The Made In Denmark is a great example of what is possible with a European Tour event. Although it is far from the biggest tournament on the tour, the organisers have done an excellent job in creating a positive atmosphere which helps to attract top quality players and thousands of fans.
That remains the case even though the shunting about of the golfing calendar means it now immediately follows the PGA Championship. The top three in the betting for the Made In Denmark, Matt Wallace, Lucas Bjerredgaard and Thomas Pieters, each played all four rounds in New York and they add some real quality to this week’s field. Thomas Detry did not compete at Bethpage but his time will come in major championships and he can prove just how good he is by winning the Made In Denmark at 33/1 with Betfred.
Top Tips
Thomas Detry @ 33/1
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Course Info
After one year at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club, the Made In Denmark makes a welcome return to Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort. Silkeborg did a perfectly good job of hosting the tournament but the set-up of the Backtee Course at Himmerland is perfect for this event.
The event organisers specifically don’t use the maximum length of the Backtee Course. It is usually set up to play 6,900 yards or less which gives shorter hitters a chance and allows for the sort of low scoring which has provided some thrilling drama down the stretch.
Himmerland is a links course which means that it gets significantly more difficult when the wind blows. That’s the case even though it is an inland course and the weather forecast suggests some gusty conditions will make things interesting this week.
| Course | Location | Length | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backtee Course at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort | Farso, Denmark | 6,881 Yards | €3,000,000 |
Recent Winners
Matt Wallace made the most of the move to Silkeborg Ry Golf Club last year. He was made to work incredibly hard for the win which came via a four man, all-English playoff which also included Lee Westwood, Steven Brown and Johnathan Thomson. 2015 saw more English success with David Horsey’s win at Himmerland and he proved his suitability to the course once again when he finished second to Julian Suri in 2017, even if the American prevailed by four strokes.
Wallace’s win last year was not enough to get him a place in the European Ryder Cup team but Thomas Pieters’ win in 2016 did exactly that. The Belgian hasn’t won since that week during which he showed he is far more than just a bomber with some excellent iron and wedge play.
| Year | Winner | Course | To Par | Winning Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Matt Wallace | Silkeborg Ry Golf Club | -19 | Playoff |
| 2017 | Julian Suri | Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort | -19 | 4 Strokes |
| 2016 | Thomas Pieters | Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort | -17 | 1 Stroke |
| 2015 | David Horsey | Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort | -13 | 2 Stokes |
| 2014 | Marc Warren | Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort | -9 | 2 Strokes |
Analysis: Don’t Overlook Power
There are some very short holes on the Backtee Course, at least by European Tour standards. The nature of the track means that top class wedge play will likely go a very long way to deciding who competes towards the top of the leaderboard on Sunday. However, it is a mistake to completely discount the importance of power. Scoring on the three par fives at Himmerland could prove crucial as one is a monster that plays 600 yards plus whilst the others generally play as the easiest holes on the course so those only making par will lose ground to the field.
Detry Can Follow in His Countryman’s Steps
Thomas Pieters used the 2016 Ryder Cup to announce himself to the wider golfing world. His career has not taken off in quite the way he’d have hoped since his performances at Hazeltine National but he is still a real inspiration for fellow Belgian, Thomas Detry.
Pieters and Detry are close friends but fierce competitors. They’ll each head to Himmerland with hopes of winning following some encouraging recent signs but it’s Detry who looks the best betting value at 33/1 with Betfred.
Detry was not at the PGA Championship so will arrive in Denmark nicely rested. He also has positive memories of Himmerland having finished 14th on his debut two years ago. Detry has the right blend of power off the tee and quality wedge play to suggest he’ll give himself chances whilst he ranks 28th for strokes gained putting on the European Tour this season so he should be able to cope with Himmerland’s fast greens. All of this makes Detry a dangerous proposition.
Himmerland to Bring the Best Out of Paisley
Like many players on the European Tour, Chris Paisley has found it difficult to compete at a high level consistently. The Englishman has had some very good results over the last couple of years and claimed his first European Tour win at the 2018 South African Open but reaching that elusive next level has proven predictably tough. That’s not because Paisley lacks quality, far from it, rather it is a reflection of just how competitive the European Tour is.
The return to Himmerland could be exactly what Paisley is looking for. He’s enjoyed all three trips to the venue and finished third in his most recent outing here in 2017. It’s a course which plays to his ball striking prowess and, providing he gets a handle on the greens once again, Paisley could well contend for at least a place at 100/1 with Coral.
Final Verdict: Thomas Detry to Win
Thomas Detry and his many fans may well think that it is time for the Belgian to show just what he is made of on the European Tour. The 26-year-old has long since convinced golf fans that he has a bright future in the game but it’s time for that promise to be realised. Clearly, that is much easier said than done given the quality he’s competing against week after week but Detry certainly has what it takes to land the Made In Denmark, a win which would delight those who get on at 33/1 with Betfred.