Golf Events / Editor / 05 June 2007 / Leave a Comment

Colin Montgomerie will be aiming for a morale-boosting performance at this week's BA-CA Golf Open in Austria before he packs his bags and heads for America and next week's US Open.

Montgomerie has not enjoyed the best of seasons in 2007, managing just two-top finishes, and is still searching for his first tournament victory since the Hong Kong Open 18 months ago.

But the eight-time Order of Merit winner will come into the event in Vienna boosted by his final-round display at last week's Celtic Manor Wales Open where he shot a six-under-par round of 63 and he will be hoping it will be a sign of things to come.

Monty followed the same path in 2006 on his way to narrowly missing out on breaking his Major duck at the US Open at Winged Foot and he will be seeking a similar finish at Oakmont next week - but with a different outcome on the final hole.

The Scot got himself into a position to challenge on the final day at last year's BA-CA Golf Open, only to blow his chances by dropping five shots in four holes to eventually finish well behind winner Markus Brier.

But Monty is likely to be a popular selection this week and can be backed at 14 to win and 2.5 to register his first top-five finish of the year.

Austrian Brier, who delighted his home crowd by winning by three strokes in 2006 on his home course, is available at half a point longer in the early markets with Australian Richard Green the pre-tournament favourite and trading at 12 to win.

Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez has shown signs of returning to his best in recent weeks and can be backed at 17 ahead of the in-form duo of Paul Broadhurst and Martin Kaymer (both 26), Graeme McDowell (28) and Johnnie Walker Classic winner Anton Haig (30).

Brier carded an impressive 18-under-par final total to win last year and it would a surprise if the winning score wasn't in that region again on the 7,059-yard par-71 course.

There is no one in this week's field who knows the Viennese venue better than the 38-year-old, who is attached to the club, and it is not going to be through a lack of course knowledge if he doesn't win.

Brier is something of a course specialist, having won at the course twice on the Challenge Tour in 2002 and 2004 before last year, and is arguably a better player now than when he won in 2006.

The Austrian, who is trading at 3 to place in the first five and 2.6 to finish in the top 10, has already won in 2007 at the Volvo China Open while he went agonisingly close to a second title - only losing in a play-off at the Italian Open. He could be the man to follow.

Green has been in impressive form over the last month and already has three top-five finishes to his name in 2007.

The left-hander followed up his joint-fourth place at the Irish Open by tying for eighth at the BMW PGA Championship and, having finished fourth here last year, clearly plays well at this stage of the season. He is available at 2.8 to come in the first five and 2.2 to place in the top 10.

Like Montgomerie, Jimenez is another player who has lost the winning habit of late not having won for two years, but the Spaniard still retains the ability as five top-10 finishes in 2007 testify.

Having finished tied for sixth in Austria last year and joint-fifth at Wentworth last month he shouldn't be lacking in confidence this week and, at trading at 3 to place in the first five, may be worth backing.

After a final round collapse at the BMW PGA event, many players would have struggled to bounce straight back but Broadhurst did just that in Wales last week - finishing three strokes adrift of winner Richard Sterne - and he is one of the form players going into the event.

Like rising 22-year-old German star Martin Kaymer, the Englishman can be backed at 4 to place in the first five and 3 to finish in the top 10 and the pair could be the men to follow this week.

Dane Mads Vibe-Hastrup (34 to win), Scot Gary Orr (40 to win) and Tom Whitehouse - who has managed two top-ten finishes this season and is available at 80 to triumph - also come into the tournament on the back of good performances in Wales and could be worth watching.

Vibe-Hastrup's compatriot Soren Hansen, trading at two points longer than his countryman to win and 5 to place in the top 10, is another player who could into the reckoning after chasing home Brier last year while it may pay to follow Gary Murphy.

The Irishman, 70 to win, was fifth here in 2006 and joint sixth last week but it is probably best to watch Ryder Cup hero Darren Clarke in play after a wretched start to 2007 which has seen a series of missed cuts and just one top-20 finish to date.