Golf Tips: Best bets for Shriners Children's Open and Open de Espana

Shriners Children's Open: Tom Kim to shine at Summerlin at 28/1

Steve Rawlings previews this week's event at Summerlin, where strong course form and low scoring is common, and recommends a bet on a young pretender...

Steve says: "The Shriners is a low scoring birdie-fest and if we take out the 2017 result, the average winning score for the other 17 editions (since it became a 72-hole event) is 22-under-par. On average, the winners have made 24 birdies en route to victory. Im made 26 last year.

"He ranked first for both Greens In Regulation and Scrambling, as well as well as first for Strokes Gained tee-to Green but a good angle in is to concentrate on the fairly straight hitters as finding fairways appears key to going low here.

"Driving Accuracy used to be a completely irrelevant stat here but that's all changed of late. The fairways are wide, some of the easiest on tour, and the rough is minimal so it's hard to figure out why accuracy is so important now but it clearly is...

"I've just got one pick for now, the 20-year-old Korean sensation, Tom Kim. It's very hard to gauge just how good the Wyndham Championship winner is and I'm happy to take a small chance on him here at 28.027/1. Accurate driving is just one of the young Korean's strengths, and I can see him taking to this venue immediately."

Steve's bet:
Back Tom Kim @ 28.027/1

Shriners Children's Open Each-Way Tips: Kim can land Vegas jackpot

After landing a full 100/1 place last week, Dave Tindall looks for more profits with his three each-way tips for the action in Las Vegas...

Dave says: "Playing from the short grass around three quarters of the time looks the target this week with breezes light and I'm going to make Si-Woo Kim my first bet.

"His countryman 'Tom' Kim got most of the attention from an International Team perspective at the recent Presidents Cup but it was Si-Woo who emerged as their top scorer after banking three wins in his four matches.

"That's an impressive addition to the CV and, of course, his biggest achievement was landing The Players Championship in 2017. That was with 10-under but his other two victories have come in birdie-fests - 21-under at the Wyndham (R2 60) and 23-under at The American Express - and those numbers should get our attention given the examination paper in Vegas."

Dave's bet:
Back Si-Woo Kim each-way @ 41.040/1

Shriners Children's Open First-Round Leader Tips: Look to Laird

Dave Tindall recommends three picks to be First-Round Leader and says Vegas specialist Martin Laird can hit the ground running...

Dave says: "Martin Laird is a two-time winner at TPC Summerlin and renowned as a desert specialist. And he's worth a look in this market too after being given an early tee-time of 07.13 from the 1st.

"The Scotsman was the first-round leader of this event in 2014 and he opened 65-63-65 on the way to victory two years ago. You'll find a 62 and more 63s when trawling through his round scores down the years.

"He's not had his best stuff since a third at the Barracuda Championship in July but Laird has still been starting pretty well and was in the top 15 after round one of the Sanderson Farms Championship last week despite going on to miss the cut."

Dave's bet: Back Martin Laird each-way at 81.080/1

Find Me a 100 Winner: Hot Higgo worth chancing

Steve Rawlings recommends the players to back at long odds this week and explains why Higgo is fancied to build on last week's top-3 finish...

Steve says: "All three of Garrick Higgo's DP World Tour titles have come in low scoring birdie-fests with his winning scores ranging for -19 to -27 so although he missed the cut in this event on debut last year, I suspect it'll be right up his street.

"Higgo has done very little for a long time and like many a young player he's inconsistent but he knows how to win (also won the Palmetto Championship on the PGA Tour last year) and after a run of five straight missed cuts, he burst into life last week to finish third, missing out on the playoff by a stroke.

"Higgo ranked third for Greens In Regulation and seventh for Putting Average in Mississippi and a repeat of that will see him contend. Add in the fact that Higgo attended the University of Nevada, so has probably played the course many times, and he's well worth an interest at a big price."

