Turkish Open 2026 Betting Tips: Molinari to roll back the years?

Bernd Wiesberger produced an inspired back-nine display in last week’s Volvo China Open to win the ninth DP World Tour title of his career, and his first in five years. He will again be in action this week as the tour closes out its Asian Swing with the Turkish Airlines Open at National Golf Club, Antalya.

Star golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with his usual long-read preview of the event. He's picked out six players he likes to follow, so check out Jamie's thoughts and his Turkish Open 2026 Betting Tips below...

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TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

Having first been held in 2013, the Turkish Airlines Open returned to the DP World Tour schedule from a six-year absence in 2025. Regnum Carya hosted the event for the fourth time, though it switches to a new host in 2026: National Golf Club.

Last five winners:

• 2025 (Regnum Carya)

Winner: Martin Couvra (-17)

Runners-up: Jorge Campillo, Haotong Li (-15)

• 2019 (Montgomerie Maxx)

Winner: Tyrrell Hatton (-20, playoff)

Runners-up: Benjamin Hebert, Kurt Kitayama, Victor Perez, Matthias Schwab, Erik Van Rooyen (-20)

• 2018 (Regnum Carya)

Winner: Justin Rose (-17, playoff)

Runner-up: Haotong Li (-17)

• 2017 (Regnum Carya)

Winner: Justin Rose (-18)

Runners-up: Nicolas Colsaerts, Dylan Frittelli (-17)

• 2016 (Regnum Carya)

Winner: Thorbjorn Olesen (-20)

Runners-up: David Horsey, Haotong Li (-17)

After leading through rounds one and two in 2025, Martin Couvra bounced back from a disappointing third round – that left him four off the pace – with a superb 64 on Sunday to win his first DPWT title. He returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

National Golf Club

• Original architect / Year opened: David Feherty & David Jones / 1994
• Previous tournaments: 2014 Turkish Airlines Challenge (HotelPlanner Tour)
• Par / Yardage: Par 72 / 7,287 yards
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (172-219 yards)
  • 10x par 4s (357-527 yards)
  • 4x par 5s (558-585 yards)
• Course style: A tight, strategic, and gently-rolling parkland course framed by towering pine and eucalyptus trees
• Fairways:
  • The narrow, doglegging fairways are smartly bunkered
  • Trees often encroach on the playing lines, meaning it's imperative to find the correct side
  • Several risk/reward opportunities off the tee may tempt longer hitters to be aggressive
• Greens:
  • Bermudagrass greens are small-to-average in size
  • Typically speedy, their subtle breaks can be difficult to read
• Defences:
  • There are 10 lakes dotted around the property, bringing water into play on eight holes
  • The tightness of the layout puts a premium on accuracy throughout

The most recent experience of National Golf Club in the men's game came in 2014 on the HotelPlanner Tour, and it provided an extremely stern test, as Oliver Farr ended the week as the only player under par on his way to winning the Turkish Airlines Challenge.

Over a decade has passed since then, and with the course hosting at this level for the very first time, there is a sense of uncertainty about what is in store for the players.

There is plenty to excite throughout the layout, from the island green on the 205-yard par-3 2^nd hole, to the sweeping right-to-left 560-yard par-5 12^th, where players must risk taking on the water hazard to give themselves a shorter second shot into the green.

It will be fascinating to see how the players of the DPWT handle the test this week.

THE WEATHER

Bright, warm and calm weather is forecast in the days leading up to the event, which is predicted to stick around over the opening two days. However, the weekend could be blighted by cool, wet conditions, as around 20mm of rain is scheduled to fall across Saturday/Sunday.

KEY STATS

SG: Off-the-Tee (SG: OTT) and/or Driving Accuracy

SG: Approach / Greens-in-Regulation (GIR)

Bogey Avoidance

There's plenty of guesswork involved in Turkey, but with the tight corridors, narrow fairways, overhanging trees, and small greens, precision with the long game looks an absolute necessity. Indeed, the winner of that HotelPlanner Tour event in 2014, Oliver Farr, is very much a player who relies on his straight hitting.

With the strain this test places on the long game, I expect GIR percentages to be low, and the contenders will have to show some decent scrambling skills. Meanwhile, if it does play as difficult as it did in 2014, bogey avoidance will be another stat of interest.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Although we have no comp form to guide us, the DPWT is littered with similarly tight and strategic tree-lined venues that can offer some guidance.

