Steve Palmer's Catalunya Championship predictions, best bets, free golf tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Catalunya Championship at PGA Catalunya on the DP World Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 1pm on Thursday

Best bets

Victor Perez
2pts each-way 45-1 bet365
Adrian Otaegui
2pts each-way 25-1 bet365
Tom Lewis
1pt each-way 70-1 Betfred
Mikko Korhonen
1pt each-way 55-1 BoyleSports
Adrien Saddier
0.5pt each-way 200-1 bet365

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Preview

Pablo Larrazabal will be a popular choice for the Catalunya Championship after his ISPS Handa heroics on Sunday, but the emotional Spaniard has a poor record in the wake of victories so may be best avoided. Larrazabal's form figures in his first start after wins are MC-MC-MC-62-MC-MC, and he missed the cut in the last Spanish Open at this week's venue.

Bernd Wiesberger is again jostling for favouritism despite another flat, humdrum performance last week, while punters will be wary of backing Rasmus Hojgaard at a similar price after a weekend capitulation in the ISPS Handa. Richard Bland, well suited to PGA Catalunya and the highest-ranked player in this field, is a more attractive option.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Victor Perez 45-1

The ISPS Handa was an important event for kickstarting the career of Victor Perez, who was ranked 30th in the world just 13 months ago, having finished fourth in the WGC-Match Play. He struggled badly after that WGC semi-final appearance, regularly missing cuts and losing his caddie JP Fitzgerald. The Irishman decided he could not be bothered with touring the States any longer, so Perez had to recruit a replacement bagman. He opted for an old college teammate - and the young guns finally appear to have developed an effective combination.

Perez is 135th in the world but he has missed only one cut in his last nine starts, and last week he finally got his name back on a leaderboard. The Frenchman improved as the week wore on, with scores of 70, 68, 68, 66, carding nothing worse than a bogey on his way to eighth place.

Perez was seventh in the driving accuracy statistics. Iron-play has always been a strength, so this week's tricky long-game assignment seems ideal. Perez won in Spain on the Alps Tour in 2016, then again in Spain on the Challenge Tour in 2017. The 2019 Dunhill Links champion can stabilise his career with a second DP World Tour triumph on Sunday.

Next best bet

Adrian Otaegui 25-1

There was no disgrace in second place for Adrian Otaegui in Tarragona on Sunday. He went down fighting, setting up an eagle putt at the final hole, ending up one shot shy of Larrazabal. Scores of 66, 66, 68, 66 showed Otaegui is at ease with his game. He was 11th for driving accuracy and third for strokes-gained on approach - attributes which should stand him in great stead at PGA Catalunya.

Otaegui first played this week's venue as a ten-year-old - he was born a few hours' drive up the road. Local knowledge helped him finish fifth in the 2014 European Tour Q School at PGA Catalunya, then second in the 2015 edition there.

The three-time DP World Tour champion is course-proven and in superb nick. He was third in the Ras al Khaimah Championship in February, fifth in the Qatar Masters in March, then runner-up on Sunday. It is worth noting that after finishing second in the 2018 China Open, losing by a shot, he won next time out in the Belgian Knockout.

Other selections

Tom Lewis 70-1

Mikko Korhonen 55-1

Adrien Saddier 200-1

Another superb iron-player who can flourish at PGA Catalunya is Tom Lewis, who was galvanised by a return to his home circuit last week. The Hertfordshire lad has been struggling on the Korn Ferry Tour this year, but getting back among some old friends in Tarragona perked him up. The two-time DP World Tour champion closed with a 65 for tenth place, making 11 weekend birdies.

Lewis was 15th in the 2014 Spanish Open at PGA Catalunya, then 15th again in the 2016 Q School there. Both his Tour wins came across the border in Portugal.

Two-time Tour champ Mikko Korhonen can boast Q School form figures of 3-13-23-1 at PGA Catalunya, and he finished 15th in the 2014 Spanish Open there. Given some bright recent efforts - tenth spot in the Steyn City Championship and 15th in the ISPS Handa - the 41-year-old Finn warrants each-way support.

Adrien Saddier, 15th in the ISPS Handa on Sunday, has been getting his act together on and off the course. As a Q School regular, he knows PGA Catalunya well, and he finished sixth there in 2013. His only Challenge Tour victory came in Spain and his form over the last eight months - in limited starts - has been solid.

Players to note

Marcus Armitage
The accurate iron-play of the Salford lad makes him a Catalunya dangerman, but he has a month of rust to get from his system having not played since the Qatar Masters.

Romain Langasque
A second-round 65 in Tarragona last week showed what the frustrating Frenchman is capable of, but a Thursday 77 had done too much damage. He could take a shine to PGA Catalunya.

PGA Catalunya course guide

Course Stadium Course, PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness, Girona, Spain
Prize money $2m ($333,400 to the winner)
Length 7,353 yards
Par 72 - four par-fives; ten par-fours; four par-threes
Field 156 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Richard Bland (48), Pablo Larrazabal (68), Bernd Wiesberger (80), Nicolai Hojgaard (83), Adri Arnaus (84)

Course records- 72 holes 270 Thomas Levet (2009) 18 holes 63 Soren Hansen (2009)

Course winners taking part Mikko Korhonen (2014 Q School)

When to bet By 6.40am on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 1pm on Thursday

Time difference Spain is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland

Last week - ISPS Handa Championship in Spain 1 P Larrazabal (28-1), 2 A Otaegui (35-1), T3 A Cockerill (125-1), H Du Plessis (66-1), A Rozner (66-1), 6 H Li (66-1), 7 A Wilson (500-1)

Course type Parkland

Course overview The Stadium Course (formerly called Green Course) at PGA Catalunya has had a €1m upgrade in the build-up to this event - the owners explaining that the track has been modelled on Augusta National and Sawgrass. These are lavish aspirations, but many greens are well protected by water, which can draw comparison to Sawgrass. And a new drainage system has been installed in a bid to ensure firm and fast conditions. Punters have some old course form to go on - the Spanish Opens of 2000, 2009 and 2014, and the European Tour Qualifying School Finals from 2008 to 2016 - but renovations have taken place since then. The winning score from the last Spanish Open at the Stadium Course was just four under par

Weather forecast Sunny intervals, with temperatures around 20C, and gentle breezes throughout

Type of player suited to the challenge With four large lakes creating plenty of water trouble - and some semi-island greens - quality approach-play seems essential at this venue. Tidy players like Simon Khan, Simon Wakefield, John Parry and Mikko Korhonen won Q School at this track, while the Spanish Opens were won by the short but accurate trio of Brian Davis, Thomas Levet and Miguel Angel Jimenez

Key attribute Accuracy

Spotlight insight Five of the last eight Qualifying School Finals staged at PGA Catalunya were won by an Englishman

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