The 17th green, looking up the 18th fairway at St Andrews © Kevin Murray
Louis Oosthuizen 12/1 © Kevin Murray
The home of golf will see some of the victorious Ryder Cup team turn up to compete in this weeks Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The players will be competing on the hollowed turf that is St Andrews, but also Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, three of the best courses in Fife. All three are in Golf Monthly’s Top 100 courses of Great Britain and Ireland, only Kingbarns is just outside the Top 10 at number sixteen.
The European Tour will be on a high after the weekends heroics at Medinah Country Club and three of those players Martin Kaymer 22/1, Paul Lawrie 28/1 and Peter Hanson 30/1 plus vice Captains Thomas Bjorn 55/1, Miguel Angel Jimenez 90/1, Darren Clarke 125/1 and Paul McGinley 200/1 will all be competing here this week.
After Europe’s win at Celtic Manor in 2010 Martin Kaymer turned up the week after and won this event, I am not sure how after the celebrations and a transatlantic flight this weeks Ryder Cup hero’s will fare, but I am sure they will all get a very warm reception and maybe the adrenalin will carry them through.
My picks to win are:
My first pick is going to be Louis Oosthuizen 12/1, Louis will have some very fond memories of St Andrews where he won his Open Championship and tied fifth here last year.
Next up has to be Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer 22/1 and as I stated earlier, winner here in 2010. As everyone knows Martin has had a rough time recently, but I am sure that his win on Sunday and more importantly holing the putt to retain the Ryder Cup will give the German a massive injection of self belief.
“Daddy Cool” Paul Lawrie 28/1 played a massive part in Sunday’s remarkable feats and his point against Brandt Snedeker kept the momentum of the day going for Europe. But lets not forget it has been a great year for the lad from Aberdeen with two wins and two other Top 5 finishes.
Martin Kaymer 20/1 © Keith Allison
My each-way picks:
Henrik Stenson 33/1 who represented Europe in 2006 and 2008, would have enjoyed the win as much as anyone else, but that feeling would have been tinged with a touch of ‘I want to make sure I am on the next team’. The Swede has started to come back into form with four Top 10 finishes from his last six events.
The Spanish influence at the Ryder Cup was massive, none more so than the memory and spirit of Seve, I am sure all Spanish golfers have Seve as their inspiration add that to the great year Rafa Cabrera-Bello 40/1 has already had and I think the lad from Gran Canaria will do well this week.
Outside bet:
This weeks outside bet is also going to have a Ryder Cup influence and that is the brother of the man who’s half point won the cup for Europe, Edoardo Molinari 125/1. I am sure Edoardo was over the moon for his brother, but like Stenson, will be thinking back to Celtic Manor when he was part of the team, It has not been a great year for Edoardo, but at these odds and the weekends events, I think its worth a couple of quid on the Italian.
For updated betting odds during the tournament go to planetgolfreview.com
Kyle Phillips designed Kingsbarns course © Kevin Murray
