Porsche European Open betting tips

Who’d have thought we’d have a five-man play-off at Crans-sur-Sierre? Who needs the PGA Tour, right? Well, with golf’s greatest show on turf still on its end-of-season holidays, the European Tour again takes centre-stage – this time in Germany. Here are my Porsche European Open betting tips…

The details

Venue: Green Eagle Golf Courses, Hamburg, Germany

Date: September 5-8, 2019

Course stats: Par 72, 7,544 yards

Course summary: Water, water everywhere. It’s found on 17 holes and is always threatening to claim a wayward shot. Combine that with some deep and threatening greenside bunkers and you’ve got a course that will actually pose some decent questions.

Purse: €2 million

Defending champion: Richard McEvoy (-11)

TV coverage

Thursday: Sky Sports Golf, 10am and 2pm

Friday: Sky Sports Golf, 10am and 2pm

Saturday: Sky Sports Golf, 12pm

Sunday: Sky Sports Golf, 11.30am

Porsche European Open betting tips: Steve’s players to follow

I almost paid dearly for dismissing Rory McIlroy’s chances in Switzerland last week – arguing his appearance was a PR exercise as much as an opportunity to grab yet another title. I don’t want to make that mistake again this week with Paul Casey (13/2 with bet365).

The Englishman performed valiantly at East Lake during the Tour Championship but found the handicap just too much to overcome – eventually settling for 5th.

Casey made a splash in Germany 12 months ago, opening with a trio of 69s before fading into tied-6th on the final day thanks to a one-over 73.

The Valspar Championship winner isn’t out of the fray too often and recorded seven top 10s and 15 top 25s on the PGA Tour last season.

He should be on the premises again here at those odds.

Alexander Levy (40/1) missed the cut in Crans-sur-Sierre and the five-time Tour winner has not yet had a 2019 to remember. But the Frenchman may be able to salvage something at a course that appears to be right in his wheelhouse.

Levy was second at the European Open when it first arrived at Green Eagle in 2017 and then finished 12th a year ago.

He was right in the mix until a third-round 76 all but ended his hopes but a closing 69 only reinforced his affinity with this layout.

While 5th remains his best finish this season, he managed that at the Scandinavian Invitation just a fortnight ago. Last week’s hiccup aside, that performance – coming off the back of a top 20 at the D+D Real Czech Masters – should give us hope he’s trending in the right direction.

The challenge of the PGA Tour pretenders, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed, is obvious so let’s a look a touch further down the market to find another European Tour player in fine form.

Mattias Schwab (28/1) was 7th here a year ago on his first appearance and returns in fine fettle.

The Austrian was tied for 8th last week and that followed a top 5 in the Czech Open as well. He’d previously missed three cuts in a row before that but those setbacks had followed an impressive week the last time the Tour stopped off in Germany.

Tied 3rd at the BMW International Open in Munich, another good week will embed him into the top 50 of the Race to Dubai standings.

Finally, Renato Paratore (75/1) missed out by just a shot 12 months ago as Richard McEvoy took the crown and there are signs the Italian could be in the mood for another run at the title.

Tied 20th at the Scandinavian Invitation, he shot four rounds in the 60s as he finished tied 12th in Crans-sur-Sierre. He is worth a tickle.

For the latest prices, visit bet365.