Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell is the bookmakers’ favourite to retain his Saab Wales Open title.
McDowell won this tournament last year, at Celtic Manor Resort, and the 31-year-old is 12/1 with
bet365 to leave the Welsh course with the title once again in 2011.
A number of Europe’s big guns are competing at The Memorial Tournament in the United States this week and that will give some of the European Tour’s less heralded players a chance at glory.
However, among those lesser names is Miguel Angel Jimenez who is keen to end a winless drought that goes back to the Omega European Masters last September. The 47-year-old Spaniard went close at the Ballantine’s Championship, finishing second, and he is 25/1 with
totesport to go one better and take the title in Wales.
English pair Simon Dyson and Ross Fisher are 20/1 (
bwin) and 25/1 (bet365) respectively, while home favourite Rhys Davies is 22/1 with
Paddy Power. Another Welshman, Jamie Donaldson, is out at 35/1 (bet365).
Darren Clarke recently won his first European Tour title since 2008, winning the Iberdrola Open in May, and the popular Northern Irishman is best-priced at 45/1 with bet365 to secure his second victory of 2011.
Peter Hanson is 30/1 (
Blue Square) and Anders Hansen 33/1 (
Betfred), while Sicilian Open winner Raphael Jacquelin can be backed at 33/1 (Paddy Power) to register another win this year.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry is available at 28/1 with
Victor Chandler, who are also continuing their “Hole-in-won” promotion. All you need to do is have a bet on a player to win the Saab Wales Open – win or each-way – and if your selection loses but has a hole-in-one during the tournament, Victor Chandler will pay you out as a winner.
And competing in Wales are several players who have made hole-in-ones this year; Jacquelin 28/1, David Horsey 33/1, David Howell 80/1, Maarten Lafeber (100/1), Keith Horne 200/1, Julio Zapata 250/1 and Mark Brown 300/1 (all Victor Chandler odds).
