Golf Betting – Try A Flyer On Links Specialist Frier

Rain, rain and more rain, that’s the prediction for Turnberry this week and, according to some of the pros who have already had a feel of the Ailsa course, that could means a whole load of trouble for the players set to tackle the fourth staging of the Open at the South Ayrshire venue. Already lush following a wet spring and early summer on the west coast of Scotland, further precipitation is going to make the rough even less forgiving than normal. That means it’s going to pay to stick with those who strike the ball cleanly, but can adopt a cautious approach from the tee. Patience, too, will be at a premium. The win market, of course, is dominated by Tiger Woods, who seems able to adapt his game to any set of circumstances. This will be Tiger’s first visit to Turnberry but he hadn’t played Hoylake before winning the Open there in 2006. Unsurprising, therefore, that the biggest price you can get on Tiger pre-tournament is 11-4 (sportingbet), bearing in mind he comes into the event on the back of a win in the AT & T National. The three-times winner is a worthy favourite but not the form pick. That honour belongs to Germany’s Martin Kaymer. One of the hottest properties on the European Tour, Kaymer has won both the French Open, where he beat a back-to-form Lee Westwood (a general 30-1 this week) in a play-off, and Scottish Open in the last two weeks which has seen his price contract to a general 35-1 to win the Open. Also chasing a hat-trick is Padraig Harrington. The Dubliner (33-1 with Coral and sportingbet) has won the last two majors on British soil at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale. But he’s not really been firing in the big tournaments in general lately and could see his run coming to an end at Turnberry. But it may not be in the win market where the value lies this week. With layers offering odds on anything from the first round leader to what pattern Ian Poulter’s trousers will sport on the opening day, I like the look of Ulsterman Graeme McDowell to finish as the top Irish player over the four days. McDowell (9-2 with boylesports) has Rory McIlroy and Harrington to better but is an adept links player with a decent Open record and he’s more than twice the price of the aforementioned pair. Another way too big in his section, in this case top Continental European player, is Markus Brier. In qualifying for the Open, the Austrian blew away the opposition in what some onlookers described as the most accomplished 36 holes of links play they’d ever seen! Brier‘s track record suggests he’s at his happiest when by the sea and is simply too big to win this group at a general 40-1. Anthony Kim (11-1 with extrabet) and a saver on Justin Leonard (28-1 with totesport and sportingbet) is the advice on the Top US player without Woods. Paddy Power, incidentally, are offering place betting down to seventh place this week. But beware, their odds reflect this concession in most cases.