Who will win as GolfSixes moves to Portugal?
You’ll find my GolfSixes betting tips below, but first…
The details
Date: June 7-8, 2019
Course stats: Par 71, 6,525 yards
Course summary: Oitavos Dunes is one of Europe’s best destinations, and as the name suggests there are large sand dunes featuring throughout. The fairways are generally wide and flat so expect players to look to leave themselves in good position for their approaches.
Purse: €1 million
Defending champion: Ireland – Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan (beat France 2-0 in the final)
TV coverage
GolfSixes will be covered by Sky Sports as usual, but it will also be available via BBC Sport’s digital platforms, including the website, app, iPlayer and behind the red button on TV.
Sky Sports
Friday: Sky Sports Golf, 11.00am
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf, 11.30am
BBC digital platforms
Friday: 11.00am
Saturday: 11.30am
The format
This is an interesting event with a field of just 16 teams split into groups of four, which makes the betting market pretty compact.
The teams are made up of two players from the same nation and within their group of four they will compete to finish in one of the top two spots in order to progress to the quarter-finals.
Saturday will see the quarters, semis and final take place as well as a 3rd-place play-off.
The matches are played over six holes and in a greensomes format. This means that players will select their team’s best tee shot and this will be the ball they play. From that point the hole will be completed by playing alternate shots.
GolfSixes betting tips: Joe’s teams to follow
The two women’s teams sit at the bottom of the market which, which is a surprise given how well Meghan MacLaren and Esther Henseleit have been playing this year – especially with former showing she can mix it with the men in Jordan.
I’ll be putting my money elsewhere this week, though.
Due to the unique nature of this event, it’s not all about recent form, althought that will being confidence. I’ll be taking a punt on France (14/1) which will be represented by Victor Perez and Romain Wattel, the latter of whom reached the final of this event last year alongside Mike Lorenzo-Vera.
Wattel’s experience could prove to be a big positive and his team-mate has been drafted in this week to replace Matthieu Pavon, who qualified for the US Open at Walton Heath on Monday.
Perez has a lot of potential and while it hasn’t quite come together for him yet this season, this format could bring out his best.
The European setup could suit the pair and in a group alongside Australia, Wales and Germany Women, I think they have a very realistic chance of progressing to the knockouts and are a little overpriced.
For those who like a pick towards the head of the market, Ireland (7/1) seem like a wise choice.
Last year’s champions have no reason to believe they can’t repeat their success, despite the change of venue.
Coming into the week, the team of Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan are just one of five teams in the field with both players having made the cut in their last event.
For these reasons, and the fact that they are dawn into a group with Sweden, Thailand and England Women, Ireland have every right to be confident and look to be a strong bet.
Let’s see a repeat of last year’s final.
For the latest prices, visit bet365.
Joe Hughes
Tour editor covering men's golf, women's golf and anything else that involves the word golf, really. The talk is far better than the game, but the work has begun to change that.
