Back to win: Sergio Garcia

Jon Rahm won this event last year and is a formidable favourite, but he looks too short at .

Rahm missed the cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links last week and no one has defended the Open de España since 1953, so it’s worth looking elsewhere.

Garcia is a better bet, having won the KLM Open in his last start three weeks ago and finished seventh at the Andalucia Masters when in terrible form back in June.

The 39-year-old last won this event back in 2002, although he has only played in it five times since then. He also finished third the last time he participated in 2016.

Garcia has a fantastic record in Spain, having also won the Andalucia Masters three times, Castello Masters twice and Mallorca Classic once, so he’s always worth backing when he plays in his home country.

Each-way shout: Pablo Larrazabal

Larrazabal has missed the cut in his last two starts, but that isn’t a major concern this week as so many players in the field are in poor form.

Only four players in Madrid this week made the cut in both the BMW PGA Championship and Alfred Dunhill Links, so Larrazabal’s poor results in those events can probably be overlooked.

The Spaniard finished T7 at the European Open last month, and it would be no surprise if he is back near the top of the leaderboard at his home Open.

He finished T3 at the Open de España back in 2011 and T2 a year later. He was also third when this course hosted the Madrid Masters back in 2008.

Outside shot: Alvaro Quiros

Quiros is another Spaniard who could cause a shock and win his home Open this week.

The 36-year-old hasn’t finished inside the top 50 at the Open de España since he won it in 2010, but a T2 at the Andalucia Masters in June suggests he can get into contention again here.

Quiros isn’t in sparkling form but he has made four successive cuts and has proven that he can play well at this venue.

He finished T4 at the Madrid Masters when it was played at Club de Campo in 2008.

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