Who to back at the Turkish Airlines Open
Turkish Airlines Open betting: Steve’s top tips
Not too many of the leading lights have much experience of the Regnum Carya resort, but Bernd Wiesberger (28/1) has played it twice and finished in the top 10 on both occasions.
The first came in a Challenge Tour event seven years ago, when he was eighth. He was fourth when this tournament arrived at the venue for the first time last year.
Two good finishes on the same course, so far apart, feels significant.
The Austrian hasn’t had too much to shout about since a hot-streak in China, in April, brought Shenzhen International glory and fourth at the China Open.
But he was ninth last week at the WGC-HSBC Champions. That looks like it might be a return to form just in time for the Turkish Airlines Open.
It’s hard to avoid a player in red-hot form and, though he didn’t record a trio of successive wins, there was still a lot to like about the 11th place from Tyrrell Hatton (12/1) in China last week.
Playing second fiddle to Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose in the betting markets, I’m happy to take that price on a player who has a Turkish top 10 last year and is performing so admirably.
Turkish Airlines Open betting: Steve’s each-way tips
David Horsey (50/1) will never be a name that lights up an odds market but that merely means there is potentially money to be had.
Tied-6th at the Italian Open on his last start thanks to a blistering weekend, he’d earlier picked up €200,000 after finishing runner up at the Made in Denmark. Tied-2nd at the Lyoness Open, back in June, this is all tidy stuff from the 32-year-old.
Consider that only Thorbjorn Olesen was better than him in last year’s event and he looks a very attractive proposition.
Nacho Elvira (110/1) may be in better form than his odds suggest – and those wanting a three figure price should take the plunge.
He missed the cut at the Spanish Open and that followed two ordinary displays at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Italian Open.
But you don’t have to go too far back to find some decent stuff. Tied-11th at the British Masters, Elvira was also tied-7th in Portugal. He finished 9th at this event 12 months ago, would it be too much of a leap of faith to see him contending?
Pablo Larrazabal (100/1) enjoys a birdie fest and he’ll definitely get that at Carya. Look at his European Tour displays this year and you’ll see it over and over again.
The Spaniard is not afraid to go low: 16-under in Abu Dhabi, 12-under in Shenzhen, and 16-under again at the China Open.
That makes his performance at Valderrama, a hard-to-score track and where he recorded his first top 20 since July, all the more interesting.
He was 8th round this course last year, I’ll have a stab at prices around the century mark.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
