Find Me A 100 Winner: Gareth Maybin

Find Me A 100 Winner / Paul Krishnamurty / 09 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

There's more than one exciting talent from Northern Ireland on display at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, says Paul Krishamurty as he continues the search for more winners at three figures.

This week's Alfred Dunhill Championship strikes me as the ideal opportunity for Rory McIlroy to win his first title on what is expected to be a smooth progression to the game's summit.

And while the Belfast teenager is certain to be a popular selection at [15.0] he isn't the only promising player from Northern Ireland in the field. Indeed, it's not out of the question that Gareth Maybin beats his exalted countryman to a first European Tour title.

Maybin has actually won before, on the Challenge Tour three months ago in China. That was the highlight of an excellent campaign that earned him fourth place on that lower tour's rankings, and his opening effort at the higher level was promising.Twenty-fourth place in Hong Kong, closing with 67/68/67, was a perfectly respectable start in a far stronger field than this. Enough at least to warrant a small bet at [170.0] this week.

I must declare here that I've only seen a handful of TV clips of Maybin to date, but I do know he is rated very highly as a long-term prospect. And this week's venue, Leopard Creek, has often brought out the best in similarly inexperienced top prospects. Joost Luiten made the top-five last year, as did Ross Fisher in 2006. Charl Schwartzel was just 21 when winning this event in 2005.