Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Tips: Each-way selections for this week's Scottish links test

Editor
29 September 2015

Chris Wood is a winner this year and has gone well in the Alfred Dunhill Links previously

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The team secured more profit last week, continuing their excellent recent run of form, thanks to 150/1 shot Lucas Bjerregaard placing in Germany, so confidence is high as we head to Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championsip...

Paul Krishnamurty: Back Eddie Pepperell @ 50/1

"He clearly thrives in these conditions and, whilst being overdue a breakthrough win, Pepperell has regularly rewarded each-way backers during his short career."

*Each-way terms: 1/4 odds, 5 places

Dan Geraghty: Back Danny Willett @ 20/1

In years gone by I have rarely considered picking players under around 50/1 for the each-way column in the Alfred Dunhill Links; a 168 man field in a tournament played over three courses in a Pro Am format can throw up some shock results and has done in recent years. However, Danny Willett ticks so many boxes for me this week that he's impossible to ignore. Willett has been in the form of his life and sits second in the Race to Dubai standings, a win this week would see him leapfrog Rory McIlroy and put him in poll position to claim the huge R2D bonus. As well as his recent form, Willett has plenty of links form and indeed course form to recommend him, he was sixth at St. Andrews in the Open Championship earlier this year and is much improved from the player that finished second to Martin Kaymer in this very tournament in 2010. Finally, the nappy factor, is now a, umm, factor and a cursory glance at Willett's Twitter account suggests life could not be any sweeter for the likeable Englihsman.

Paul Krishnamurty: Back Eddie Pepperell @ 50/1

I remember backing Pepperell for this at gargantuan odds during his rookie 2013 season, and he fared very well for three rounds before slipping back to a respectable 26th. Since then Eddie has confirmed himself as one of Europe's top prospects and a fine exponent of links golf. On links tracks this season, he's finished runner-up and fourth in the Irish and Scottish Opens respectively, and fifth at Kennemer in Holland on his penultimate start. In the Open Championship here at St Andrews, he was well positioned to challenge for the places after three rounds. He clearly thrives in these conditions and, whilst being overdue a breakthrough win, Pepperell has regularly rewarded each-way backers during his short career.

Joe Dyer: Back Chris Wood @ 70/1

We know Chris Wood can play the links game and we know he can win tournaments so there's a lot to like about this 70/1 shot this week. The Englishman has missed his fair share of cuts this season, but he has also put up some high finishes, including a win at the Lyoness Open. Form at the Alfred Dunhill is impressive with a pair of top 10s in the last two years and the last time we saw Wood on a links track he was going deep in the Paul Lawrie Matchplay. I'll take the inflated price off the back of two successive missed cuts with glee.

Steve Rawlings: Back Tyrell Hatton @ 100/1

Given the weather isn't forecast to be too bad, I can see this year's renewal developing into something of a birdie-fest and with four of the last seven winners having scored better than anyone else on the par fours, Birdie Average and Par 4 Scoring look like the two key stats to study. Tyrell Hatton ranks inside the top-ten for both on the European Tour over the last three months and the 23-year-old has already shown form at links venues this year, having finished fourth at the Irish Open and having made the quarter-finals of the Paul Lawrie Match Play. Being English looks like a big plus too given 11 of the first 14 winners of the tournament have been from England, Scotland or Ireland and all things considered, 100/1 looks a fair price for someone sure to get off the mark sooner rather than later.

Mike Norman: Back Marc Warren @ 66/1

Following in-form players has definitely paid dividends on the European Tour in the last month or so but that strategy won't necessarily pay off in Scotland this week if your man doesn't have any links form. The ideal fit then is a player with a links pedigree who has performed well recently, and on that basis I'm happy to chance Marc Warren in his homeland. True, his best recent form was two months ago now but I'm happy with that as he has two stand-out pieces of form that catch the eye - fourth place finishes in both the Paul Lawrie Matchplay and the Scottish Open. Both of those events were played on Scottish links courses and prior to that Warren finished second earlier in the year in Qatar, another venue where links form stacks up. He regularly plays, and plays well, in this event so at 66/1 I'm very happy to get one of the home hopes on side.

2015 P/L (£5 e/w per selection)

Year to date P/L: +£870.95

- European Open, Lucas Bjerregaard @ 150/1 - PLACE (Mike)
- Open D'Italia, Rikard Karlberg @ 66/1 - WON (Mike)
- KLM Open, Eddie Pepperell @ 33/1 - PLACE (Dan G)
- Czech Masters, Roope Kakko @ 66/1 - PLACE (Steve)
- Made In Denmark, Kristoffer Broberg @ 25/1 - PLACE (Dan T)
- USPGA Championship, Branden Grace @ 66/1 - PLACE (Steve)
- European Masters, Tyrrell Hatton @ 50/1 - PLACE (Mike)
- The Open, Justin Rose @ 23/1 - PLACE (Ralph)
- The Open, Louis Oosthuizen @ 20/1 - PLACE (Dan T)
- Scottish Open, Eddie Pepperell @ 125/1 - PLACE (Mike)
- Open de France, Bernd Wiesberger @ 33/1 - WON (Mike)
- Lyoness Open, Robert Rock @ 66/1 - PLACE (Joe)
- BMW PGA Championship, Chris Wood @ 125/1 - PLACE (Steve)
- Mauritius Open, John Parry @ 150/1 - PLACE (Paul)
- US Masters, Paul Casey @ 66/1 - PLACE (Romilly)
- Thailand Classic, Andrew Dodt @ 100/1 - WON (Paul)
- Malaysian Open, Anirban Lahiri @ 66/1 - WON (Dan G)
- DD Classic, Stephen Gallacher @ 25/1 - PLACE (Steve)