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66/167.00 Thorbjorn Olesen has course and event form
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100/1101.00 Andy Sullivan has a strong Irish Open record
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80/181.00 Jorge Campillo also mixes event and FRL form
Weather forecast for Thursday
What's going on? Hot and sunny weather all over the UK and Ireland in September! Yes, that's the case and temperatures will settle in the 80s in round one. To add to the ideal opportunity to score, winds are virtually non-existent too.
Back Thorbjorn Olesen @ 66/167.00
Thorbjorn Olesen has been in decent nick of late, compiling three top 25s in six starts since the start of July, including 11th in the Czech Masters a fortnight ago.
It's a while, 2016 to be precise, since this event was played at the K Club but Olesen should remember it well after putting in a strong finish to take a share of 10th place.
That's one of six top 20s he's compiled in this event at its various venues so clearly it's a tournament the Dane always enjoys playing despite the differing tests.
Notably, in two of his last three Irish Opens Olesen has started fast. He started out with a 65 to sit third after 18 holes at Lahinch in 2019 while in 2021 a Thursday 67 at Mount Juliet was good enough for fourth place.
Given his history with the event and flashes of recent good form, let's back Olesen at 66/1 from his 12.30 tee time.
Back Andy Sullivan @ 100/1101.00
Like Olesen, Andy Sullivan is a former Ryder Cup player who didn't get near the team this time. But maybe talk of the bi-annual showdown against the United States will get the Englishman to puff his chest out and show that he's still capable.
We've had success with Sullivan in this market in 2023 and this could be a good place to catch him again despite some recent flat form since a pair of top 20s (British Masters, Made in Himmerland) at the start of July.
A runner-up at Lahinch in 2019, the 36-year-old also has two other top sixes, a 12th and a further two top 25s in the Irish Open.
Sullivan was the first-round leader at the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan earlier this year and since then has twice finished day one in second spot.
As for fast starts in this event, he was fourth after the opening lap in 2021 and 12th on the Thursday leaderboard in 2022.
There are enough ingredients there to back the 07.40 starter at a three-figure price.
Back Jorge Campillo @ 80/181.00
Jorge Campillo often thrives at the Irish Open. So imagine how much the Spaniard will like playing one in sunny weather!
Campillo has a third and two sevenths in the last four editions while he was 19th at the K Club in 2016 when sitting eighth after both rounds two and three.
Last year he flew out of the blocks with a 65 at Mount Juliet to sit second at close of play while Campillo was a first-round leader on the DP World Tour as recently as late May thanks to a 63 at the KLM Open.
With his putter hot (3rd for SG: Putting at Crans last week), the 37-year-old can be up with the pace early. He tees off alongside Olesen at 12.30.