Course Overview. Having spent 9 renewals at the Albatross course to the south-west of Prague, we move to pastures new this year and the PGA National OAKS course a few miles to the east.
The Albatross was a long par 72 that played almost 7,500 yards from its tips, and the OAKS course trumps that at 7,592 yards for the same par for this week’s event, although organisers do have scope to move tee boxes up if they see fit.
The Kyle Phillips design was partially opened in 2019 and completed in 2020, featuring a mix of loosely tree-lined holes alongside more exposed ones.
With Phillips courses tending to either be modern links or having linksy features, it’s no surprise to see extensive bunkering and long, wispy fescue providing the bulk of the challenge of this course, with large, multi-tier 007 Bentgrass putting surfaces also offering some resistance to the professionals.
Alongside Phillips’ most famous creation Kingsbarns which features each year at the Alfred Dunhill Links, we’ve also seen his designs at Bernardus Golf and Hilversumche over the years in the Netherlands, Dundonald Links (2017 Scottish Open), Verdura (2017 & 2018 Sicilian Open) and Yas Links (2023 Abu Dhabi Championship), so there are a few clues out there as to how this might play.
Tournament Stats. We’ve published some key player statistics for this week’s D+D Real Czech Masters that will help to shape a view on players who traditionally play well at this event.
As noted above, we’re moving to a new venue this year so previous event results should be considered accordingly: Current Form | Tournament Form | First Round Leader Stats | Combined Stats.
Predictor Model. Our published Predictor Model is available here. As always you can build your own model using the variables available.
Winners & Prices. 2023: Todd Clements, 400/1; 2022: Max Kieffer, 55/1; 2021: Johannes Veerman, 25/1; 2019: Thomas Pieters, 20/1; 2018: Andrea Pavan, 50/1; 2017: Haydn Porteous, 66/1; 2016: Paul Peterson, 250/1; 2015: Thomas Pieters, 80/1; 2014: Jamie Donaldson, 12/1.
Weather Forecast. The latest weather forecast for Prague is here.
Friday looks to be the final day of recent hot and settled weather in the Czech Republic with a breakdown in conditions likely from Friday night onwards. More substantial rain is possible on as temperatures dip from the high 80s to low 70s Fahrenheit. The wind will be generally light at sub-10 mph, however it could pick up around any storm systems.
Incoming Form. Jamie Donaldson arrived at the Albatross Golf Resort 10 years ago with 4-event form of MC/MC/37/24, albeit the final 3 events were Major/WGC/Major; Thomas Pieters was similarly non-descript with incoming form of MC/60/33/35 before winning here and then again on his next start in Holland a fortnight later.
250/1 shock winner Paul Peterson was playing on the Asian Tour predominantly alongside the occasional co-sanctioned event and although he’d recorded a 3rd place finish the previous month at the Queen’s Cup, his efforts when competing at this level were far from encouraging.
Of the other winners, the two victors in 2017 and 2018 had more tangible form: Haydn Porteous had finished 11th at Sun City on the Sunshine Tour and 6th in Denmark the week before, however with Total Driving ranks of 8th and 4th from those two outings, it was fairly clear that his long game was pretty sharp. Similarly Andrea Pavan had finished 14th in Scotland then 6th the week before in Sweden before securing his first European Tour title, pounding greens in regulation both times.
Thomas Pieters arrived here in 2019 with fairly mediocre form for a player who was best priced at 20/1. 20th at the Scottish Open on his penultimate start had been his best finish since March of that year, and 9th for SG Off the Tee and 15th for SG Tee to Green was a positive sign ahead of a return to a track he clearly enjoys.
2021 winner Johannes Veerman hadn’t played since The Open 5 weeks before, finishing in a tie for 46th, flashing a little bit of form with a 2nd round 68 in elite company. 3rd at the Irish Open and 8th at the Scottish Open prior to that ensured that the bookies had his card marked though, eventually returning 25/1 to his backers.
2022 winner Max Kieffer had hinted at some form when finishing 7th at the Volvo Mixed a couple of months before, and although his finishes following that were fairly mid-division, 6th to halfway at the BMW International Open and 13th after 36 holes at a classy Scottish Open renewal offered some encouragement.
Finally, last year’s winner Todd Clements had the incoming form befitting of a 400/1 shot with no top-20s to his name in the season to that point. 68 to open on his last start was the vaguest of hints that he was finding some form, although a tie for 46th and missing out on the final day at Galgorm Castle still meant that the Englishman was hard to find:
- 2023: Todd Clements: MC/MC/MC/26/33/21/MC/MC/MC/62/MC/46
- 2022: Max Kieffer: MC/9/47/MC/40/14/MC/7/26/30/30/57
- 2021: Johannes Veerman: MC/45/70/MC/58/MC/MC/3/8/46
- 2019: Thomas Pieters: MC/41/23/23/33/MC/MC/MC/20/67
- 2018: Andrea Pavan: 9/MC/52/MC/23/56/56/MC/14/6
- 2017: Haydn Porteous: MC/MC/38/MC/32/36/MC/11/17/6
- 2016: Paul Peterson: 25/48/35/73/50/MC/59/3/22/MC
- 2015: Thomas Pieters: 18/33/MC/MC/24/39/WD/60/33/35
- 2014: Jamie Donaldson: MC/38/30/MC/5/5/MC/MC/37/24
Event Form. Thomas Pieters broke a string of results where eventual winners had very little positive event form to speak of when he won at the Albatross for the second time in 2019. Johannes Veerman restored the trend in 2021 though, Max Kieffer’s event form coming into the 2022 renewal wasn’t exactly leaping off the page either, and last year’s winner Todd Clements was making his Czech Masters debut:
- 2023: Todd Clements: Debut
- 2022: Max Kieffer: 68/29
- 2021: Johannes Veerman: MC
- 2019: Thomas Pieters: MC/1/2/66/9
- 2018: Andrea Pavan: 39/MC
- 2017: Haydn Porteous: 60/MC
- 2016: Paul Peterson: MC
- 2015: Thomas Pieters: MC
- 2014: Jamie Donaldson: Debut
Despite moving courses this year, the demands and dynamics of PGA National OAKS and the previously used Albatross courses may not be massively different. Both are long courses, reduced a little by the slight altitude, that should set up well for the more aggressive types, however fast-running fairways and slick, undulating greens could encourage those who have performed well on some of the more linksy Kyle Phillips creations over the years.
My selections are as follows: