Written by @Matt_Cee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
The Russian Open | Thursday 24 July – Sunday 27 July | Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club
There is a lot to be excited about this week on the PGA Tour, where a top notch field will be heading to Canada for the RBC Canadian Open, but things don’t look so rosy for the European Tour as a dismal field make their way to Tseleevo for the Russian Open. Less than 120 players will be travelling to the outskirts of Moscow to try and claim for themselves a piece of the miniscule prize pool. This certainly won’t be the prettiest golf ever seen but don’t despair, there is often a lot of value to be had in tournaments like this. The course is a Jack Nicklaus design and measures in at about 7,450 yards, making for a lengthy par 72. Coupled with the wide fairways it makes this course a big hitters dream but if they do find the rough, it’s going to be difficult to get out. As can be expected in Russia, a lot of money has been spent on the course so the greens are all in great shape and players who are accurate with their approaches will be rewarded with their share of birdies. Overall, look for someone who hits it long and who putts well, those two stats will be the keys to going low here.
To Win Outright
Rikard Karlberg 10/1
Scott Jamieson 14/1
Matthew Nixon 18/1
Bradley Dredge 22/1
David Horsey 25/1
VALUE BETS
Maximilian Kieffer (30/1 a win, 66/10 a place)
I never thought that I would say this but Maximilian Kieffer is one of the bigger names in the tournament, and at 30/1 looks a great bet. He’s a very talented young golfer who has begun to make his name known in the game and early this year he claimed a hard earned Top 5 finish against a field much better than this in the Spanish Open. Since then he’s been fairly quiet but against this field he could come into his own. Each way looks the bet for me here.
JB Hansen (50/1 a win, 11/1 a place)
Seeing JB Hansen available at 50/1 this week was a pleasant surprise as he’s one of the few players in the field who have experienced this track. Last year he managed an impressive Top 5 so will arrive here full of fond memories of that and eager to improve on what has been a pretty dismal season for him thus far. After starting the year and not making a cut for three months, he looks to be getting better and may peak at just the right time. 11/1 a place looks good so focus on that but a small bet on the win could earn big rewards.
Morten Orum Madsen (40/1 a win, 88/10 a place)
Like JB Hansen, Morten Orum Madsen also has experience on this track and played well here on the Challenge Tour in 2012, finishing a respectable fourth. He opened his account on the European Tour last year with a win at the South African Open but since then has been quiet, having missed a string of cuts and struggling to gain any real momentum. Never mind that though, in a tournament like this everyone has a chance and at 40/1 he offers a lot of value. Hopefully this is the tournament that sees the talented young player return to his best.
TOP BET: Scott Jamieson (14/1 a win, 31/10 a place)
I can’t imagine backing Rikard Karlberg at 10/1 this week, but second-favourite Scott Jamieson looks like he may just be the best bet of the lot here. Prior to the Open Championship, where he missed the cut, he had a run of good finishes that saw him inside the Top 20 on Sunday afternoon in France and in front of his home crowd in Scotland. That finish in Scotland was the result of an incredible display of golf on the final day where he shot a 64 and if he can duplicate any of that form this week, he’ll dominate this field. It’s worrying that he’s not the most consistent player around but no one in this field ticks that box. Each way on Jamieson should make you a profit this week so get on.
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