british open, page-3

Rickie Fowler: Popular with some of the layers

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: Q&A


Q: Let's start with Tiger Woods. Three wins this season, the halfway leader in the US Open, three Open Championship wins - is he the man to beat again or will you look to take him on?

John Rhodes, Sky Bet: Obviously the man to beat, but I will generally be happy to take him on. His record on par-70s isn't amazing, and obviously with two less par-fives to sink his teeth into I feel it gives the rest of the players a more level playing field. If you look at his three Open wins, two are on the wide Open St Andrews which Tiger loves, and the other at Hoylake where it was firm and fast and he only used driver once that week. He is 8/1 with Sky Bet at present.

Charlie McCann, BetVictor: We are looking to take everyone on given we are 15/2 Tiger, who remains a worthy favourite, but his golfing renaissance won't be complete without a first Major since the US Open in 2008. Finished tied for 25th at Lytham in 2001 when holder of the Claret Jug, and although he was out of sorts at the time we are looking to take him on.

Alex Donohue, Ladbrokes: It'll probably be 20/1 bar one unless one of the big guns wins this weekend so I guess that speaks for itself. It won't be a case of taking Tiger on but like all bookmakers we're in business to do business.

Rupert Adams, William Hill: He's not the man to beat but he will be up there challenging. Tiger's made great strides over the last few months but his 21st and 25th finishes at Lytham show this is not one of his favourite Open venues.

Nick Gray, bodog: We will look to take him on. Tiger hasn't added to his 14 Majors since the 2008 US Open, and the way he bombed out of the US Open in San Francisco at the halfway stage when in contention has to give encouragement to his layers.

Rory Jiwani, Stan James: Tiger's almost always the man to beat but this isn't a course which suits his game particularly well. Also, the breezy forecast means he'll have to get his driver out more and that's a definite negative for him. So in spite of his superb recent form, we'll be looking to take him on this week.

Q: Lee Westwood and Luke Donald will surely be popular with punters. Can we expect an English winner with the Open south of the border this year?

JR: There's every chance of an English winner, yes, but whether it will be from Lee or Luke remains to be seen. Both have yet to get the Major monkey of their back, and there could be a slight doubt about Westwood's fitness after slipping on a sleeper in the Open de France before his third round started. Both players will definitely be well backed regardless.

CM: If either win it will be extremely costly for ourselves given we will be refunding losing stakes on the outright market pre-event if either oblige. As with all Open winners they will need luck with the draw and will need to get a good bounce at the right time. Donald appeals more at this time despite a fifth-place finish at Turnberry in 2009 being his only Open top 10 to date.

AD: They will have their followers and the weather will certainly be more 'European' so that may improve their chances.

RA: All the home-grown players are popular, both Westwood and Donald have the skills to mount a serious challenge on this course. But Donald needs to get over his Major mental block!

NG: Some say if Westwood's caddy had been putting for him he'd probably have won at least three Majors by now, but his woes with the flat-stick mean he is going to be up against it in Lancashire. We expect a strong challenge from world number one Donald but feel there will be a few too good for him here.

RJ: Donald's driving isn't the most accurate so we think he'll struggle to break his Major duck this week. Westwood has the better chance of the two but the question is whether his short game will hold up to one of the toughest home stretches in golf. If there is an English winner, it could well be Justin Rose. He's in excellent form of late and played well on this course in 2001.

Q: What about Rory McIlroy, where do you stand on him and the rest of the Irish challenge?

JR: You would have to take him on really. He's said himself he likes to hit the ball really high and is more suited to the target golf in the US, so if it gets windy around Lytham he may struggle once again. Harrington I feel is too short in the betting, the market moves for him are purely on the fact he has won two Opens before.

CM: We're not convinced about him. Who can forget that 80 in the worst of the conditions at St Andrews in the second round a couple of years ago? He has not gone on as many hoped he would from his first Major and Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington look bigger threats with the former looking to put behind him a poor final round in the US Open last month.

