The 150th Open Championship begins at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning as the stars of the game go out on the wonderful Old Course links of St Andrews looking to write their name in history by winning the Claret Jug.
Before they head off on their respective journeys towards history there is just enough time to look at the side markets. As with any major championship we have markets for all sorts of things from nationalities, regions, cuts, scores and much more. Here is what we see as the value for them.
Top Australian
10 Australian players will tee it up at St Andrews this week with Cameron Smith the leading light of the Australian charge these days. He is the favourite to be the top Australian player and when you consider that he has a wonderful short game that is no surprise. His driver can leak petrol though which makes me think he is worth taking on.
The last time The Open was at St Andrews it was Marc Leishman who lost out in a play-off to Zach Johnson. He is back for more here but he’s in no form at all. Adam Scott is said to be hitting the ball well and he should have won this in the past but I’ve read he has been tinkering with his equipment so I like Lucas Herbert here. He missed the cut last week but that was down to being out in the tougher Friday conditions but there will be nothing that he can’t handle conditions wise here. He has a dream of a short game and experience of this track from his Dunhill Links spins and looks a good price at 13/2.
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Top South African
There will be a dozen South African players teeing it up at St Andrews this week with the 2010 champion here Louis Oosthuizen the favourite to be the leading player from the sunshine nation. He lost out in a play-off six years ago so clearly The Open setup at St Andrews is one he enjoys.
He has joined the LIV Tour though and so he arrives here without much competitive golf behind him so I think he is worth taking on, particularly as he hasn’t really been a feature in any of the majors this season yet. This is a competitive field and it will be interesting to see how Dean Burmester goes as he was seventh in the Dunhill Links last year when he closed with a 65 but it is Dylan Frittelli that I like this week. He has gone well in the last two Opens and in the one Dunhill Links he made the cut in he carded a Sunday 68. He is long off the tee and if that driver stays on grass rather than sand I don’t see three South Africans beating him.
Top 30 Finish
The other market I want to attack this week is the top 30 finish one. As ever when I attack one of these finishing position markets I either take someone who was late off the shortlist at a tighter price or someone who is on the shortlist at a big price who probably won’t quite fill the places.
This time around it is the former method I’m going at with the even money on Dustin Johnson just looking too big for a top 30 finish. Johnson could easily be holding two Claret Jugs from this course having been seventh after 54 holes here in 2010 and then holding the 36 hole lead six years ago before the weather put paid to him. That won’t happen this week and if the putter cooperates then I think DJ will go very well. He can drive past most of the trouble this week and gets the ball high enough to attack the tough flags. A lack of competitive golf with him now on the LIV tour is a concern but he’s finished in the top 10 of both of those tournaments and registered a T24 at Brookline. I expect him to be in the top 30 here as he isn’t someone who will be affected by the negative noise being made this week.
Tips
Back L.Herbert Top Australian (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 7.50 with Boylesports (1/5 1-3)
Back him here:
Back D.Frittelli Top South African (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 10.00 with BetVictor (1/5 1-3)
Back him here:
Back D.Johnson Top 30 Finish for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Betfair
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