on #18 or HE would have been in the playoff too. will keep an eye on him on links courses later in the season. his [-5] THE best final round of the day. young Pep Angels with HIS best Euro Tour finish ever at 4th

all in all it was one of THE most exciting finishes to a tourney I have watched in a LONG time

Rocco Forte Open

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