Dunhill Links Championship 2021 - St Andrews, Kingbarns,Carnoustie, Scotland

 Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood & Tyrrell Hatton head the betting for this week's Europeantour fare in Scotland and all three will try and put the disappointment of such a heavy Ryder Cup defeat behind them when they tee it up here alongside their captain Padraig Harrington and other members of the team. It won't be easy for them, but all three should be able to dust themselves down quickly and reset their focus, though the lack of energy experienced from such a defeat may go against them this week. That said, I would not be surprised to see them challenge as they look to make amends quickly.

I'm not overly keen of the PRO-AM format as what presents itself this week but three links courses need to be taken into consideration in to who might go well and I'm going to chance a punt on Ryder Cup vice-captain, Martin Kaymer this week @ 50/1 - 7 places. He too will be disappointed from last week but he may just be "angry" enough to go out there and try make the way back to making the team in 2 years time in Italy. Kaymer has always gone well here and his personality is ideal for the format. Winner here way back in 2010, Kaymer has also posted a number of T-10s since, has been hinting for some time,albeit for some time without getting over the line that a win is coming. There's enough in the price for me. I wanted to get onside with Thomas Pieters here but best price 35/1 with just 5 places is too short and the 28s with extra places turned me off.

Tom Lewis @ 100/1 - 7 places and Ross Fisher @ 90/1 - 7 places does entice me in here as both have strong links pedigree and the price is value in my book. It's been awhile for me to look at Ross as a bet but he could outplay those odds very easily here and can't be dismissed. The former has been playing well on the Korn Ferry Tour this year without really challenging and despite coming in here on the back of 3 missed cuts, I do expect him to find this week very suitable. He was 5th last time here in 2019 and 10th in 2018 as well as 3rd back in 2013 so has tournament form and will know the course well.

Lastly, in form, Francesco Laporta @ 125/1 - 7 places is added purely on solid form of late. His only appearance here was 4 years ago where he duly missed the cut but there's a bit of juice in the price in a player that arrives on the back of a 4th & 6th in his last two events!

Selections

1 pt e/w M.Kaymer @ 50/1 - 7 places
1 pt e/w R. Fisher @ 90/1 - 7 places
0.75 pts e/w T. Lewis @ 100/1 - 7 places
0.50 pts e/w F.Laporta @ 125/1 - 7 places

Dutch Open 2021 - Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt, Netherlands

 Despite being one of the oldest Open Tournaments around, the Dutch Open sadly wasn't played last year during the pandemic but we're back this week at a new venue, Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt, Netherlands.

From my research the course looks as if it will suit those that like a links-type course and on that reckoning I think Branden Grace is the man to be with this week as too his compatriot who I've backed a couple of time lately and am happy to stick with again here this week, Brandon Stone (not easy as an Irishman spelling their names correctly) 

Grace is available @ 16/1 - 5 places and 14/1 - 7 places but I'm taking him win only here @22.00 on the exchange. More risk averse punters may like to have the place on their side but I really do think if he's in the mood, he can prove to be too strong for this field.

Stone may not be pushing for a big result of late but there's no denying that his game is rounding into form and he just might find this course to his liking and his game clicks into a challenging one. At 50/1 - 6 places I think there's a bit of value to be had.

Lastly, it's been quite awhile since I put up Gavin Moynihan and whilst it's been a tough 12-18 months for Gavin, with missed cut after missed cut, there are definite signs that all his perseverance & practice is starting to pay off lately without grabbing too much attention as he begins to make some better scores...his recent effort at Portmarnock Links at the Irish Challenge seemed to start the revival before narrowly missing the cut at Mount Juliet following a solid Friday. He has since made the cut at the Hero Open & Czech Masters before finishing T20 at the British Challenge at The Belfry where his second round bogey-free caught my eye. So too did his albatross the week before at The Dutch GC on the Challenge Tour. Given the links-type setup here this week and recent improvement, I had a little dabble here this week and backed Gavin @ 25/1 for a TOP20. Makes the cut, that T-20 is not beyond him

Selections

3 pts WIN Branden Grace @ 22.00
1 pt e/w Brandon Stone @ 50/1 - 6 places
1 pt TOP-20 Gavin Moynihan @ 25/1

BMW PGA Championship 2021 - Wentworth,Surrey, England

Just no time for a full preview this week, however I'm going to war with 4 players this week at Wentworth. I'm taking on the head of the market and going with some players that offer some real good value as long as they start well tomorrow. 

All 4 have been in solid form of late and their games should suit this tree-lined course whilst "Frani" could be inspired at a track that he's done be very well at in the past and return a good result. 

Selections

1.5 pts e/w Guido Migliozzi @ 50/1 - 8 places

1.5 pts e/w Victor Perez @ 55/1 - 6 places 1/4 odds)

1 pt e/w Francesco Molinari @ 60/1 - 8 places

1 pt e/w Calum Hill @ 75/1 - 6 places (1/4 odds)

Solheim & Ryder Cup 2021 - Inverness Club, Ohio & Whistling Straits,Wisconsin

 I haven't much confidence in a European victory in either the Solheim or Ryder Cup this year. I'll certainly be glued to the TV watching both and in particular to see Leona Maguire make her debut in what will be the first of many Solheim Cups. Having seen Leona and her sister Lisa play at the Junior Solheim Cup at Knightsbrook GC in Ireland, we can expect a strong performance from the Cavan girl this week and she brings solid 2021 LPGA form into the week. I do however feel the USA are far too strong and expect them to win this comfortably.

