Fantasy Golf: Portugal Masters preview

Martin Kaymer is the favourite to win this week’s Portugal Masters, however, with at least a dozen Seve Trophy competitors in this week’s field, including Italy’s Francesco Molinari, the man who sealed Europe’s long-sought-after 15-13 Seve Trophy triumph over Great Britain and Ireland, Kaymer is going to have to bring his A game to Portugal’s highly-rated par 71 Oceânico Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura. 

With this week’s tournament being one of the last few in the Race to Dubai which will end with only the top 60 on the European Tour qualifying for the big-money, season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in mid-November, finishing in the money is going to be important for those players currently hovering around on the inside and outside edges of the top 60 bubble.

That means the likes of home favourite Ricardo Santos, who is currently positioned at No 55 in the Race to Dubai standings and lives two minutes from the course, could well feature if you fancy an outside bet to try and make up some points in your mini league.

Here is TG’s six-man team for the Portugal Masters:

Francesco Molinari, £2.0m
The Italian can take plenty from his performance at the weekend in the Seve Trophy and will be looking to enhance a record that has seen him secure finish runner-up here twice, in 2009 and 2010, before tying for 16th last year, where he ranked third in driving accuracy.

Chris Wood, £1.4m 
Despite his singles defeat to Molinari, Wood was excellent again during the Seve Trophy and finished in the top-10 in two of his last five outings. The Bristolian ranked first for greens in regulation at the Alfred Dunhill in his last individual strokeplay event and that bodes well for his chances at this week’s Portugal Masters, where he finished 10th in 2008.

Jamie Donaldson, £1.9m
Another Seve Trophy competitor who could offer value is Jamie Donaldson, who was electric during the early part of the recent Alfred Dunhill before falling away. If he can piece four rounds together then he could be a real threat in Portugal, particularly as he finished eighth here in 2011 and sixth in 2012.

Shane Lowry, £1.4m
Shane Lowry is again finding form late in the season. He had a fantastic week at the Dunhill Links where he shot 64 in Carnoustie and eventually tied third. He arrives back in Vilamoura as the defending champion where his final round of 66 saw him edge out Ross Fisher by one.

Ross Fisher, £1.3m
Fisher tied fifth earlier in the month at the Omega European Masters and tied third at the KLM Open, both notable for excellent final rounds. The Englishman has already been second (2012) and tied third (2008) on the Victoria Course.

Tom Lewis, £0.8m
Tom Lewis shared third spot with Shane Lowry in Scotland and in doing so retained his playing privileges for next season. Without that weight on his shoulders he can enjoy his return to Portugal where he won weeks after turning professional in 2011.

> Click here to see a full entry list and player values. You have until 08:00 BST on Thursday 10th October to select your team.