The Open
The Open. Oh yes. Exciting stuff in any year, but what is becoming an annual "place fest" can only add to the excitement for punters, with a number of firms joining Sky Bet in the group who are offering 10 places this year - and all at 1/5 odds as well which is great to see. On that list we have Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Corals and Bet Bright, while it's interesting to see the split branding attack from Corals/Ladbrokes group, with the latter only offering five places!
Anyway, there are loads of previews out there that will tell you the former winners, the trends of players who do well, what the course plays like, and how a links course requires a very different approach. We didn't plenty of that last year (a quick google will bring that lot back up if you want to look back) so we are going to head straight for the picks this year with time a little tight right now at the StattoBets offices.
First up is Alex Noren at 28/1. He's been a revelation on the European Tour, winning no fewer than six events over the past 36 months. That's some strike rate, and he comes here nice and fresh from winning the Open de France just over a fortnight ago, and posted a share of 3rd place in the BMW PGA Championship in May. A respectable 25th place in the US Open was sandwiched in there for good measure. Other handy results since the turn of the year included finishing 2nf in the Farmers Insurance Open and 3rd at the Honda Classic. There are plenty of big names at shorter prices with weaker claims.
Next we have Sergio Garcia at 28/1. The Spaniard posted top six finishes in 15' 16' and 17' - albeit around different tracks, but they remain relevant nonethelss. 8th at the Open de France, and 12th in the BMW bode reasonably well for a man coming back into form. If you like course form - he was 2nd here the last time the Open visited Canoustie, but it was 2007, so you're running back a full 11 years. Still, its another feather in the cap for Garcia (almost). At 28/1 your're getting better than 11/2 about him finishing in the Top 10, and that has to be value.
A similar thing could be said about Tyrrell Hatton who has won the Alfred Dunhill Links for the past two seasons, which also shares one of its rounds with this course. Hatton is ranked 23rd in the World at the moment and 2018 is going ok after a great 2016 a couple of years ago which saw him place fifth in the Open and also 10th in the PGA Championship. This year he's already posted a tied 6th place at the US Open
Our fifth pick is a bigger price - Brandt Snedeker. He's already won eight times in his career and now has the sort of experience required to last the distance in tough conditions and with pressure building on those towards the top of the leaderboard. He's 100/1 too. That's always a good start to a golf pick. He's not played a whole lot of golf over the past year, but a 6th at the St Jude, and a 3rd at the Greenbrier give us enough confidence to side with the American at a big price.
Finally we have Zach Johnson - who has to be one of the best Links players around. He always seesm to overperform in the types of conditions we will see this weekend and at 60/1 has to appeal. Again, thats better than 10/1 about a place here with 10 places on offer. He was the winner of this event in 2015 of course, and certainly knows how to win regularly. The only doubt is that his form over the past couple of years has wained somewhat, and he looks like finishing the year with his lowest ranking since 2006. A win here would arrest that slide of course, and there are enough reasons to expect some bounce on a course which suits his skills well.
1pt e/w Alex Noren at 28/1 (10 places 1/5)
1pt e/w Sergio Garcia at 28/1 (10 places 1/5)
1pt e/w Tyrrell Hatton at 40/1 (8 places 1/5) - Bet365
1pt e/w Brandt Snedeker at 100/1 (10 places 1/5)
1pt e/w Zach Johnson at 60/1 (10 places 1/5)