In 2023 the EuroDov Cup will return to the continent as the Tour heads back to Portugal. Like 2019 the EuroDov Cup will be held in the coastal town of Cascais, Portugal, just 30 minutes from Lisbon.

In its 5th year the EuroDov Cup will once again be played for over 54 holes, however for the first time ever it will feature 3 different courses.

The field will take on Estoril Golf Club, Penha Longa and Quinta da Marinha. Keen observers of the Tour will note the final course, Quinta da Marinha, as the host venue of the 2019 EuroDov Cup. That iteration of the event was won by Greig Baxter, winning by an impressive 5 shots over the field and claiming his first Major on the EuroDov Tour.

In 2023 an 8-man field will battle it out as the Cup returns to its traditional spot of season opener and first Major of the calendar year. Collectively they hold 10 Majors, 14 OoM event wins and 11 other Tour wins, with only 1 player without a Tour win to his name.

Let’s took a look at the field and their chances of taking the trophy home in 2023.

David McColgan
Odds: 4/1
Notes: McColgan has won 3 EuroDov Cups, and another 6 Majors along the way. His entire Tour wins stand at 20.

McColgan’s consistency over the course of a multi-round tournament makes him a favorite for this event, his ability to continually post good scores puts pressure on the field to avoid big numbers.

However, watch out for McColgan’s struggles in Portugal. He failed to defend the EuroDov Cup here in 2019 and he traditionally excels in the later rounds when he has got the measure of the course. In 2023 he’ll be playing a new course each round and that could be a factor in performance.

Kevin Brannan
Odds: 5/1
Notes: Brannan was millimeters away from lifting the EuroDov Cup in 2022, losing out on his first Major by 1 stroke. He also went toe-to-toe with McColgan in the season ending Tournament of Champions losing by a point on the last hole.

Brannan’s sublime 3-under par score in the 36-hole Tour Championships however was his coming out party on Tour. The command of his game in the final round and down the stretch was reminiscent of a player who had won multiple events not one in search of his first.

With the monkey off his back, he certainly seems to be playing with more belief and confidence and that could catapult him to the top come March.

Stuart Allan
Odds: 5/1
Notes: Allan had a quite 2022 where he won no events. However, this fact masks a remarkably positive year for the powerful player. He finished second in the season long Order of Merit, consistently featuring in the top half of the scoreboard.

His final event of the season, the RyDov Cup, saw him qualify for the 2023 Invitational Tournament by finishing in the Top 8 in the Montgomery Cup.

Allan is a player who stock is definitely rising on Tour and 2023 is poised to be a great year. He’s a player that plays the course in front of him and that attitude might just serve him well over the 3 courses, 54-hole format in March.

Stephen Green
Odds: 6/1
Notes: Green was tied with the lead after 53 holes at The Mere in 2022 and he gave it a good go to win his first major.

He’s a player often written off base don handicap, but as a consistent player he knows his limits and uses his handicap well through the round. High scores are limited, and he move through a round without much attention, but ignore him at your peril.

Green has 1 Tour win to his name, and he’ll be right up for adding to that in 2023.

Graeme Connor
Odds: 6/1
Notes: Connor hasn’t got the solo win under his belt quite as early as he’d like in his Tour career. But he cannot be ruled out in Portugal. He’s a resourceful player who is steady around the course.

In 2021 and 2022 he missed out on a Major by 1 stroke – both in the Montgomery Cup – so don’t be surprised if he gets over the line for the win in March.

Connor is no stranger to winning on Tour lifting the Anstruther Plate and Medal in back-to-back years. He knows what it takes, and he has the game, a lethal combination.

Greig Baxter
Odds: 6/1
Notes: Many will comment on Baxter’s position and see it as an unfair placement, after all in 2019 Cascais was the scene of his first, and only, Major win.

Greig’s got the game to beat the field, he’s proven that twice in his time on the Tour and he might just be leaving a little space in his suitcase to bring the trophy home come close of play.

Denis Duncan
Odds: 8/1
Notes: Denis struggled in 2022, battling his game week after week. He never came close to 5 runner-up and 1 win season he had in 2021 – but it was feat that would always be hard to replicate.

If Denis, can shake of 2022, come back in 2023 and get some work in on his game he’ll fancy his chances. He struggles often over the 54-hole format but, with the sun on his face he might just enjoy it that little bit more.

Stevie Orr
Odds: 8/1
Notes: This has all the hallmarks of a bum move. Orr is at this end of the prediction, solely based on limited data. He reached the final of the Anstruther Medal in 2022, finished runner-up in the Bruce Shield and qualified for the Invitational Tournament. However, we are yet to see what he does in solo play over 54 holes.

A solid ball striker, who enjoys his golf, he’ll be relaxed, with little to no expectations on him, but don’t be surprised to read EuroDov Reporter ended up with egg on his face in Portugal.

Well, that’s the run through of the field and where the stand. It set to be an amazing few days back on the continent the first time the Tour has travelled abroad since 2019.

The team at EuroDov Reporter and From the Locker Room will be there to bring you all the action.