Ross Fisher

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship golf is underway, and unfortunately Ryder Cup hero Lee Westwood won’t be in action. After suffering a recurrence of a calf injury, Westwood has withdrawn from the Championships, which obviously eliminates him from golf betting for the tournament, where he was outright favourite to win, simply because of his good form and great record at the Championship. So, with no Westwood to lead the field, that will make Alfred Dunhill Links Championship betting a little more interesting. We will run through the main contenders in a moment, but first let’s explain a little more about the tournament itself, which is one of the richest events on the European PGA golf calendar. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is actually a pro-am tournament, which means that the professional golfers get to play alongside Amateur golfers, and among those amateur golfers, there is generally a sprinkling of celebrities. Some of the celebrities who can be seen out on the course this year, is Sir Ian Botham, Sir Bobby Charlton, John Cruyff, Chris Evans, Tim Henman, Ruud Gullit, Michael Vaughan, Shane Warne, Sir Steve Redgrave, Hugh Grant and Samuel L Jackson.

Those amateurs still have to be decent, and they have to have a handicap of 18 or better. The total for the start of the tournament is 168 professionals and 168 amateurs, and the Championship is actually played over three courses St Andrews Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. The players will rotate around each of the three courses over the first three rounds and actually participate as teams of two, with one professional teaming up with an amateur. There will be two tournaments simultaneously running, with the professionals pitting their individual scores against each other, as well as a team competition in which the lower score for each hole out of a partnership is counted. After the third round, there will be a cut with the final 60 professionals moving forward to play a final round at St Andrews, and they will be accompanied by the top twenty teams (even if the professional never made the individual cut).

What you will see among the professionals, is some of the European stars which won a nail biting contest against the USA in the Ryder Cup last week. For your golf betting, there is always worry about a little bit of burn out after such big events, especially ones which must have been so mentally emotional and draining. Can the big guns, Europe’s elite, step up to the mark and bring hope the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship? Indicators are good that one of them will, with the likes of Padraig Harrington having won the Championships twice before, and names like Lee Westwood, Paul Lawrie and Colin Montgomerie have all lifted the trophy. Here are the front runners for your Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as the players head to the crucial third round, hoping to make the cut for the final day at St Andrews.

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John Parry 5/2 at William Hill
The Englishman has grabbed the tournament by the scruff of the neck after firing himself twelve under after two rounds. Probably not someone you will have heard much about. He is ranked 177th in the Official World Golf Ranking, and 66th in the Race to Dubai Ranking, so there is not a lot to suggest that he is a big prospective winner here. However, after shooting a 67 and then an even more impressive 65 in the second round he has put himself in a great position, way out in front on his own. The question now, is will he be able to take the pressure and hold on the massive advantage that he has given himself.

Martin Kaymer: 17/2 at Bet365
Germany’s top golfer, made a good showing of himself at the Ryder Cup. Steady and unspectacular are words which could describe Kaymer. One of the main threats out of the chasing pack, and again highlights the strength and class of the players who make the Ryder Cup team. Looking in pretty good shape going round, but does he have the big push in him that will be needed to take the honours at St Andrews?

Ross Fisher: 10/1 at Victor Chandler
Winner of the Irish Open this year, after holding off Padraig Harrington. There was a lot of kudos due to Fisher for doing that. Played great at the Ryder Cup, and he is always one of those players who are so consistent that they get overlooked. Fisher flies under the radar really when big tournaments come along, and he almost won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2008, where he lost in a three way play off. A very solid player who is sitting T3 after the first two rounds, five shots back of Parry.

Graeme McDowell: 16/1 at Blue Square
Can he cover himself in glory once more. He will either have that post euphoria burn out after winning the Ryder Cup for Europe, or he will be riding on a very strong wave of confidence. Judging by his first two rounds, he isn’t suffering too much, and he is well positioned in the chasing pack behind John Parry. He came close in 2004 to winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, back when he was relatively unknown. The US Open winner makes for a good bet here, as he must be enjoying his golf so much at the moment. Relaxed, strong and confident is McDowell.

