Saudi International Tip: Sam Horsfield

The European Tour was widely criticised for its decision to visit Saudi Arabia but it’s not put them off returning with a host of golfers in their tow. Betting websites are probably the last place you visit for moralities so i’ll just leave it there.

Sam Horsfield missed the cut in Dubai last week but conditions might not have suited with the rough much lusher than previous years. Regardless he was destined to make the cut until a back-9 of 41 shots on Friday. It’s a small aberration and the first cut the Englishman has missed since the Scottish Open last year, a run of 14 tournaments.

Twelve months ago, Horsfield finished a highly respectable T34 fuelled by excellence off the tee, where he ranked 15th in strokes gained. His prodigious distance is an asset and although we have a limited sample size, the higher echelons of the leaderboard were crammed full of big hitters.

Putting is the weakness in Horsfield’s game but there have been signs of improvement and he ranked 18th for strokes gained in Abu Dhabi. This week he will be putting on paspalum greens and although there is scant evidence to suggest he enjoys them, he putted ok on them last year.

I believe this is the season where Horsfield makes a name for himself and he is playing well enough to make an early impression. Take the 125/1 with Skybet paying 7 places at 1/5 odds.