This year's Open Championship at Royal St George's is just that (open) and bookmakers are falling over themselves to attract your custom, with a plethora of tempting offers.
Firstly, Boylesports are offering magnificent each-way terms of a quarter the odds the first eight places, while Paddy Power are not far behind by offering seven places. In fact, it would be easier to name those bookmakers who are sticking to the more traditional 'quarter the odds, the first five places' this week as far as enhanced place terms go. I won't here but the advice is simple - don't place your each-way bets with them.
One thing's clear, after being as short as 5/1 a couple of weeks back, layers are out to get Rory McIlroy, who has drifted out to a top-priced 17/2 with Boylesports - the Irish firm report that Luke Donald is their biggest loser and go 9/1 on the Scottish Open winner, who can still be backed at 12/1 with William Hill and Ladbrokes. Coral are also against McIlroy and are confident enough to pay out on any runner-up to the US Open champion.
As for the winner, you don't need me to tell you that McIlroy and Donald have massive chances, as surely does Lee Westwood (12/1 Ladbrokes). Whether they are value at their respective odds, however, is another matter and for the purpose of this article I've tried to unearth three players with genuine chances at much bigger odds:
Charles Schwartzel @ 50/1 Boylesports (1/4 odds, 8 places)
The Masters winner has never finished closer than 14th in this Major but that came last year at St Andrews and he was a far from shabby tied-22nd at Hoylake in 2006, which was the last Open played on a dry, fast-running course - the expected conditions this week. After watching his compatriot Louis Oosthuizen lift the Claret Jug 12 months ago, the South African's career has reached a new level with that victory at Augusta and, unlike a fair few first-time Major winners, he has held his form remarkably well since: tied-26th at the Players, tied-22nd at Memorial, tied-ninth at Congressional and fifth at the World Match Play Championship. So, here you have a player who has shown a liking for links golf, with a Major under his belt already and in great form. Throw in the fact he has a late tee-time on Thursday (an advantage if the latest weather forecast can be believed) and the 50s with eight places as insurance looks massive.
Fredrik Jacobson @ 90/1 bet365 (1/4 odds, 6 places)
I can remember backing the Swede the last time the Open was played here in 2003 and the pain of watching him finish sixth came back to haunt me this week - bookies weren't so generous with their place terms then! That was his only Open top-10 to date, admittedly, but he finally broke through on the PGA Tour this season - after eight years of trying - with victory at River Highlands and the confidence he would have gained from that could see him belie his price this week. His unorthodox swing means backers will be holding their breath every time he tees up, but the latest from the course is that the rough is far from penal and he will be able to get away with the odd loose shot, especially as his putting remains as phenomenal as ever. His draw could be better (due out at 7.14am) but that is more than compensated by his price and what could be an all-important six places.
Nicolas Colsaerts @ 150/1 Paddy Power (1/4 odds, 7 places)
The final 'value' pick has fared much better with the draw as he one of the later starters - out at 2.54pm with JB Holmes and Sang-moon Bae. The big-hitting Belgian was a bit of a party-goer in his early years as a pro (house music lover no less) and as a consequence never really fulfilled the potential he had shown as a youngster but, after deciding to knuckle down, he's one of the most improved players on Tour this season. His 11th place in Abu Dhabi back in January was a sign of things to come and he's since won the China Open, finished third in the World Matchplay and, in the last fortnight, finished 11th (Paris) and third in the Scottish Open. With less severe rough than you'd normally expect for an Open after a dry spring, the longer hitters could well have an advantage this week, and there isn't much wrong with the rest of his game. 150/1 - I don't think so.
Recommended Bets:-
Charl Schwartzel 2pts each-way @ 50/1 Boylesports
Fredrik Jacobson 1pt each-way @ 90/1 bet365
Nicolas Colsaerts 1pt each-way @ 150/1 Paddy Power
