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Brandon Stone - 1.25 point each-way @ 33-1 (Skybet) Ross Kellett - 0.50 points each-way @ 66-1 (Skybet)
A shame that the National GC used at the inaugural Turkish Challenge is replaced by the Gloria GC but if the course is as tight and difficult as last year then it should be a proper test of golf and a far cry from the birdie-fests that have been dominant on the Tour so far this season. Given the lack of knowledge about the course (well, okay Nick Job won a Euro Senior event in 2007) we can still surmise that it will take a fair bit of guile to plot a way round and I'd much rather be going with players with strong recent form over anything else. In that case, it is hard to see a complete 'rag' winning and while stakes are kept low this week, the two selections hold very strong claims. For once, it is not hard to agree with the top of the market. The future star Ricardo Gouveia disputes favouritism with experienced Sam Walker and the two must go close - Gouveia is ready to add to his maiden win and has been ever-present in his two starts this year, whilst Walker will like any wind that arrives and comes here on the back of two top-5 finishes. However, I couldn't take 25-1 the Portuguese player last week and am not going to take half that price this week despite the feeling that the tougher course will hinder the less talented players. The same can be said of Walker, Madrid winner Elvira and perennial bridesmaid JB Hansen, all at 28-1 or less. The next handful also have terrific claims with Englishman Chris Hanson looking to kick-on from a strong finish in Spain and very upbeat after changing aspects of his game throughout the Winter and with memories of a top-10 at Balek last season, whilst Adrien Saddier was above Elvira in my 'rookies to follow in 2014' but having missed the Spaniard at 100-1, I'm not going to take 33-1 his 'mate'. I do feel that South African Brandon Stone may be finally be starting to establish himself on Tour and if his amateur record is anything to go by, he will be leaving this level behind pretty soon. Top amateur at home, Stone ran up numerous awards at college in the States and came here with a huge reputation. Having shown up well at five of the opening co-sanctioned events of 2013/14, he has disappointed slightly but has bounced back to form at this level, running-up in Kenya before a top-15 in Madrid. Stone led into the final day in Kenya and will have been more disappointed with that second-half double-bogey than eventually losing to a Porteous eagle in the play-off, but these are all signs of a player ready to strike. Looking back over the years, the rumours from South Africa tend to be correct - Els/Goosen, Schwartzel/Oosthuizen, Grace/Coetzee and now Stone? It is tough to be too hard on a 22-year-old - not everyone can be McIlroy or Spieth - but he expected to be world class and with limitless potential I had him far closer to the likes of the clear market leaders and he justifies a bet at 33-1. That he is now working with top-grade performance coach Dave Alred is simply another boost to his future. Many players were worth a look this week but eventually another progressive young player got the vote. Ross Kellett is another to have had a decent amateur career but turned down the chance to play in the 2012 Scottish Open to progress his game on the third-tier Alps Tour on which he won his first professional event in July. Behind him were now-Challenge Tour rival Niccolo Quintarelli (another well worth following) and Jason Palmer (2014 Alps champion, winner Foshan Open 2014 and now on the main Tour) but having finished only 156th in his first season at this level, he took a step down last season on to the EuroPro Tour where he made 14/16 cuts with nine top-10s. That seems to have done the trick and encouraged by sponsorship from a private Scottish Golf enterprise and the camaraderie of the Paul Lawrie Foundation, his progression is eye-catching. A finishing position of 19th in Kenya disguises a top-10 position into Sunday, whilst he was always prominent in Madrid, racking up his first top-10 in this grade. Having opened up 2015 with three warm-up events on the Gecko Tour (runner-up first time out) he looks ripe to progress again and the patient approach to his career may well pay off soon. |
