"A celebration of Links Golf" ... an audacious subtitle for this inaugural event. Yes, this event is played over three of the finest links courses in the world, but wait, isn't it held in Scotland in October? Let's hope the organizers are lucky with the weather, if they are, then this will be an excellent event. The forecast is, thankfully, for little rain, but it will be chilly!
The Alfred Dunhill Cup is replaced with a pro-am format in which the three courses - St Andrews (Old Course), Carnoustie and the Kingsbarns Golf Links - are played in rotation on the first three days, with the top 60 professionals returning to St Andrews to play the final round on Sunday. The field is international with players from most of the Tours and even a few from the PGA Tour despite the current terrorist concerns. They play for the richest event on the European Tour with the winner taking home $800,000, one-third more than the winner of this week's National Car Rental Golf Classic.
The three selections this week have had their fair amount of injury concerns, but are currently though to be back to full health. They are Ernie Els, Thomas Bjorn and Steve Elkington. Els has had back problems this year, but bounced back in great style to finish 3rd in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. He has since finished no worse than 16th in any event and has a great laid-back approach which makes him ideal for pro-ams and links golf. In fact, his record on links courses is exemplary - no worse than 28th in the Open Championship in the last ten years and his form in the Alfred Dunhill Cup has been just as impressive. With a number of the leading contenders sure to be tired from last week's Cisco World Matchplay event, he looks a justifiable short-price selection.
Bjorn played only two rounds last week, but it was enough to signal that his form and his health were back to normal. There was no shame in losing to Westwood in the quarter-finals, he had never been behind until the last hole and shot 65-67 to lose by that solitary hole. He also has an excellent record on links courses - 2nd to Tiger Woods last year at St. Andrews - and should feature this week.
The final selection, Steve Elkington, is a player who has suffered more than almost anyone else from injury. It is therefore very noticeable when he posted back-to-back top-10 finishes - the last time he did so was in 1998. With plenty of experience of playing St. Andrews in October in the Dunhill Cup and a fine record on that course - 6th in 1995 - he should perform much better than Paddy Power predict!
Outright plays:
Ernie Els to win 12/1 e.w. @ Surrey or Sporting Odds
Thomas Bjorn to win 28/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Steve Elkington to win 66/1 e.w. @ Paddy Power [5 places option]
The Alfred Dunhill Cup is replaced with a pro-am format in which the three courses - St Andrews (Old Course), Carnoustie and the Kingsbarns Golf Links - are played in rotation on the first three days, with the top 60 professionals returning to St Andrews to play the final round on Sunday. The field is international with players from most of the Tours and even a few from the PGA Tour despite the current terrorist concerns. They play for the richest event on the European Tour with the winner taking home $800,000, one-third more than the winner of this week's National Car Rental Golf Classic.
The three selections this week have had their fair amount of injury concerns, but are currently though to be back to full health. They are Ernie Els, Thomas Bjorn and Steve Elkington. Els has had back problems this year, but bounced back in great style to finish 3rd in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. He has since finished no worse than 16th in any event and has a great laid-back approach which makes him ideal for pro-ams and links golf. In fact, his record on links courses is exemplary - no worse than 28th in the Open Championship in the last ten years and his form in the Alfred Dunhill Cup has been just as impressive. With a number of the leading contenders sure to be tired from last week's Cisco World Matchplay event, he looks a justifiable short-price selection.
Bjorn played only two rounds last week, but it was enough to signal that his form and his health were back to normal. There was no shame in losing to Westwood in the quarter-finals, he had never been behind until the last hole and shot 65-67 to lose by that solitary hole. He also has an excellent record on links courses - 2nd to Tiger Woods last year at St. Andrews - and should feature this week.
The final selection, Steve Elkington, is a player who has suffered more than almost anyone else from injury. It is therefore very noticeable when he posted back-to-back top-10 finishes - the last time he did so was in 1998. With plenty of experience of playing St. Andrews in October in the Dunhill Cup and a fine record on that course - 6th in 1995 - he should perform much better than Paddy Power predict!
Outright plays:
Ernie Els to win 12/1 e.w. @ Surrey or Sporting Odds
Thomas Bjorn to win 28/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Steve Elkington to win 66/1 e.w. @ Paddy Power [5 places option]
