Andrew's Scottish Challenge (HPT) Preview

As I’m away this week I’m not able to comment on the Estonian Challenge – it is happening while I’m away – so this is written in advance and I’ll pick up any interesting nuggets next week. Let’s look into the Scottish Challenge.

The Tournament

This is the fifth iteration of the Scottish Challenge and the second time it has been hosted at Schloss Roxburghe. I covered it last year when I noted that I once attended a conference here and ran through the golf course.  I went on to say that:

Having walked the course, I’d say that it is flattish, slightly undulating and sloping slightly towards the river, but fundamentally it is in the bottom of a meandering river valley. This is beautiful inland borders Scotland; one of my favourite places on earth but not the Scotland you think of either from the pictures of the highlands or from the golf you’ve seen in Fife or Ayrshire.

Who will it suit? Well, it is long enough to challenge some of the shorter hitters on the tour, and the par fives will doubtless be critical. My memory of it is that there aren’t too many trees around the course (although the area is heavily wooded) and it is fairly exposed. The photos on the websites and looking on google maps leads me to think that bunkers and tight fairways are the primary defense. Greens aren’t huge. My assumption is that this will be a reasonably low-scoring affair with a focus on effective tee-to-green games. Local knowledge and home comforts will, as ever on this tour, be essential

It was duly won by an experienced Scot, though not one I backed: Daniel Young took the title with an aggregate 265 (-19,) holding off Julien Quesne and Euan Walker despite an ordinary final round. We’re a long way out, so do keep an eye on the weather forecast, but the long-range predictions are for coolish, dry and fairly windy conditions, not dissimilar to last year, so I’d expect a similar sort of score. Once again, I’m favouring Scots (as well as other Celts and Brits) and accurate, experienced types.  I’m looking at performance here last year, as well as at similar courses such as those in the Italian Challenge, Raffeisenbank and German Challenge.

The Selections

I’ll add selections once I’ve seen markets on the basis of the criteria above. To give a sense of the way I'm viewing the event, here are a few who I’ll be particularly looking at in advance of the prices (and the results from Estonia) are:

Chris Wood – winner in Italy, returned to form with 15^th in Germany, canny and experienced, suited by this sort of classic test.

Jacopo Vecchi Fossa – slowly starting to show the form I expected of him this season with a few good recent returns, and another who’ll enjoy this sort of test.

Eddie Pepperell – needs no introduction and went well here last year (18^th,) been playing nicely enough on the DPWT including a strong showing in the Italian Open. Must be a dubious attendee but if he’s here I’d be enthusiastic.

Calum Fyfe – I’ve talked about him plenty recently and this is his home event. The worse the weather, the happier he’ll be.

Marc Warren – Very much a veteran but this is his sort of event and he’s back home. Second in Switzerland this year and looked solid in Germany as he’s returned to form midseason.  21^st last year.

Plus the usual big names, of whom Hamish Brown will enjoy conditions, whilst Pablo Ereno et al are often good enough regardless of conditions, and there’s nothing unusual about this course, especially if the weather is clear.

The Betting Card

• Eddie Pepperell (22/1, win only - Bet365)

• Callum Fyfe (55/1, e/w - Bet365)

• Marc Warren (45/1, e/w - Bet365)