Irish Open betting tips and preview
Rolex Series events normally always produce a classy winner, and I think Soren Kjeldsen (80/1, 6 places) fits that description.
The Dane won this very event three years ago and he’s really started to return to form in recent weeks after experiencing a rare slump.
Clearly, this four-time European Tour winner is a links golf specialist having won at the stunning Royal County Down in 2015 as well as at Gleneagles in 2003.
Kjeldsen has made five of the last six cuts which may not seem all that impressive, but something has clicked in his game given that prior to the Italian Open, he went through a six-week stretch of missing five cuts.
The 7th place finish at the BMW International Open was the eye-catching performance, where he led in driving accuracy and hit the sixth most greens in regulation in the field.
Another solid week at Le Golf National last week points to a big finish on a course he should really enjoy.
Finally, Nicolas Colsaerts (125/1, 8 places) completes the staking plan at an appealing triple-figure price.
The Belgian is one of only a few in this field with course experience at Ballyliffin having finished 19th in a brutal scoring week at the North West of Ireland Open in 2002.
He was only a 19-year-old at the time, so that was a fine effort in staying patient and grinding out a respectable score when winds gusted to 40mph throughout the week.
Over the years, Colsaerts has assembled a nice links golf CV. He’s finished seventh at The Open in 2012 at Royal Lytham and tied for third at the Scottish Open in both 2016 and 2011 at Castle Stuart.
Colsaerts’s recent form is patchy, but promising. In the last five starts, he’s finished third and seventh at the Shot Clock Masters and Belgian Knockout, while missing his other three cuts. It suggests that when he finds himself in contention, he’s more than capable of sticking around the top of the leaderboard on a Sunday afternoon.
As a links expert who will have an advantage over the field with experience at this venue, the big-hitter offers exceptional value.
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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.
