The 2019 Open

[Hibbyradge]

Who do you fancy for the Open next weekend?

McIlroy is favourite, but I'm not sure he's worth a punt these days.

Paddy Power and Coral are offering 10 EW places, with Bet365 paying 8, but maybe with slightly better odds.

I don't bet much, but I like a small wager on the Open.

[Smartie]

It's hard to see beyond Koepka.

He always seems to be up there at the majors, so the 10 places being paid gives you your money back plus a wee bit on top.

Cabrera-Bello and Wiesberger have been good on links courses in recent weeks.

I've got a wee wager on Andrea Pavan at 300/1, he's won on the European Tour recently and had a good week at the Scottish Open last week.

There are a few decent Scottish players coming through at the moment too - Robert McIntyre and Grant Forrest will have played a lot of competitive links golf in their time and have been quite impressive in recent weeks/ months.

I don't fancy Rory for whatever reason, Woods neither.

[Carheenlea]

Justin Thomas enjoyed a decent four days scoring at The Renaissance, so quite fancy him to carry that on and have a good Open. Xander Schauffele was joint runner up last year so he’s one I’m keeping an eye on. Koepka will be up there for sure, but for British interest I fancy Matt Fitzpatrick to do well, as will McIlroy I feel. Rory won’t have the same pressure as he does at Augusta to complete the grand slam, but I think he’ll ride on the goodwill and occasion this week.
Going to be a great tournament.

[Hibee87]

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It's hard to see beyond Koepka.

He always seems to be up there at the majors, so the 10 places being paid gives you your money back plus a wee bit on top.

Cabrera-Bello and Wiesberger have been good on links courses in recent weeks.

I've got a wee wager on Andrea Pavan at 300/1, he's won on the European Tour recently and had a good week at the Scottish Open last week.

There are a few decent Scottish players coming through at the moment too - Robert McIntyre and Grant Forrest will have played a lot of competitive links golf in their time and have been quite impressive in recent weeks/ months.

I don't fancy Rory for whatever reason, Woods neither.

Im sticking a few rupees on Pavan, mainly because he is now a Hibee but only getting 250/1 at laddies.

Also an outside E/W bet on McDowell, who like McIllroy, is playing at his 'home' course.

Realistically though it is hard to see past Koepka as you say.

[Hibbyradge]

I think Matt Wallace might turn up and I'd love Eddie Pev to do well.

The fact that McDowell qualified with his last, huge putt, forces the romantic in me to have a small EW interest in him on his home course.

[Smartie]

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I think Matt Wallace might turn up and I'd love Eddie Pev to do well.

The fact that McDowell qualified with his last, huge putt, forces the romantic in me to have a small EW interest in him on his home course.

Wallace is a good shout.

He's up there almost every week and has done well at a couple of majors in the USA.

I've backed him quite a lot and he's won (and lost) me a fortune.

He's just that little bit temperamental and that makes it hard to trust him not to do something daft when it matters most.

Decent odds and a good shout for at least getting into the top 10.

[yonder1875]

Will be betting Rickie Fowler as I have done at every major for years, gotta happen one day!!

[Golden Bear]

Koepka - It's a major so he'll be there or thereabouts and the fact that he has a local caddy will be of great benefit.

Stenson- running into form and a great bet at 28/1.

Justin Rose - Also 28/1, I'm betting on him only because I normally do.

Wiesberger - I fully intended to back him before his victory at the Renaissance and he still represents good each way value for money at 60/1.

Kevin Kisner - Form shaded a bit of late but he performed well in last years Open and at odds of 125/1 he's worth a couple of quid as an each way bet.

Xander Schauffele - Obviously one to watch and the bookies agree which us why I could only get odds of 22/1 this morning.

Bring it on - first tee off time is just after 6.30am on Thursday morning.

[lord bunberry]

Tiger Woods looks the best value in the field for me. Louis Oosthuizen is another that could go well at a decent price.