Padraig Harrington: 28/1 at Victor Chandler
Harrington makes for a very good bet, and while he was one of the underperformers at the Ryder Cup, this seems to be the sort of tournament which suits him. He enjoys playing on the links, and in a championship where you will need all the short game skills that you can muster, this will give him an advantage. He has won the individual tournament twice, and the team tournament twice as well when paired with J P McManus. Out at longer odds, simply because he is not in particularly great form, but has every potential for making it a hat trick of Alfred Dunhill Links Championship titles. Well in the mix after two rounds, has a lot to do to catch Parry, but then, everyone pretty much does. Best sleeper bet of the entire lot.

Simon Dyson 33/1 at 888Sport
Last year’s winner after finishing at -20 under, and going round well with Hugh Grant at the moment. This looks to be something which he enjoys and has put in two solid rounds of 69 and 70. He is well positioned in the mix, but just like everyone else has to play catch up to John Parry. Clearly has the experience at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships and could be worth a good outside punt at best.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Golf Betting Tips: Any of these players will be worth taking for a top five finish at your online bookmaker. If you are looking for a winner, then Parry makes the most sense, simply because of the four shoot lead which he has. However, you do realistically expect one of the stand out names on the list to make a move and close the gap. The best tip would really be Ross Fisher to push on from his position, and simply because of Padraig Harrington’s good record, and having a lot to prove after the Ryder Cup, they make for the best tips.

Mathematically. Wow, that’s a big word with which to start an article. I suspect it’s a personal best. Sorry, where was I? Oh,yes! Mathematically, only three men can prevent Rory McIlroy from winning the European Order Of Merit on the new Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai this week. The 20-year-old is in pole position to win the Race To Dubai, as the Order Of Merit has been re-branded, following a second to Frenchman Gregory Bourdy at the Hong Kong Open in Fanling, overtaking Lee Westwood, who had a bit of a nightmare in the former colony. Also suffering disappointment last week was Geoff Ogilvy, who failed to make an impact at the JBWere Masters in his native Australia so, with Paul Casey ruled out with injury, that leaves only Westwood, Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher (who did us a massive favour in the World Matchplay) as potential challengers to McIlroy‘s claims to be European number one. The young Ulsterman, in only his second season on the European Tour, is a general 1-2 to collect enough prize money to ensure he finishes ahead of the bunch and a general 9-1 to end the year on a high by winning the Dubai World Championship itself. But nerves are surely going to play a part here. Westwood (a general 16-1) is vastly more experienced and, though his form has tailed off a little in recent weeks, he’ll be trying to exert maximum pressure on McIlroy with the big four, in the opening rounds at least, set to be out on the course at the same time. Kaymer must be cursing the fact (I nearly wrote kicking himself) that he missed two months of the season having broken toes in a karting accident but a win in Dubai, for which he is a general 14-1 chance, would still guarantee him top spot and his fate is still in his own hands, unlike Fisher (a general 20-1) who could still miss out if McIlroy or Westwood were to finish in the frame. And of course, there are almost 60 of the world’s best players out to spoil the party. Ernie Els has a fantastic record in Dubai and is back in form. At a general 16-1 he might be worth a saver, while Padraig Harrington is reported to have been thoroughly refreshed by a family holiday and will have some takers at a general 18-1. Trying to end the year with a bang, though, this columnist will be relying on Justin Rose. The Englishman has had a bit of an up and down season, dividing his time between Europe and America, but has been in a rich vein of form over the last eight weeks, recording under par 72-hole scores in every tournament he’s contested in that time, including a 17 under to tie for fourth place in last week’s Children’s Miracle Network Classic in Florida. Rose is another who likes the desert (he was second in the Dubai Desert Classic back in February) so I’ll be having an interest at 30-1 with boylesports.