Hero Open Each-Way Tips: David to lay down the Law on the linksland

Matt Cooper
26 July 2022
4:00 min read

David Law can pick up a second DP World Tour this week.

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The DP World Tour returns to Fairmont St Andrews this week for the Hero Open and Matt Cooper has three selections with the Betfair Sportsbook paying seven places...

"Playing this type of golf he landed the Scottish Amateur at Royal Troon and also Western Gailles, he has a Tartan Tour win at Murcar Links, and he’s also got a victory on the second tier at Spey Valley."
David Law 1pt each-way @ 41.040/1

In telling the story of the Fairmont St Andrews Resort you might well be recounting the tale of pretty much every other modern golfing resort.

It was built in the 1990s by a multi-billionaire who was convinced that what the home of golf needed was a big hotel with two golf courses to cash in on all the visitors in town, while many others were wondering why any golfer would travel to St Andrews and then opt to play a resort layout.

Next stage was unveiling the courses alongside lots of hoopla about how great they were.

And stage three? That came earlier this year when, with absolutely no reference whatsoever to the original hoopla, came news that there will be a renovation of the courses to create a "world class resort and course".

Baffling to normal folk, mere run-of-the-mill poppycock for multi-billionaires and their side hustles.

So the Torrance Course, which hosts the DP World Tour for a third time this week, will, in the future, incorporate the best holes on the Kittocks Course and also get its best holes toughened up in the process.

But this week the par 72 which is set at 7,230 yards will be the same test that saw Adrian Otaegui thrash a brilliant 63 (having opened with a 62) to win the Scottish Championship in 2020 and also witnessed Grant Forrest go low (with a third round 62) when winning this event last year.

The weather is mostly set fair (a bit of rain on Friday) but the wind should keep everyone on their toes, with regular decent breezes of around 15 to 20 mph with gusts going higher.

This is not a links test but it is undoubtedly close, looks it and plays somewhat like it. It's also needed a strong all-round game to win here - both Forrest and Otaegui not only gained over 13 strokes on the field Tee to Green but over four on the greens.

Main Bet: David Law 1pt each-way @ 40/1

A number of players appealed but their prices felt too low: Marcus Armitage has form and course form but has played a lot of golf, Garrick Porteous has loved this course but is someone you'd want at a bigger price than this week, I'd have been tempted to give Julien Guerrier a go but not when I saw the prices, and Callum Shinkwin also came close.

Instead the first pick is Scotsman David Law who was T33rd in his first start on the course and then added tied fourth last year when he was top 10 all week and also fifth in SG Tee to Green.

In recent weeks the 31-year-old has landed another top five in the Irish Open and then made the cut at The Renaissance Club in the Scottish Open (T47th) and also in the Open on the Old Course (T72nd).

Up against high quality opposition that's a little better than it looks given this week's field and first of those tests is much like this week, while the second was down the road.

Playing this type of golf he landed the Scottish Amateur at Royal Troon and also Western Gailles, he has a Tartan Tour win at Murcar Links, and he's also got a victory on the second tier at Spey Valley, an inland course that plays fast; a modern heathland design much as this week is a modern linksy design.

And his first win at this level came back in 2019 when he won the Vic Open at 13th Beach, an Australian coastal track with links qualities without being quite the real deal.

Brandon Stone (720).JPG

Next Best: Brandon Stone 1pt each-way @ 66/1

If going low is a pre-requisite we know that South Africa's Brandon Stone can deliver the goods.

Moreover, he's done it by the seaside in Scotland, when thrashing a brilliant 60 to win the Scottish Open at Gullane in 2018.

He's also enjoyed himself in and around the auld grey toun, landing T15th and T10th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and he has experience of the course, finishing T16th back in 2020 (he ranked third for SG Putting).

He missed the cut in the Scottish Open (although not horribly with two 72s), but before than he was tied fifth at the European Open, T15th in the BMW International Open and T46th in the Irish Open.

Final Bet: Daan Huizing 1pt each-way @ 100/1

Understandably, lots of golfers who played well last week have had their prices cut this - there's plenty of reason to believe that Hillside tested many of the same skill sets that the Torrance Course will.

We can still get Dutchman at Daan Huizing, who was tied third, at three figures, however.

That result was far from this first decent effort in recent weeks. He was T10th in the European Open (on a course not really designed for a golfer like him) and opened the BMW International Open with a 63 before finishing T36th.

Moreover, his record suggests that the British and Irish seaside is where he is going to play his best golf.

As an amateur he won both the Lytham Trophy and the St Andrews Links Trophy (in 2012).

Admittedly, it was not by the sea, but his first return to these shores as a pro saw him win the Northern Ireland Challenge at Galgorm Castle.

And last summer he won again on the second tier in Ireland at Portmarnock Links.

He also had a red hot putter last week (ranked third gaining over six strokes) and has produced easily two of his career best SG Tee to Green efforts in the European Open and last week.

* Having difficulty working out the place returns? Fret no more - you can easily work out your returns with our new each way calculator.