OUR usual golfing pundit Kevin Officer sits this one out with our online expert LyonsDen taking over the helm for the weekend action at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s. He will try and work out what player will hold aloft that famous claret jug come Sunday evening and back all his selections each-way with some layers paying places the first sseven so value to be had...
LET’S get stuck right in and start with Darren Clarke who was the Champion Golfer of 2011 but after a disappointing year he’ll be looking to bounce back amidst favourable conditions.
Royal Lytham will provide one of the toughest Open tests in many years. A premium is put on accuracy from the tee with fairway bunkers dotted around most holes. Coupled with that the players have the longest, thickest rough they’ve had to deal with since the infamous ‘Carnasty’.
These factors will result in many golfers taking a more strategic approach mainly taking irons off the tee. This will lengthen the test, and with nasty weather on the horizon it makes the Open Championship a difficult one to decipher.
The golfer top of our list this week is Justin Rose who is widely available at 33s. He currently sits atop the Race to Dubai standings with a runner-up spot at Wentworth and a WGC victory earlier in the year in the states. Justin ticks every box coming to Lytham this week. He can hit the ball straight, is razor accurate with his irons and most importantly has the knowledge to deal with this links offering. He burst onto our screens as a fresh-faced 16-year-old holing his third shot to the 18th at Birkdale securing his Amateur Medal.
In recent years he has become a major player and this could be the week he takes that extra step to the upper echelons of the game. He has been honing his skills in the states playing the New York Links course and Shinnecock Hills before playing in the French Open two weeks ago. Here at the LyonsDen we believe he has been preparing for this all year. A confident bet.
Our next each-way two picks will be familiar to followers of the LyonsDen because they’ve run us incredibly close in the last two majors.
This time around we feel it impossible to leave them out of our staking plan. Louis Oosthuizen (50/1) was the surprise winner of the Open two years back at St Andrews and we can’t stress enough how much we love this guy’s game. You’ve heard it here first, this cool South African will win more majors.
He owns the most fluid rhythmical swing in the game. It really is poetry in motion. The odd lapse in concentration cost him dear last week at the Scottish Open where he played some nice golf in warm up for Lytham. His runner up spot at Augusta only serves to enhance this fella’s confidence. He knows he’s at the top where he belongs. He possesses the tools this week to get around in a nice score and is crying out to be backed.
Jim Furyk (50/1) is an older head on ageing shoulders. If anyone deserves a 2nd major title this tee to green expert does. He came mighty close at last months US Open where he wilted with a few holes to go. He is more equipped than many to do damage this week. He has a decent record in Open Championships with his low ball flight proving a big advantage. He is fancied to go well again.
The PG prediction for the weekend is Dustin Johnston each-way at 40s after last year’s gallant second and looks to be a solid place punt. You can catch the LyonsDen golfing tips each week at thelyonsdengolf.wordpress.com or online on the PG Facebook page.
THE OPEN - LyonsDen
