Norwegian Challenge

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Alexander Bjork  1.25 points each-way @ 80-1 (Bet365)

A busy week this week so prices may improve as the other books go up.

Congrats to Moritz Lampert, whom follows Kris Broberg and Brooks Koepka on to the European Tour midway through the Challenge season. Notice was there at the Scottish Hydro that he had the attacking game to take that third victory, and he left Euro-bound Andrew Johnston behind down the stretch. It will interesting to see how the German progresses as he has always been well-thought-of and follows some to-notch names into the big time. Will he be more like the swashbuckling Siem or the Langer-like, unflappable Kaymer? We'll soon see.

With both Lampert and Johnston absent this week, the field is as open as any so far this year. Given the recent weekend collapses of Ritthammer and Hebert, I am in no rush to back of these at shortish prices and even Matt Fitzpatrick gets the Spanish Archer at around 20-1, though at some point that may a regrettable decision. This has been a good event for me having backed the 4th in 2012 and winner Fahrbring last year and I hope this kick-starts an appalling year!

A new course for the Tour in Miklagard, described as the best in Scandinavia, awaits a mixed field and that would usually cause a small headache but there are huge clues in recent winners Broberg and especially Fahrbring and that's the logic behind this week's wager.

Naturally both previous recent winners were decent on the Ecco/Nordic tours and whilst Broberg was probably a class above, 23 year-old Alexander Bjork has a similar profile to last years victor, and of course won X-Factor a few years ago.

Bjork has plenty of winning and placed form on the lesser Scandinavian Tours but has also won and been 4th at one of the stages of the Euro Tour qualifying at Wychwood Park and Valle Romano, proving he can compete and certainly in a similar grade. His runner-up in the Finnish Open on the Ecco Tour reads nicely and I am always encouraged by an improver that is showing form and returning to his home area. It may be crucial that he has form around here with a 5th in the Nordea Open in 2012 finishing level with Fahrbring and behind winner Broberg and, like Fahrbring, he is now starting to show some decent form at this level with a top-30 in Belgium and top-20 in Slovakia now trumped with an excellent 5th last week in Azerbaijan. Always prominent in that event and in the final group on Sunday, two early bogeys and a double on the par-5 10th was probably due to inexperience. He is young enough to learn a lot from that and can compete in this weak field - as an omen, he is also the same price as last years winner. Recent rounds are consistently in the 60s and even when he has a few nightmare holes he seems talented enough to get enough birdies to recover.

It is hoped that a Sunday charge from the youngster will mean the Jumbo household is not oh so quiet. (you sure?)