KLM Open – Fantasy Golf Preview

Today’s Golfer Fantasy Golf returns to the European Tour this week for the KLM Open at Kennemer Golf and Country Club in Holland. Most of the best players in the world, however, will not be making the trip. Despite there being no PGA Tour event this week, the majority of players in the FedEx Cup have decided to take the week off and put their feet up, catch up on their Sky planner, maybe do a bit of DIY – you know how it is when you’re a multi-millionaire golf star. One man who has definitely earned his rest is Deutsche Bank Championship winner Rickie Fowler, tipped by TG in last week’s Fantasy Golf preview. Thanks for the points, Rickster. 

For those who will be teeing it up, the KLM Open offers an early opportunity to get some Ryder Cup qualification points on the board. 

The Harry Colt-designed seaside course offers a real links test with winds usually high, although the forecast for this week is relatively benign, with no rain expected and winds around 10mph. With favourable conditions and wide fairways, the players will be licking their lips and hoping to go low. Here’s who we’re backing to do just that…

Martin Kaymer, £3.5m
The biggest fish in a moderately small pond, the German would probably be one of those giving this event a miss had he qualified for the FedEx Cup. Instead, having failed to meet the PGA Tour’s minimum number of appearances, Kaymer has actually managed to lose his PGA Tour card for next season. He’s won this event before, albeit it at a different (but similar) course. Although his form this year has been patchier than Wayne Rooney’s hair, as an 11-time European Tour winner, he offers pedigree that few in the field can match.  

Alejandro Canizares, £1.1m 
The smooth-swinging Spaniard tends to perform best on links courses, has made the cut at every appearance here, and carded a fantastic 63 on this course in 2009. He’s clocked up a good number of top-20 finishes this year and could go further with a lot of the big boys not in attendance.  

Eddie Pepperell, £1m
The Wise Old Owl is a TG favourite for being a golfer consistently able to say something worth listening to or reading. A fourth-placed finish in this event last year, along with a T2 at this year’s Irish Open and T4 at the Scottish Open, show the 24-year-old knows how to handle links golf. We wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him in Europe’s 2016 Ryder Cup team, so why not get some big points under his belt this week? Six of the last seven winners have been British, too…

Tommy Fleetwood, £1.5m
Of those six British winners, four have been English, and Fleetwood is another who will have eyes on a Ryder Cup spot. The likeable Scouser hasn’t set the world alight of late, but has never missed the cut in this event. With his hair gradually reaching Diana Ross proportions, we’re wondering if Fleetwood has made a Tom Huddlestone-esque bet to not have it trimmed until he strikes gold. For his sake and ours, then, we hope this is his week.  

Joost Luiten, £1.8m
The Dutchman will have no shortage of home support as he tries to recapture the title he won here in 2013. Last year’s event was played a different course, so he’s kind of the defending champion here. Kind of. A bit. Give us a break: it’s tough picking this week. 

Andy Sullivan, £1.3m
We know, we know. Another Englishman. Don’t worry, we haven’t come over all Daily Mail, but we couldn’t not pick the Nuneaton-born 29-year-old for this event. His ace last year won him the coolest hole-in-one prize we’ve ever heard of: a trip to space. Who knows what he’ll get if he dunks one this year… Maybe a Marty McFly style trip to the future? Then he could come back and tell us who’s going to make up next week’s top-six at next week’s BMW Championship, which would save us all a lot of trouble. Get in the hole, Andy. Get in the hole.