Irish Open Each-Way Tips: 18/1 Robert MacIntyre can make it three

• Two-time winner 2024 Robert MacIntyre can make it three

• Kiwi Ryan Fox loves the Emerald Isle

• Seaside specialist Matthew Southgate is a huge price

Is Rory McIlroy due because, while Northern Ireland's finest-ever golfer has generally struggled on home soil, the problems surely cannot go on forever?

The first time it happened was in the 2007 Walker Cup at Royal County Down - host of this week's Irish Open - when the then 18-year-old was understandably billed as the star of the show and yet earned only half a point in his first three matches. He did win his final afternoon singles in some style to give the home team brief hope but it will have stung that he couldn't fire earlier in the week.

Eight years later he returned to a course frequently ranked number one in the world for the Irish Open and promptly missed the cut with rounds of 80-71.

It got worse when the Open returned to Royal Portrush, scene of his course record 61 as a 16-year-old. Excitement was high and yet it all fell flat with a wonky opening tee shot out of bounds on his way to a first round 79 which a dazzling Friday 65 couldn't rescue. Another missed cut.

He's even missed the cut at Portstewart although he was T10th at Royal Portrush in this championship in 2012.

Back in 2014 McIlroy told Today's Golfer that RCD is "a gem" and added that it is where he chooses to play with his mates back home. Can he revive those happy vibes and overcome whatever his past problems have been?

It would be nice if he contended at the very least because it would engage the galleries but given those home difficulties, added to a weather forecast that suggests gusts of up to 30 mph (never mind the possibility of draw bias), the attraction of each way prices over a short-priced favourite seems greater than ever.

In addition to that Walker Cup 17 years ago, the course also welcomed this championship back in 2015 and it produced plenty of drama.

Padraig Harrington shared the first round lead, there was a six-way tie for top spot at halfway, the final round was played in tough conditions, and Soren Kjeldsen emerged triumphant from a three-way play-off after recovering from carding a final round 76.

In addition to McIlroy's woes, Sergio Garcia missed the with rounds of 75-79 and Shane Lowry closed with a 77 for T43rd.

Having played the course I can attest that the backdrop is magnificent, the test sensational, but also that when the weather turns it can be brutal. Since golf is rarely better than when wind provides volatility we should be in for a tremendous week.

Main Bet: Robert MacIntyre 1.5pts each-way @ 18/1

As we'll discover, this week's plan includes a very high price selection with a reduced stake which helps us add a larger stake on a rare column venture shorter than 20/1.

McIlroy's favouritism makes sense for the bookies and they're also understandably wary of Shane Lowry but might Robert MacIntyre and Aaron Rai be the wrong way around?

The books disagree but, at the very least, there's a discussion to be had.

Rai is a two-time winner on the DP World Tour and one-time winner on the PGA Tour. MacIntyre has won three times in Europe and twice on the PGA Tour although one of the wins count on both circuits. Both have won at the Renaissance Club (and, although Rai was fourth behind MacIntyre, the Scot also has a second and two other top 20s). MacIntyre's two PGA wins have come this year against Rai's one. There's not a lot in it in terms of wider form.

MacIntyre's links form beyond Renaissance is also stronger.

Rai has finished ninth at Gullane and third at Fairmont St Andrews. MacIntyre's log book includes second at Hillside and, in the Open, sixth at Royal Portrush, eighth at Royal St George's. In head-to-heads on the linksland the Scot leads 9-2.

None of this is to say Rai is wrongly among the most likely winners, just that MacIntyre might be more likely.

In addition to winning in Canada and on the links already this summer, he's had a top 10 in the PGA Championship, another in a FedEx Cup Play Off event and carded a final round 64 last time out at East Lake.

Next best: Ryan Fox 1pt each-way @ 35/1

The island of Ireland has been good to the Kiwi Ryan Fox.

On his first visit, in 2016, he won the Northern Ireland Open at Galgorm Castle and he has added further parkland excellence with second at Mount Juliet and third at the K Club in the last two years of this week's championship.

But his links savvy is very good, too. He was fourth at Portstewart in 2017 and second at Ballyliffin in 2018 in the Irish Open, and T16th in the Open at Royal Portrush.

By the Scottish seaside he's been fourth at Dundonald, sixth at Gullane, and has been the winner and runner-up in the last two Alfred Dunhill Links Championships.

He's had a solid year in the States but ought to be licking his lips about this week.

Final Bet: Matthew Southgate 0.5pt each-way @ 325/1

England's Matthew Southgate is yet to win and has had a miserable summer, failing to play four rounds in 12 of his last 13 starts, but this is a big price for a links specialist.

The summer exception was fourth in the BMW International Open at the end of a week when he reminded everyone of his fondness for the seaside by winning Open Final Qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports.

He missed the cut at Royal Troon but was the wrong side of the draw and there's absolutely no doubt he plays his best golf on the links: a two-time Dunhill Links runner-up, a three-time top 25 finisher in the Open, and second at Portstewart in this event in 2017.

His career was also kickstarted by fourth place in the Irish Open in 2016 and he loves playing in front of Irish galleries.

Now read Steve Rawlings on the Irish Open.

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