Volvo Scandinavian Mixed Tips 2023

Alex Noren returns home this week to support the Scandinavian Mixed, as he did last year when finishing 15^th, however the bookies are struggling to split the home favourite from the in-form Alexander Bjork and defending champion Linn Grant.

So emphatic was her victory in this event last year, Grant’s marginal favouritism for this week at the time of writing is neither a surprise nor unexpected – in fact, if anything I suspect there should be clear daylight between her and the rest of the field at the top of the market.

The 23 year-old’s incoming form last year was clear for all to see: 2 wins and 2 runner-up finishes in her previous 7 starts meant that she was positioned high on the betting boards 12 months ago, which was ultimately enough to put me off; a nine-stroke victory though, which she converted with consummate ease, tells me not to make the same mistake again and I’m happy to support a successful defence here this week.

Undoubtedly the media commitments will be greater for Linn this week: alongside Alex Noren she’s the headline act, however with 10 professional wins in her short career to date, she’s getting used to the attention and quite rightly so.

Since her win at Halmstad GC last year, the Swede has gone on to win two further LET titles, most recently at the Jabra Ladies Open a little under a month ago. The odd excursion onto the LPGA has shown promise too, with 8^th at the BMW Ladies Championship last October, 14^th at the HSBC Women’s Championship in March, and most recently 3^rd on her last start at the Bank of Hope Matchplay the week before last.

Accurate enough for her length off the tee means that Linn often ranks in the upper echelons of the Total Driving statistic, a facet of the game which will open up scoring opportunities for her this week whilst also helping her keep out of the worst of the trouble – a combination which could prove to be potent as she looks to prove that last year’s victory wasn’t a flash in the pan at this level. RESULT: T41

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Some indifferent form of late has seen talented Thai Jazz Janewattananond drift down the betting market at quite a pace; however I think that this Ullna setup will suit him perfectly.

As recently as March into April we saw the 27 year-old record successive finishes of 6^th, 6^th, 4^th and then 9^th at Asian Tour and then finally DP World Tour level, and although much of his best work has been achieved outside of Europe – 7 Asian Tour wins is testament to that – he does have enough previous in and around the mainland to encourage support.

6^th on Swedish soil at the Nordea Masters behind Paul Waring back in 2018, Jazz finished 3^rd to John Catlin at the Galgorm Castle-hosted Irish Open back in 2020 which is another track that demands strategy over brute force, and his accurate game should suit this week’s test nicely, sitting as he does at 16^th for Driving Accuracy for the 2023 season to date.

20^th in this event last year is a solid foundation for this week’s format and if we can overlook last week’s missed cut on a lengthy course that punished many players, then his effort the week before in Holland where he finished 21^st, ranking 3^rd for Driving Accuracy and 2^nd for GIR into the bargain, suggests that his game hasn’t dropped as far off a cliff as his price might suggest. RESULT: T27

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If accuracy is going to be key this week, then siding with the player who tops the LET driving accuracy stat for the season to date seems like a sensible plan.

Averaging just shy of 90% of fairways hit for 2023 thus far, Lily May Humphreys has the discipline to stay patient when her more aggressive peers take chances which may prove to be unnecessarily risky around this water-laden track. “Today was simple golf, I stuck to the same game plan,” she said after winning her maiden LET title in Johannesburg in March, “I wasn’t as aggressive as other people on a few holes, it was what I felt comfortable with and what I felt was best for me and it obviously paid off for me this week. I stuck to my game plan and tried to play my best golf.”

So a strategic mindset and a win to her name already tucked away – the same Joburg Ladies Open title and venue that Linn Grant triumphed at prior to her win in this event 12 months ago – the 21 year-old would seem to be a good fit for this week’s task and she arrives here in progressive form once again.

24^th, 12^th and 6^th over her last three starts has seen a typically metronomic series of figures from her long game, topping the field for Driving Accuracy and ranking 3^rd for GIR last week as she recorded a big personal best on Swedish soil.

The Chelmsford star has a whole host of junior titles to her name, including the Annika Invitational Europe which is another event supported by this week’s host, and I can see her in the mix here as she looks to follow that win up on the professional ranks. RESULT: MC

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Finally, I’ll take a chance on James Morrison who will be looking, as ever, to join the long list of players who’ve broken a lengthy victory drought in the recent past.

The Englishman is winless now since the 2015 Spanish Open where he held off the likes of Francesco Molinari and Miguel Angel Jimenez by 4 strokes, and a cursory glance at the Driving Distance stats gives us a good indication as to why. In a world where length off the tee trumps many other facets of the game most weeks, averaging just 284 yards from off the tee and languishing 158^th out of 163 players for 2023 just isn’t going to cut it most weeks.

When the 38 year-old has played well in the recent past though it’s of no surprise to find that the dimensions of the course were far more amenable which makes him a play this week. 4^th at the 2019 KLM Open, hosted at the sub-7,000 yard ‘The International’ is a case in point, as is 4^th at this event in 2021 at the 7,060 yard par 72 that hosted that year in Gothenburg. 4^th at Valderrama later that year is further evidence that he can handle a short track where accuracy is paramount, and most recently a 7^th place finish last month at the 6,940 yard Rinkven International, which hosted the Soudal Open, reinforces my point.

Of course the Chertsey man doesn’t automatically play well by default when the course appears to suit, however at a healthy 3-figure price I’m happy to take a chance that he takes a liking to this track on debut. Aside from the aforementioned 4^th place finish in this event 2 years ago, Morrison also finished 8^th at the Scandinavian Masters back in 2010 – topping Driving Accuracy on the way – and his precise game could see him sneak us an each way place come Sunday evening. RESULT: T59