There are some returning Ryder Cup heroes teeing it up on the DP World Tour this week at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and Tommy Fleetwood is expected to shine.
Team Europe destroyed the United States in the Ryder Cup last week and most of Luke Donald's side have opted for rest in the aftermath, but a trio of hardy souls have headed for windy Scotland for the Dunhill Links Championship.
What | Alfred Dunhill Links Championship |
Where | St Andrews, Carnoustie & Kingsbarns, Scotland |
When | From 09:00, Thursday 5th October 2023 |
How to watch | Sky Sports Golf |
Odds | Tommy Fleetwood 8/1, Matt Fitzpatrick 14/1, Ryan Fox 14/1, Talor Gooch 20/1, Adrian Meronk 22/1 |
Tommy Fleetwood delivered the decisive point for Europe on Sunday - beating Rickie Fowler in the singles to confirm his side would lift the Cup - and the Southport man is walking on air.
He scored three points from four matches at the Marco Simone last week, revelling in a home Ryder Cup for a second time.
The question for punters mulling over the 8/1 about Fleetwood for the Dunhill Links is what condition will he be in?
The Ryder Cup is an exhausting week both mentally and physically for the competitors - and Europe followed it with some wild celebrations - so can the Dunhill market leader trek back from Rome and play his best?
Fleetwood has a strong record in the Dunhill and loves links golf, so it is feasible he continues to enjoy himself, but the pro-am element of this event means he will face six-hour rounds in some difficult weather. Retaining energy and concentration will not be straightforward.
The two other Ryder Cup winners in attendance are Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre.
Fitzpatrick scored one point from three matches at the Marco Simone, while MacIntyre registered two and a half points from three matches, beating Wyndham Clark in his singles match.
Fitzpatrick can be backed at 14/1 to win the Dunhill Links, while MacIntyre is a 33/1 chance. It remains to be seen whether last week's exertions result in a sluggish start.
Ryder Cup vice-captains Thomas Bjorn and Nicolas Colsaerts are also in Scotland for the Dunhill, while a host of celebrities tee up alongside the players in this pro-am.
Each-way terms of a quarter the odds, the first five places are available for the Dunhill Links Championship, along with alternative options like a fifth the odds, the first eight places, and a seventh the odds, the first ten places.
There are three courses used for this event - St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
All three tracks are around 7,300 yards and all play to a par of 72. The 168 professionals play a round at each of the three courses over the first three days, then the top 60 and ties on the leaderboard make the cut, teeing up at St Andrews on Sunday for the final round.
St Andrews, with its generous fairways and some driveable par fours, is easy in calm conditions, but can be much tougher in strong winds. It has staged the Open many times, most recently 2015 and 2022.
Carnoustie is the most difficult course - an Open venue most recently in 2007 and 2018.
Kingsbarns is the shortest venue and the only one with four par-fives.
All three tracks are set up much easier than usual to give the amateurs a chance. A windy week is forecast, with Friday and Saturday set to be particularly challenging.
Richie Ramsay
Scottish golf is on a high after MacIntyre's Ryder Cup performance and Richie Ramsay could be a man to follow in the Dunhill Links. The 80/1 chance won the Cazoo Classic on a links course last year and relishes this type of track.
Eddie Pepperell
Another 80/1 chance who could go well is Eddie Pepperell, who has a fantastic record on links terrain. Five of the last nine Dunhill Links have been won by an Englishman and Pepperell looks a lively candidate for bolstering that statistic.
Alex Fitzpatrick
Another Englishman, Alex Fitzpatrick, can be backed at 60/1. That could be seen as generous given the way he impressed on his Open debut in the summer, finishing 17th at Royal Liverpool. Matt's brother appears to be improving fast.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
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