As the fallout on Bryson continues, something tells me USA are shooting themselves in the foot before they even start at Whistling Straits and a team that will feature both he & Brooks Koepka will be an unsettled one. This is where Steve Stricker can show his leadership though and if he gets the pairings right next Friday week, it should see them go on to win. Like Leona Maguire, fellow compatriot, Shane Lowry will make his debut and he will bring a strong "dressing room" presence to the team not that Team Europe need any further improvement in that department. I write this ahead of Pádraig's picks being revealed but I'm sure he'll be picking Poults, Rose & Garcia. Jon Rahm made his debut in 2018 losing both fourballs he played but he did see of Tiger in the singles as Europe romped to victory and he'll be the talisman this year no doubt. Viktor Hovland will make his debut alongside Shano and will sure to feature but I do fear despite the experience of the team, that they may find this USA team to have the strongest team for awhile and it really is for me a matter of Stricker getting the pairings as well as the singles matched up right whilst coping with the "BDC factor"...for me, I'd put him out in fourball as the 4th pairing on day-1 with perhaps Patrick Reed or possibly JT or Collin Morikawa but his involvement or lack thereof could prove critical for TEAM USA. 

All in all, I do think Europe will be up against it and therefore I'm backing the USA double @ 2.52

Selection 

5 pts DOUBLE USA to win Solheim Cup/USA to win Ryder Cup @ 2.52

Tour Championship 2021 - East Lake, Atlanta,Georgia

 I'm only interested in the 72 hole tournament which the bookies have a separate market on as opposed to the "winner" of the event. Patrick Cantlay leads the FedEx Cup and so starts the tournament on -10 with the next player in the ranking,Tony Finau on -8, Bryson Dechambeau on -7 and so on down the 30 man field.

Having backed both Rory & DJ last week and with both placing, I am sure both will go very well here again this week too but it's the latter that caught my eye the most in Maryland and I'm quietly confident of DJ making a run at the Championship this week. Whilst DJ "won" the Tour Championship last year, I made him 3rd in strokeplay over the 72 holes. Former results read 3-29-3-17-6-5-dnp-5-10-23-22-27. He'll start 7 shots behind Cantlay this time round and he won't be ignoring his chances...gets a hot start and he & Rory could indeed make this years event the most exciting yet.....although it will be very tough to beat the excitement of last week's 6-hole playoff !

Selection

2.5 pts e/w Dustin Johnson @ 14/1 - 5 places

Italian Open 2021 - Marco Simone GC, Roma, Italy

 The venue for the the 2023 Ryder Cup hosts the Italian Open this week as European players make a last minute push for Pádraig Harrington's Ryder Cup 2021 team. That venue is the Marco Simone Golf Club.

Matty Fitzpatrick heads the betting and whilst he may be the best player in the field, his price needs to be reviewed before looking further down the entry list. He has shown in the past that he likes to win this time of the year and he's bound to go well here for sure but I'd prefer a bit more value in the price to pull the trigger.

Based on the methods applied during 2021 here on the blog, I am inclined to stick with players backed of late and especially here with Alexander Bjork. The Swede was disappointing last weekend when it did look after Thursday's round that he could be poised to challenge but his price is better here for a course that I think he may just prefer over last week's. I did suggest he could be worth following over the next few tournaments and so I'm keeping him on side for this week again. At 66/1 - 7 places he's my first bet of the week.

I mulled over putting Justin Harding up again this week but despite his price drifting out from last week's, I'm satisfied that I can omit here and instead side with  Calum Hill at 41/1 for the win and I'll take him in the TOP-10 market @ 5.70. His form has been stellar this year, culminating in a win at The Cazoo Classic last month before following up with a 7th place finish at Crans last week. From his 19 starts in 2021, Hill has made 15 pay cheques, posted the win along with a further 3 T-5s from his 7 T-10s and 9 T-20s. The 5.70 about another T-10 here entices me in and the 42.00 about for the win holds some value also.

I was delighted to see Matthew Jordan feature on the tv coverage in Switzerland and even moreso the opportunity to monitor his demeanour and attitude on Sunday when in contention..... and I was suitably impressed. The young Englishman is definitely one on the up and like Bjork, is a player I'm more than happy to keep on the staking plan for another week even moreso @ 70/1 - 7 places.

Lastly, I'm gonna take a chance on Thorbjorn Olesen again despite dipping in form after the Canaries Swing. Top quality golfers have bounced back many times over the years and whilst the Dane has bigger personal obstacles go overcome in December, he might find some inspiration this week having won this title back in 2018 and having finished runner up in 2011 when closing with a -10, 62. He won his first European Tour  title at the Sicilian Open the following year (2012) so it appears a visit to Italy has been good for him and I couldn't let the 125/1 - 7 places go abegging in the hope the winning formula for Thorbjorn lies within the pasta or gelato that he'll enjoy in Rome. 

Maybe if we get the winner this week, a celebratory drink might be available at my cousin's bar, Scholars Lounge Roma  !! Just tell em,Seán sent ya 😉

Selections

1 pt e/w Alexander Bjork @ 66/1 - 7 places

1pt e/w Matthew Jordan @ 70/1 - 7 places

1.50 pts WIN Calum Hill @ 42.00

2.50 pts WIN Calum Hill @ 5.70

0.50 pts e/w Thorbjorn Olesen @ 125/1 - 7 places