There are three tournaments left on the European Tour this season and the first of them, the Turkish Airlines Open, gets underway on Thursday morning when the select field take to the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course competitively for the first time this week.
As well as being an event close to the end of the season, it is also a Rolex Series event which means there is a lot of cash up for grabs, so the aim for everyone with a tee time will be to get a fast start in a bid to chase a big cheque.
First Round Leader
As ever when we cover these tournaments by the round, the first market we look at is the first round leader one. Unlike some tournaments this one is a little easier as there are only two hours between the first and last tee times so we don’t need to plan for a change in weather. As it is the weather is set perfect throughout so we’re basically predicting the lower scorer of the day. I’ll take two men in that regard.
George Coetzee is no stranger to making a fast start at the minute. He led after the opening round of the Open de France a month or so ago and in his homeland last week opened up with an amazing 61 in a tournament there. He has led the field in this event as well in 2016 albeit on a difference course to this one, but that still shows how he can come out of the box well. Coetzee was the last man off my shortlist in the outright market so I’ll get involved in him to lead after 18 holes.
There isn’t a huge amount of difference in playability between this course and the one used for the Czech Masters. That would make Thomas Pieters a runner but at 2.5 times the price I’m going to go with the man who led after 18 holes in Gavin Green. Green should enjoy life here. He can smack it miles to his heart’s content and go flag hunting. If he gets a few putts to drop he has all the credentials to threaten the lead after the opening round.
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Thursday 3 Balls
The other set of markets to consider when betting on this opening day is the first round three balls. This is a Rolex Series event and the field is only 75 deep so we have 25 groups to choose from, the majority of which have been priced up. The two key three balls are the last two groups off the first tee in the form of Matt Wallace, Francesco Molinari and Danny Willett, who go off at 08.50 GMT and then the leading two contenders in the Race to Dubai who are teeing it up in Bernd Wiesberger and Shane Lowry, as well as the defending champion Justin Rose. They go off at 9.00 GMT.
There are some good looking groups everywhere we look over the course of the morning, as you would expect when the best the European Tour season has thrown up have made it to this tournament. There are two bets that I like, both of which come away from the spotlight of the major groups.
David Drysdale/Andrea Pavan/Hideto Tanihara
Match tees off at 07.15 GMT
The second group off the tenth hole is the first one to catch my eye from a betting point of view on Thursday when David Drysdale goes out alongside the classy Italian player Andrea Pavan and the Japanese golfer Hideto Tanihara.
There are times when all three players are worth taking in their own right but in my eyes only one of them is this week. That is Pavan, who has a decent record in the Czech Masters on a course not to dissimilar to this and more important is comfortably the best man of the trio from tee-to-green in terms of what is required his. Drysdale is very accurate but lacks length while Tanihara is all about the short game which is no bad thing here but you still need to get it down there. Pavan isn’t the longest in the field but he is no stranger to taming longer beasts. I think he wins this three ball.
Alex Noren/Lee Westwood/Erik van Rooyen
Match tees off at 08.20 GMT
The second bet which interests me over the course of Thursday morning is one of the later groups out off the first tee when three European Tour event winners take each other on as Alex Noren goes out alongside Lee Westwood and Erik van Rooyen.
It is the South African which gets my attention here. I’m not convinced this track plays to Westwood’s strengths. He is straight but he’s not long and his short game is nothing special. Noren has a decent short game but his long game has disappeared for too long now, which leaves van Rooyen, whose all-round game is very good and more importantly he has the length to get after this course. He is no stranger to getting off to fast starts, as I’ve highlighted a few times this year and I expect him to have enough to get this job done.
Tips
Back G.Coetzee First Round Leader (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Betfair (1/5 1-6)
Back E.van Rooyen to beat A.Noren & L.Westwood for a 3/10 stake at 2.60 with Betfair
Back them here:
Back G.Green First Round Leader (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with William Hill (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
WON – Back A.Pavan to beat D.Drysdale & H.Tanihara for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with 888sport
Back him here:
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