Four regular tour stops immediately spring to mind: the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, the British Masters at The Belfry's Brabazon Course, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and the Soudal Open at Rinkven International.

Host of the Kenya Open from 2022-2025, Muthaiga Golf Club, is another that jumps off the page. In addition, I would look at two courses that were new/returned to the schedule in 2025: Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche (Open de France) and Delhi Golf Club (DP World India Championship).

THE FIELD

An interesting DPWT field has assembled in Turkey, including five of the world's top 100. David Puig is chief among these at No. 61, followed by Jayden Schaper (No. 63), Elvis Smylie (No. 85), Daniel Hillier (No. 90), and Tom McKibbin (No. 99).

Defending champion Martin Couvra is the only former winner in attendance. Although, Connor Syme and Clement Sordet have recorded victories in Turkey on the HotelPlanner Tour.

Paul Waring returns to DPWT action after some encouraging displays on the PGA Tour; Hennis Du Plessis makes his first appearances since reeling off three top-five finishes on the spin in February/March; and 2026 Turkish Amateur winner Richard Teder – who famously became the first Estonian to qualify for The Open in 2025 – will tee it up.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): David Puig 11/1, Daniel Hillier 14/1, Angel Ayora 16/1, Jayden Schaper 18/1, Tom McKibbin 18/1

1.25 pts Francesco Molinari each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 40/1

We had one 40-something Ryder Cupper re-entering the winner's circle last week and I wonder if Francesco Molinari could follow suit in Turkey. He's been playing some of his best golf for several years at the beginning this season, and with the precision-based ball-striking game that has defined his career very much at the forefront once again, this feels like a natural fit.

Finishing 10^th at the Nedbank Challenge back in December thanks to an excellent tee-to-green (T2G) display, Molinari was showing signs of life towards the end of 2025. He's stepped that up this year, finishing 4^th at the Dubai Desert Classic and 6^th at the Indian Open last time out – events that are among the most challenging on tour.

He was the second-best T2G performer in India, owing especially to his high-class iron play, as he sat 2^nd in SG: Approach (an area in which he's inside the top five season-long) and 4^th in GIR. Alongside rankings of 12^th in driving accuracy and 34^th in scrambling, he's currently playing with the all-round quality to deal with the demands of this venue.

Molinari has looked at home on courses such as this throughout his career. He won at Wentworth in 2018 and has gone well in elite company in events such as THE PLAYERS Championship on the PGA Tour, recording four top-10s. If returning in the same form he displayed in India, he should be one of the top challengers at National Golf Club.

1 pt Thriston Lawrence each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 50/1

With a formbook littered with eye-catching results on comparably strategic, tree-lined courses, Thriston Lawrence is my next selection. He didn’t play too badly despite missing the cut in China, and as a player who is able to quickly find improvement, I’m expecting a better showing this week.

Lawrence has missed four of eight cuts in 2026 but has recorded two top-10s, finishing 6^th at the Hainan Classic and 10^th at the Dubai Invitational. Although he arrives after narrowly failing to make the weekend at Enhance Anting GC, we shouldn’t be too concerned, as each of his last three wins has followed a missed cut on his previous start. Furthermore, he was noticeably sharper in round two there, sitting four-under-par for the day and well above the cutline before conceding three strokes over his final four holes.

The South African drove it straighter in China than he has done for much of the campaign, while he also looked confident on the greens. If able to rediscover the touch with his irons that he’s displayed in recent seasons, he’d be well placed to contend.

That belief is only reinforced by some of the strongest comp form in the field. Runner-up finishes at the British Masters, BMW PGA Championship and Kenya Open, alongside a 3^rd at last year’s DP World India Championship and 4^th at the Soudal Open, paint the picture of a player who is more than comfortable in these tree-lined surrounds.

1 pt Kota Kaneko each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 60/1

As an accurate ball striker with a tidy short game, Japanese youngster Kota Kaneko should thrive in these surrounds. With zero missed cuts and four top-25s, he’s made an encouraging start to his rookie season and can burst into contention in Turkey.

Kaneko earned his DPWT card after topping the Japan Golf Tour rankings in 2025, where he won the first two titles of his professional career. He immediately looked at home at this level, finishing 15^th at the Qatar Masters on his second appearance of the season, and he arrives in Antalya off the back of three top-25s in a row, the latest of which was a 19^th-place finish in China.

