Olympic Games 2024 First-Round Leader Tips: Picks from 16/1 to 80/1

• 33/134.00 Alex Noren has been starting fast lately

• 16/117.00 Jon Rahm has found his stride again

• 80/181.00 Matteo Manassero has two recent 18-hole leads

Weather forecast for Thursday

It's a warm and sunny day in Paris, with temperatures in the high 80s.

The 60-man field is divided into 20 three-balls, the first group hitting off at 08.00 local time and the final trio teeing it up at 11.39.

Wind speeds start at around 6mph and could hit 10-12mph around 1pm but it's hard to see a real bias with the field fairly bunched.

Alex Noren @ 30/131.00

I'm keen on Alex Noren in most markets this week and FRL is definitely one of them.

The Swede was quick out of the blocks in both big events in Scotland recently, opening with a 65 in the Scottish Open and a 69 at the Open Championship.

That was good enough to secure eighth after 18 holes at The Renaissance Club and fourth following day one at Royal Troon.

As at Troon, he's in one of the first groups out in Paris (08.22) and that gives him a good chance to claim an early place on the leaderboard.

Noren is a former winner at Le Golf National having captured the 2018 Open de France there and he's not finished worse than 18th in his last four visits.

Also part of Europe's winning Ryder Cup team at the famed Paris venue in 2018, the 42-year-old boasts first-round leads in the last eight months at both the Bermuda Championship (61) and The American Express (62).

Back him at 33s to lead the way again.

Jon Rahm @ 16/117.00

In this win only market, Jon Rahm has to enter calculations after a very noticeable return to form in the last few weeks.

After a difficult season, the Spaniard is on the charge again, closing with a 68 to take seventh in the Open at Royal Troon and then, at last, getting his first LIV Golf victory last Sunday.

That win in the UK was fuelled by an opening 63 that gave him the first-round lead and, with momentum behind him, there's every chance he hits the ground running again here.

With a fifth and a 10th in his two starts at Le Golf National, he's performed well on the course and Rahm will have strong memories of taking down Tiger Woods in the Ryder Cup singles there in 2018.

Rahm definitely rises to the occasion when national pride is concerned and that's shown by three wins in five starts at his home Open de Espana.

He ended day one in the top four in four of those five so back the double major winner for FRL at 16s from his 10.55 tee-time.

Matteo Manassero @ 80/181.00

Matteo Manassero played in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and was 11th after round one before finishing 27th.

He's walked in plenty of low valleys since then but heads to Le Golf National on the up again.

A decent 31st in the Open, the Italian had headed to Troon after three top 15s in his previous four starts.

In the first of those, a 64 gave him the first-round lead in June's KLM Open while he fired a 63 on day two of the Scottish Open to show he has low numbers in him.

That was also the case back in late March's lndian Open where he again took FRL honours thanks to a 65.

It's old form but in his early days, Manassero had first-round positions at Le Golf National of second, sixth and sixth in his first four appearances at the Open de France.

On his first visit there since 2018, he could have something up his sleeve and is worth a punt at 80s. Manassero tees off at 09.55.

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