AD: It wouldn't be the biggest surprise to see Harrington replace McIlroy as the shortest priced of the Irish contingent, his Open pedigree and recent upsurge in form has not gone unnoticed with the general public.

RA: Rory's been putting the hard work in at Lytham this week and its forecast not to be too breezy so this gives him a better chance than his recent form suggests. But Harrington is the player from Ireland who ticks all the boxes for a strong challenge this week.

NG: We will always look to lay McIlroy every time he tees it up on a links course, particularly if the weather looks dodgy. He looks far more comfortable on the courses on the other side of the Atlantic. Harrington will probably post the boldest challenge of the Celts and would be my fancy.

RJ: McIlroy says he doesn't like the wind so the forecast is definitely against him. Two players who must be respected are double Open champion Harrington and McDowell. Both men are in decent form and McDowell just seems to raise his game for the Majors. Defending champion Darren Clarke was tied for third at Royal Lytham and St Anne's 11 years ago but it would be a surprise if he were to repeat his heroics of last year.

Q: We're on an incredible run of first-time Major winners. Westwood and Donald aside, are any other Major maidens attracting money?

JR: Francesco Molinari has proved the most popular and is still being backed at 40/1.

CM: Sergio Garcia is still only 32 and has six top-10s to his name in the Open and he, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter (second to Harrington at Birkdale in 2008) have been well supported.

AD: Rose has been the best backed of those yet to capture a Major.

RA: Rose - he is always a popular selection at the Open.

NG: Rickie Fowler is the most notable gamble and we saw a lot of money after he won the Wells Fargo and then followed that up with a runners-up spot in the Players' Championship. He seems an instinctive type of player and that often lends itself well to links golf where you need to beable to improvise and play a variety of shots.

RJ: Volvo World Match Play champion Nicolas Colsaerts, Martin Laird and Simon Dyson are the three men we've seen cash for who haven't won a Major before.

Q: As well as debutant winners, Americans have responded to a lean spell with three Majors on the trot. Woods aside, who looks the biggest threat from the States?

JR: Apart from last year's high finish, Phil Mickelson has a poor Open record. Maybe youngster Fowler can improve on his two top-10 finishes in his last two Open Championships, and he has already won the Quail Hollow event this season.

CM: I've backed Hunter Mahan (50s) and Fowler (40s) and am particularly keen on the latter whose 68 in the third round at Sandwich last year in the worst of the conditions was the round of the Championship. He has since broke his duck in the States and a big week is expected.

AD: Fowler and Dustin Johnson are still in the public mind from their efforts behind Darren Clarke last year and they both arrive with victories on the CV already this season.

RA: Fowler goes well in the Open Championship environment and he has a real chance.

NG: At the prices available I'd say Fowler, he finished fifth at Royal St George's last year. Zach Johnson might be another who could surprise at a three-figure price. He's neat and tidy which you will need to be this week and his sharp short game will be an advantage around Lytham's small greens. Overall the American challenge doesn't look too fearsome this year.

RJ: Fowler looked pretty comfortable playing links golf a year ago. He might not be in the best of form but if he makes a decent start, he's definitely capable of producing a charge to bring him into contention.

Q: And finally, give us your idea of the winner and winning score...

JR: Hopefully the "big easy" Ernie Els can land the Claret Jug. Second and third in the last two Opens here, and he's certainly playing well enough as a seventh at the US Open showed last month. As for the winning score it all depends on the wind coming off the sea, but I would hazard a guess at around -10.

CM: It will depend on the weather of course but Fowler 278 (-2).

AD: Ian Poulter's game appears to be running into form at just the right time, and 274 (-6) should be a winning score.

RA: Lee Westwood will be holding the Claret Jug come Sunday evening, the winning score all depends on the weather.

NG: This is highly dependent on the weather but if conditions play soft as they forecast I'd expect to see a winning score in the region of 10-under, with Harrington lifting his third Claret Jug.

RJ: Rose and McDowell would be my two against the field. I'll go for Rose and nine-under.

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