For many, the Oki Pro-Am represents the last chance saloon in terms of keeping precious tour cards. So, when the event gets under way at La Moraleja I and II in Madrid on Thursday, there will be a tournament within a tournament for a lot of players.
Given that many of the "big guns" - and many of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team - are waiting until next week's Volvo Masters to revisit Spain, the tournament has still managed to attract a good field. Indeed, two of Europe's heroes have been installed as favourites: Thomas Bjorn, still without a win this season, is 9 to 1 favourite with Costantino Rocca priced at 12 to 1.
Padraig Harrington is decently enough priced at 20 to 1 and Angel Cabrera, who holds the course record of 62 at La Moraleja I, is also nicely priced at 33 to 1. However, another player on the 33 to 1 is Ignacio Garrido and he could represent the best value of all. Garrido is born and bred in Madrid and knows these courses like the back of his hand. He could be the man!
9-1 - Thomas Bjorn (Den).
12-1 - Costantino Rocca (It).
16-1 - Patrick Sjoland (Swe), D Gilford (Eng).
20-1 - Eduardo Romero (Arg), Padraig Harrington (Ire).
25-1 - Mark James (Eng), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Raymond Russell (Scot).
33-1 - Stephen Ames (T&T), Robert Karlsson (Swe), Greg Turner (NZ), Ignacio Garrido (Sp), Jose Coceres (Arg), Angel Cabrera (Arg).
40-1 - Wayne Westner (SA), Paul McGinley (Ire), Paul Broadhurst (Eng), Miguel-Angel Jimenez (Sp), Andrew Coltart (Scot). Prices supplied courtesy of Ladbrokes.
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