Open de Espana 2024 Preview, Picks & Analysis

As expected, Jon Rahm is in the field for the Open de Espana. Whether or not he should be is a matter for debate.

The Spaniard has taken advantage of a loophole that allows him to play on the DP World Tour simply by appealing against the fines and suspension imposed upon him for joining LIV Golf.

There will be many who feel this leaves a bitter taste. Rahm needs to play three tournaments before the end of the season to retain his membership of the DP World Tour - something he must do if he wants to play in the Ryder Cup next year.

He will also be playing in the Dunhill Links and Andalucia Masters. Decent performances in these events will guarantee his place in the season-ending play-offs, meaning he will comfortably retain his tour membership.

He is certain to start this week as favourite and that should surprise nobody. He did not once finish outside the top 10 in any LIV event in 2024, won twice and topped their money list. Oh, and this is a tournament he has already won three times! It is fair to say that Rahm enjoys playing on home soil and the support he gets from the Spanish galleries.

Mind you, he will be lining up against a pretty strong field, to put it mildly.

Twelve months ago, Matthieu Pavon emerged triumphant, and it turned out to be a life-changing victory. It helped him to secure one of the PGA Tour cards on offer for 2024 and boy has he taken advantage of that opportunity. 

Pavon turned professional in 2013 and won his first titles on the Alps Tour in 2014 and 2015. He took part in Qualifying School Final Stage and earned a European Challenge Tour card for 2016. He finished sixth on the 2016 Challenge Tour Rankings, finishing runner-up three times, to earn a place on the DP World Tour the following year and kept his place, earning his maiden win on his 185th start at the Open de Espana. He would later card four consecutive birdies to secure a T5 finish at the 2023 DP World Tour Championship, a result which saw him end the season 15th on the Race to Dubai, good enough to secure dual membership for the 2024 PGA Tour season.

And he claimed a historic victory on just his third start at the Farmers Insurance Open, becoming the first Frenchman to register a victory on the PGA Tour.

The Frenchman arrived at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid last year with three runner-up finishes on both the European Challenge and DP World Tours but had never won a European Tour event. One of those runner-up finishes was at the same event 12 months earlier but he always looked like going one better after an opening 63 and followed up with rounds of 68-66-64 to get to 23 under and claim an ultimately convincing victory.

He later said: "My grandfather is up there. I think he will be very proud of me. A part of my heart is here in Spain for sure. My grandfather was from here. I really thought about him on the course today and it was really hard to keep the tears inside, now I can let them go a little bit.

"That was a long wait, seven years on the DP World Tour and I didn't have a win yet, hadn't won on the Challenge Tour before so that was a long wait but it really was worth it.

"We really stayed in the present moment and really focused: we tried to move on hole after hole, tried to hit fairways, tried to hit greens, make putts and managing my emotions the last two days was a very big accomplishment for me."

Pavon is now inside the top 30 in the world rankings and will already have an eye on next year’s Ryder Cup in America. Apart from his win at the Farmers, he also finished fifth at the US Open. Make no mistake, this man can play.

Rahm and Pavon will be joined at Club de Campo by, among others, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Victor Perez, a resurgent Matt Wallace, and a host of Spanish golfers looking to join the likes of Rahm, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Alvaro Quiros as winners of their national title.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by James Morrison, in 2016 by Andrew Johnston, in 2018, 2019 and 2022 by Jon Rahm, in 2020 by Rafa Cabrera Bello and last year by Matthieu Pavon. There was no tournament in 2017.

The Course:

Club de Campo Villa Madrid is a par 71 measuring 7,121 yards. Opened in 1956, it was designed by Javier de Arana. It is tree lined and puts a premium of accuracy from the tee.

Form Guide:

It goes without saying that Jon Rahm is the man to beat. He took a while to find his feet on the LIV circuit and has performed poorly in the majors in 2024 but he has recently found a rich vein of form and would love to become a four-time winner.

To Win:

Jon Rahm. Who else?

Each Way: 

Shane Lowry. Enjoying a steady year

Each Way: 

Tommy Fleetwood. Can never be ruled out

Five to Follow:

Jon Rahm. In great form

Shane Lowry. Wondrous short game

Tommy Fleetwood. Always there or thereabouts

Matthieu Pavon. On the crest of a wave

Tyrrell Hatton. Hard to ignore

Five Outsiders to Watch:

Alejandro Del Rey, Decent home hope

Rafa Cabrera Bello. Can he emerge from the wilderness?

Andrew Johnston. Enjoying some good form

Eddie Pepperell. A real conundrum

Andy Sullivan. Can still turn it on