Steve's bet:
Back Garrick Higgo @ 160.0159/1

Shriners Children's Open 2022: Course and current form stats

There will be plenty of birdie opportunities this week says Andy Swales as he provides the course form, players form and his ones to watch...

Andy says: "The course has Bentgrass greens that are larger than the Tour average, as well as generously wide Bermuda grass fairways. Summerlin was built to the west of Las Vegas city centre, close to Death Valley and in North America's driest desert - called Mojave.

"Sand is more of an issue than greenside water which only comes into play on four holes - including each of the last three. Surrounded by rugged desert terrain, TPC Summerlin offers plenty of birdie opportunities and is one of the easier venues for hitting greens in regulation. Therefore, having a hot putter will be essential this week...

"Dean Burmester made a strong start to life on the PGA Tour by finishing fourth at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday. Is currently a career-high No 58 in the World Ranking."

Andy's Player to Watch: Back Dean Burmester @ 85.084/1

Open de España: 20/1 Arnaus set fair for another home win

Steve Rawlings previews this week's event in Madrid where course form is key and Jon Rahm will go in as worthy favourite...

Steve says: "Rahm was inside the top-four places all week in 2019 and the two course winners before him were both within two of the lead after round one and in front after rounds two and three. And Padraig Harrington was never headed after 36 holes in both 1996 and 2000 but a slow start can be overcome.

"Last year's playoff protagonists both trailed by six after round one, as did Ricardo Gonzalez (2003) and Richard Sterne (2004) and Gonzalez trailed by 11 at halfway and by six with a round to go!

"The first three holes all averaged over-par in both 2019 and 2021 so it's a slightly tricky start but only seven holes averaged over-par for the week last year and the last six holes all averaged below par. It's not a tough track by any means and a fast finish is possible...

"I was happy to play Adri Arnaus modestly at 22.021/1 and I've also had a small bet on Lawrence. He was one of my Find me a 100 Winner picks last week and he started nicely on Thursday (shot five-under-par around Carnoustie) but missed the cut on Saturday due to shooting 80 on Friday in the awful weather."

Steve's bet:
Back Adri Arnaus @ 22.021/1

Open de Espana Each-Way Tips: Back Lawrence's head for heights

Matt Cooper has three selections with the Betfair Sportsbook paying seven places for this week's event in Spain...

Matt says: "South Africa's Thriston Lawrence has enjoyed a superb season, one which started with a bit of luck but he's more than made the most of it.

"That good fortune came when he was leading the Joburg Open by four shots at the halfway stage following a pair of 65s whereupon the tournament was cancelled and he was declared the winner. The next time the tour hit the heights he finished second in the Kenya Open before heading home to landed a pair of top 20s around Johannesburg.

"He was solid throughout the summer, highlighted by a top three in the Irish Open, before he landed a second triumph at the European Masters in Crans. He was among those who struggled in last Friday's wind at the Dunhill Links Championship, but either side of his 80 he carded a 67 and a 69."

Matt's bet: Thriston Lawrence 1pt each-way @ 34.033/1

Spanish Open 2022: Course and current form stats

Spaniards are out in force at their home national open says Andy Swales as he provides the course form, players form and his ones to watch...

Andy says: "The Black Course is a rolling, parkland layout with tight tree-lined fairways and small undulating greens. It also offers panoramic vistas of the Spanish capital. Accuracy will certainly be more important this week than distance, at a low-scoring venue where three years ago Jon Rahm emerged as champion at 22-under-par.

"Cabrera-Bello, who won last year in a play-off, posted 19-under for 72 holes while the two previous Tour winners over the Black Course - Charl Schwartzel (2008) and Raphael Jacquelin (2005) - were 19 and 23 under respectively...

"Adri Arnaus lost a play-off at Club de Campo last year but finally made his long-awaited Tour breakthrough with a maiden victory in Catalunya five months ago."

Andy's Player to Watch: Back Adri Arnaus @ 20.019/1