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The Open Championship Betting: The European Tour's form players

The Open RSS / / 13 July 2010 /

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Ross Fisher blew his chance of Open glory in the final round of last year’s event but has a good chance of making amends at St Andrews this week

Ross Fisher blew his chance of Open glory in the final round of last year’s event but has a good chance of making amends at St Andrews this week

"Ross Fisher has also got form around Scottish links courses, and more crucially, St Andrews. He finished second at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2008, and whilst the course this week will undoubtedly play tougher than it will for that event later in the year, there’s no substitute for having some good results around here."

After successfully picking the winner of last month's major, Mike Norman is again following the fortunes of the European Tour's in-form players as he seeks to find the winner of this week's Open Championship.


Leading up to last month's US Open, highlighting a couple of the European Tour's in-form players was an extremely easy task. Both Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell had played brilliantly in Europe and their US Open credentials stuck out like a sore thumb. And of course, this column - courtesy of McDowell - had a big-price winner.

In that US Open preview Miguel Angel Jimenez was another of my selections, and he would win in France two weeks later at odds of around [120.0]. So it just goes to show that backing in-form golfers can certainly reap rewards.

Since the US Open there have been three tournaments on the European Tour with a handful of golfers catching the eye, and I'm recommending a bet on each of them for this week's big event.

Ross Fisher ([55.0] Winner market, [26.0] Top European market, [15.0] Top 5 market)

Fisher enjoyed a magnificent season in 2009, being in contention at some stage of all four of the majors. Whilst he hasn't quite reproduced that form this season the signs are the he is approaching his best. He finished second at the BMW International Open in Germany recently and just last week recorded a top-10 finish at the Barclays Scottish Open.

Fisher has also got form around Scottish links courses, and more crucially, St Andrews. He finished second at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2008, and whilst the course this week will undoubtedly play tougher than it will for that event later in the year, there's no substitute for having some good results around here. Fisher will have learned massively from his final round slump in last year's Open, and I fancy the Englishman to go quite well in Fife this week.


Francesco Molinari ([80.0] W, [28.0] TE, [18.0] T5)

Whilst brother Edoardo got the better of Francesco at last week's Scottish Open, you can't help but feel that if Francesco can improve his putting by just 10% then he'll be finishing ahead of his brother - and many other players - almost week in week out.

Despite his putting woes Molinari is very much an in-from golfer. He finished third at the Madrid Masters at the end of May and has since recorded two top-four finishes in the European Tour events that sandwich last month's US Open and this week's Open Championship. The greens should be a lot slicker than usual and I always feel that helps a player who has problems putting from close range. If Francesco can get the ball rolling in the right direction this week he might just take a bit of stopping.


Rhys Davies ([150.0] W, [60.0] TE, [34.0] T5)

Davies was in excellent form leading up to the US Open, and I have to say that just making the cut in his first visit to Pebble Beach was some sort of an achievement for this young Welshman. Since then he has recorded two respectable finishes in France and Scotland without getting into serious contention and I have a hunch that he will perform really well at St Andrews.

In fact I can't believe the hunch I'm getting for this guy to do well this week. It's like I was just out shopping, looking for my favourite brand of hot dogs, and the words Rhys Davies for The Open jumped into my head. My stomach turned like it does when you're in love, except I'm not in love, I've just got a massive crush on Davies' chance this week. He's had a marvellous season to date, and I just hope that this starlet - who has a putting stroke to die for - can cap it with an outstanding performance at St Andrews.


Stephen Gallacher ([220.0] W, [80.0] TE, [50.0] T5)

Gallacher was a player in red hot form not long ago, recording three top-six finishes on the bounce on the European Tour at the end of May and beginning of June. He finished down the field at the BMW International Open and Alstom Open de France (after I'd selected him) but hit back with a terrific fourth place finish at the Scottish Open last week.

Crucially however, Gallacher has some excellent form around St Andrews, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2004 and then finishing seventh a year later. The anticipated bad weather shouldn't bother him, and I envisage him going well in front of a very patriotic home crowd.


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