The putter was the standout club there, ranking 4^th, and it’s been this way all season, as he leads the tour in SG: Putting. He’s also 5^th in scrambling, 9^th in bogey avoidance, 10^th in driving accuracy, and whilst the irons seem to be somewhat of a weakness, he did rank 12^th in GIR last week.

Japan has long been a fertile breeding ground for golfing talent, and that trend has continued in recent years, with Ryo Hisatsune and Rikuya Hoshino both making the step up in winning fashion. If his impressive victory at the demanding, tree-lined Gotemba Course at the Taiheiyo Masters last year – where his six-shot margin was just one shy of the record set by a certain Hideki Matsuyama in 2016 – is anything to go by, Kaneko could well be the next to follow.

1 pt Davis Bryant each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 80/1

I’m going to return to Davis Bryant after a promising effort in China last week. He battled well despite coming from the worst side of the draw and with his accurate long game again a plus, he looks a player worth sticking with at National Golf Club.

After earning his place on the DPWT for the second straight year via Q-School, Bryant took instant advantage at the end of 2025, finishing inside the top 15 in the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open.

He’s struggled for consistency this year, highlighted by his excellent runner-up finish in Kenya being sandwiched between two missed cuts. That said, he has made his last three and he arrives after a 19^th-place finish at the China Open having entered the final round in 8^th position.

Most encouraging about that performance was the return to form of his iron play, as he ranked 3^rd in SG: Approach and 8^th in GIR – categories in which he was 28^th and 39^th last year, respectively. He’s also a handy 8^th in driving accuracy and with the putter showing major improvement, rising from 115^th in SG: Putting in 2025 to 61^st in 2026, there are positives across the board.

Bryant’s two standout results at this level came on somewhat strategic, tree-lined layouts: 2^nd at the Kenya Open (2026) and 4^th at the BMW International Open (2025). With a 13^th-place finish at The Belfry on his British Masters debut last year delivering further optimism, I believe this talented young American will enjoy what he finds in Turkey.

1 pt Darius Van Driel each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 90/1

When we arrive at these tighter, tree-lined tracks, Dutchman Darius Van Driel very much enters the equation. There’s been an appealing upwards trend in his results of late and he can keep that momentum rolling at National Golf Club.

Van Driel began the year in Dubai where his game appeared to be in good shape, finishing 10^th at the Dubai Desert Classic. He did miss two cuts following that, but his form has steadily picked up over his last four starts, finishing 62^nd at the Joburg Open, 34^th at the Hainan Classic, 18^th at the Indian Open, and 8^th at the China Open in consecutive outings.

Although not quite as consistent this campaign, he’s gained strokes in approach and around the greens in each of the previous two seasons. The driver has been his biggest weapon, ranking 25^th in driving accuracy and a solid 53^rd in SG: OTT, and he’s made gains with the putter, sitting 67^th compared to ranking outside the top 100 in the last two years.

Van Driel does carry form in Turkey, finishing 3^rd at the Turkish Airlines Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2019. Having recorded his solo DPWT win at Muthaiga Golf Club in 2024, as well as twice finishing 2^nd at Rinkven International and posting two top-five finishes at Leopard Creek, he’s shown a clear affinity for similar venues.

1 pt Jordan Gumberg each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 200/1

After winning for us just three starts ago at the Hainan Classic, I’m siding with Jordan Gumberg as my final selection at National Golf Club. He’s one of the straightest, most reliable hitters on tour and, with his better performances often coming on more demanding setups, he looks a huge price to double his seasonal tally.

Despite missing three cuts to begin the year, Gumberg’s T2G game actually looked in decent shape. It was just a case of waiting for the putter to fire to reap the rewards. It did just that at the Joburg Open, helping him to a 28^th-place finish and he backed that up by winning a closely-fought contest in Hainan on his next appearance.

A finish of 34^th at the Indian Open was another solid effort and although he did miss the cut in China last week, he still hit the ball well over the opening two rounds.

While he may be lacking in direct comp form, he does stand out when conditions are difficult. Evidence of this can be found through his first DPWT victory at the SDC Championship in 2024, where he shot -12 to get into a playoff. Even his two top-three finishes at the Irish and Scottish Challenges on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023 came on tougher, strategic, tree-lined setups.

Ranking 3^rd in driving accuracy, 3^rd in GIR, 16^th in SG: OTT and 58^th in SG: Approach, Gumberg’s ultra-precise long game is tailormade for this challenge and with recent winning form to boot, he’s well worth a shot at massive odds.

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