[Carheenlea]

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Tiger Woods looks the best value in the field for me. Louis Oosthuizen is another that could go well at a decent price.

If the course was playing hard and fast Tiger Woods might have been in with a chance of plotting his way round, but those conditions that can bring a lot more of the field into having an opportunity to get themselves into the mix wont be in evidence this week by the looks of it. He’s more or less written off his chances in his press briefing where he said his game isn’t really where he’d like it to be for an Open Championship. This one will probably play into the hands of the bombers, and the accurate bombers like Koepka, Johnson and McIlroy. The fact that Koepka’s caddy Ricky Elliot is a Portrush native and knows the course like the back of his hand makes the pairing the stand out favourites. If I were a betting man I’d be betting a straight win on Koepka rather than the favoured E/W of golf wagers for what would still be an attractive punt at around 10/1.

[Sylar]

Two screens at work + SkyGo = unlikely to make much progress today

[Sylar]

McIlroy crumbles under the pressure of the opening tee at his home course and hits his first tee shot OB.

Deary dear.

[Golden Bear]

David Duval makes a 15 on the 7th! There's hope for us yet. 😁

Edit - it was only a 13 apparently.

[Sylar]

Rory finds a birdie!

A few players finding a bit of a rythym here - Garcia and McDowell both going along quite well.

I really think Tiger will struggle on this course - wind is blowing, rough is unforgiving.

[AugustaHibs]

Spieth at 35s is a shout

[Carheenlea]

Rory’s new jacket hasn’t brought him much luck so far - he might been better spending more time on the range than watching Green Street



(That said, I watched him on the short game practice area at Renaissance on Sunday a good two and a half hours before his tee time. The amount of different shots he was executing with the same club was wonderful to watch)

[IWasThere2016]

I've backed the Americans. The course is too green and they will "target golf" themselves round.

Dough is on Koepka, Woods, Spieth, Thomas and Cantlay. Only European I have ££s on is Eddie Pepperell

[Smartie]

This course is brilliant.

Birdies and eagles out there but crazy bad numbers out there as well to punish careless golf.

Really good to watch.

[hibeg]

My tip for the Masters, Shane Lowry, didn’t come anywhere close. He will be my outside bet for the Open.

[Golden Bear]

Very impressive post disaster interview from Rory, it was honest and brutally frank. Well done that man, it couldn't have been easy.

[Jim44]

Tiger Woods looking out of sorts. Seems overweight, lethargic and moving sluggishly to me. Reflected in his score.

[BroxburnHibee]

Rory is spent in majors I fear.

[Hibs90]

Absolutely choking at McIlroy making a tit of it, again.

Heads completely gone.

[Smartie]

Rory will win another major.

I didn't fancy him this week as I thought it would all be too much for him.

He occasionally gets into a zone where he is practically unbeatable, and he'll get there again for a major, probably in the US. He's probably still got a good 50+ attempts in him yet, it'll all come together for him again at some point.

Tiger may be finished. His comeback last year, then the win at Augusta seems to have taken an awful lot out of him. He's running out of time and all that grimacing suggests to me his battered body won't take much more.

[lyonhibs]

For those of us outside the UK at work, holes 5,6 and 7 seem to be getting streamed live with commentary here: https://www.theopen.com/watch/featured-holes

Better than nothing

[Smartie]

Tyrell Hatton gets on my tits big time.

I don't know what it is, I just don't like him.

I'd hate it if he won, and I'd love it if he had some sort of heartbreaking implosion.

[Pete]

While there are one or two big casualties, there are still lots of big names within striking distance.

Dylan Fritteli and Tony Finau are quite good value.

[007]

Great shot by Rory, he might just make the cut. If he can and get a decent round tomorrow he might be able to get into contention on Sunday.

[lord bunberry]

Lee Westwood winning would be an absolute fairytale.

[Sylar]

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Lee Westwood winning would be an absolute fairytale.

Sadly, I think Westwood will go down in history as the greatest player to never win a major.

It's a shame for Rory - his implosion yesterday cost him dearly.