Golf Tips: Best bets for Farmers Insurance Open and Ras Al Khaimah Championship

• Support for Jaeger at the Farmers makes sense at 74/175.00

• Lowry backed on his first start of year at 33/134.00

• Smith backed to contend at Al Hamra at 35/136.00

• Course info, first round leader tips and outsiders to back a big prices

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Farmers Insurance Open tips and predictions

The Punter: Back Jaeger at 74/175.00

Steve Rawlings: "This is one of the rare events where a fast start is far from essential and in the last ten years we've seen winners sit tied for 63^rd, 77^th, 90^th, 95^th and 113^th after round one. Reed, four years ago, was the first - first round leader to go on to win since 1996 and Tiger Woods (2008 and 2013) and Justin Rose six years ago, are the only halfway leaders to convert...

"Stephan Jaeger has shortened up from the 75.0 that was available on Monday, and I can see why. He traded at odds-on 12 months ago here. Since winning his first PGA Tour title at the Houston Open in March last year, where he impressively held off a bunch of players on Sunday that included Scottie Scheffler, he's also contended strongly at a couple of events recently."

Each-way picks from 25/1 to 80/1

Dave Tindall: "This is Shane Lowry's first start of the year, although he did at least get some buzz when hitting the first shot of the new TGL, the indoor venture created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Lowry's Bay GC team won their opener 9-2.

"Lowry, who started off his 2020 campaign with second place at the Hong Kong Open, ended 2024 in fine form. Each of his last eight starts on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour ended in finishes of 13th or better and he closed out with third place in November's DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The Irishman ranked third for SG: Approach there and sixth for Approach a week earlier in Abu Dhabi so if he can bring that iron play to the West Coast of America we could be in business."

Find Me a 100 Winner: Rose to rise at 119/1

Steve Rawlings: "We haven't seen Rose in a 72-hole event anywhere since he finished 18^th in the Hong Kong Open back in November. He'll arrive at Torrey Pines in good heart, however, having starred in a comfortable 10-1 win on the TGL last week and having captained the GB& I team to a facile victory at the Team Cup less than two weeks ago.

"Rose showed he can still be competitive when contending strongly at the Open Championship in July and the two-time Farmers winner looks a fair price at 120.0 in a weak renewal."

Place order to lay 8 Us @ 10.0 and 12 Us @ 2.0

Course and form stats

Andy Swales: "Torrey Pines is one of those venues where course history appears to have a greater bearing on the result, than many others. With this is mind, former world No 1 Jason Day 25/1 must be considered a real threat in this week's event. The Australian is a two-time winner in San Diego, along with a brace of other podium finishes. He's also in reasonable nick right now, following his tied-third in the desert over the weekend.

"Six-time PGA Tour winner Tony Finau 20/1 is another course specialist who is no slouch off the tee either - which is a key ingredient to winning at Torrey. And in-form Hideki Matsuyama 10/1 will be ready to contend again after winning the season-opening tournament at Kapalua.The current world No 4 finished third on last year's Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green category, as well as fourth in Strokes Gained: Total, which perfectly illustrates his strong all-round game."

Ras Al Khaimah Championship tips and predictions

The Punter: Smith can contend again at 35/1

Steve Rawlings: "If it's not too windy, up with the pace is usually the place to be in the desert and that's generally been the case in the last five events here. Olesen trailed by seven after round one but rounds of 62 and 63 on Friday and Saturday saw him take control, Ryan Fox and Adri Arnaus both won wire-to wire and Hojgaard and Gavins were in the van throughout...

"Having won the second of his two Challenge Tour titles here in 2016, he finished second to Nicolai Hojgaard in the inaugural edition of this event in 2022, so although he's performed poorly here in each of his last two appearances, it's a course that clearly fits his eye."

Each-Way Tips: 33/1 Neergaard-Petersen primed for breakthrough

Matt Cooper: "Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen was eighth in the Australian PGA Championship before Christmas and tenth in the Dubai Desert Classic last week. That's solid Middle East form and he can add to it this week on a course that should suit his strong driving.

"He didn't thrive in the Team Cup two weeks ago but just being there was a sign of what is perceived of his potential and the way he bounced back last week was impressive. His compatriot Olesen will be tough to beat, as will another former winner Ryan Fox and David Puig likes this part of the world, but there's more each way value in Neergaard-Petersen."

First-Round Leader Tips: Picks from 40/1 to 100/1

Dave Tindall: "Johannes Veerman enjoys Al Hamra and has first-round positions of 3rd, 11th, 11th. He turned two of those into top 20 finishes. The big hitter has a habit of making fast starts and has resided in the top 20 after 18 holes in each of his last seven worldwide events, four of those being in the top 10.

"His best opener was a 63 in November's Abu Dhabi Championship, good enough for second place on the Thursday leaderboard, and going low on day one in the desert seems to be a habit of his. Let's follow the trend and back Veerman at 40s from his 12.45 tee-time."

Course and current form stats

Andy Swales: "The course is laid out close to Ras Al Khaimah's western coastline in the Persian Gulf. Course architect Peter Harradine used five million cubic metres of sand to shape and design the layout. Al Hamra has reasonably generous fairways, straightforward putting surfaces, and large threatening water hazards on eight holes. It's another Middle East venue where power off the tee is certainly rewarded.

"Another top-10 performer at the weekend was New Zealander Ryan Fox 22/1 who was making his first competitive appearance for two-and-a-half months. Fox is a former champion at Al Hamra, having triumphed over the course in 2022."

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