Betting tips: Can highly confident Olesen win the Scottish Open?
The 2016 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart is set to be one of the most competitive yet with 13 of the World’s top 60 having entered, including seven major winners.
You may be surprised that Thorbjorn Olesen sits relatively near the top of the betting markets at 70/1, but there is good reason that the three-time European Tour winner’s odds have been cut in recent weeks.
Despite withdrawing from last weeks Open de France, the Dane did finish second at the BMW International Open a week previous, only to be beaten by World number six Henrik Stenson.
Olesen posted three consecutive 67’s (-5) to trail by one shot after three rounds and if it wasn’t for a final round of 73, Olesen may well have challenged Stenson who finished three shots clear.
Confidence
Olesen’s win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews last year instilled confidence and now the Dane doesn’t see why he can’t become a Major champion.
The 26-year old loves the way you have to be creative around a links course and where better to play imaginative golf shots than Castle Stuart?
With the Dane very much high on confidence and odds of 70/1 he is definitely worth a punt at this year’s tournament.
How to win?
It is apparent from previous Scottish Open’s that you need to scramble well in order to score well. Phil Mickelson and Jeev Milkha Singh both topped the scrambling stats when they picked up their Scottish Open titles.
Thongchai Jaidee goes into the Scottish Open with odds of 33/1 after his victory last week at the Open de France but more importantly, he is 4th in the scrambling rankings on the European Tour this season.
However, can the 46-year old pick up back-to-back victories on the European Tour for the first time in his career?
Form Horses
Henrik Stenson tops the market at 8/1 and it is no wonder he is favourite after he won the BMW International Open a couple of weeks ago.
Out of his three appearances on the European Tour this season, the Swede has finished in the Top 10 at every event. In fact, his worst finish is T6 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Andy Sullivan heads into the tournament with odds of 28/1 and has almost found his form that saw him win three European Tour events last season. The Englishman will be high on confidence after finishing in the top 5 last week.
If you’re looking to bet on a golfer from across the pond then your safest bet comes with lefty Phil Mickelson at 16/1.
Mickelson is a previous Scottish Open winner in 2013 and definitely posses the short game to succeed at Castle Stuart.
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Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
