The Open Championship 2014 | British Open Betting Preview And Tips

The Open Championship 2014 Betting Preview And Tips, Royal Liverpool GC,Hoylake,England

The Course


With Hoylake having staged The Open as recently as 2006, we have a few clues as to how this famous old links will play.

Where baked fairways allowed Tiger Woods the luxury of parking his driver all week eight years ago, with a wetter than average Spring it's thought driver will be a key club at this Open.

Though flat compared to other Open venues, the ability to shape shots from the tee and from the fairway will be required.  Bombers will be muzzled by long lush rough where balls run off fairways, while traditional pot bunkering will ensure good course management is rewarded.

Flatter than average greens complexes will most certainly mean good greens in regulation golf will be rewarded by birdie.

Be sure to check out my Open Championship 2014 Long Odds shots post.

Doc's Top Five To Watch


Henrik Stenson 16/1

If there was ever a time that Henrik Stenson would be primed to become The Open Champion now would be it.  Having been on the podium in 2008 (T3), 2010 (T3) and 2013 (2nd) Stenson has all the experience needed to take the next step.
The Swede's form line is excellent too since a T7 at Wenworth, a solo fifth back home in Sweden a T4 at Pinehurst and T2 in Cologne at The BMW International.  I think he can win this.

Adam Scott 16/1

It’s now over two years since Adam Scott missed a cut (at a PGA or European Tour event) and he remains a huge favourite for this test.  Comes into The Open Championship like a lightly raced thoroughbred having won at Colonial and T4’d at Muirfield Village before a T9 at the US Open.
Critics will point to his near miss at Royal Lytham in 2012 but I think that combined with a another T3 at Muirfield last year, make him an even stronger bet to deliver this time around.

Graeme McDowell 25/1

Coming off a win on the linksy Golf National at the Open De France GMac will be full of confidence as he jets in to Liverpool from Florida on Sunday.
The Portrush man was brought up eating sand for breakfast and has already been to Hoylake for practice.  His comments that this course, over any other, really suits his straight driving game were very interesting. Tied fifth in Royal Lytham when Ernie won in 2012.

Dustin Johnson 40/1

Dustin played really well up to March and then walked out of Houston, bombed out of Augusta and didn’t fare much better at Sawgrass. 
Since the Byron Nelson though, DJ has improved steadily and that T4 at Pinehurst when opening with a pair of 69’s was very impressive.  Couldn’t keep a great start going the following week at The Travelers (T31) but rested and refreshed I think he will love Hoylake. 
Recent Open bests of T2 in 2011 when just losing out to Darren Clarke, and T9 in 2012 at Royal Lytham, Dustin remains a big threat this time around.

Sergio Garcia 28/1

Let’s face it Garcia has entered the past number of Open Championships under more pressure than a Formula One tyre.  Whether it was from the media or himself, it has only served to scupper his every attempt at winning the Claret Jug. 
This time nobody really expects and the subplots with Tiger and Rory McIlroy will allow Garcia go under the radar somewhat.  Seven top-10’s at The Open include a T5 at Hoylake in 2006.
Started the season with a win in Qatar and brought great form into the Masters where he really did poorly by his standards. A third at Sawgrass was followed by more mediocre form before he remerged recently with a T2 at The Travelers and T12 in Germany. A ball striker for a ball strikers course, don’t write Sergio off.

GCD's 2014 Open Championship coverage is brought to in conjunction with Speedgolf International, combining running with golf in a new fun, fast, fitness-oriented game. 


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Best Of The Rest


Martin Kaymer 20/1

Has a best Open performance of T7 in 2010 at St. Andrews but is a different animal this year.  Winner of The Players Championship, solid at the BMW PGA in Wentworth then winner of The US Open at Pinehurst.  Martin has slipped off the boil a little since in Germany and France but nobody would be surprised by a big Hoylake performance.

Brandt Snedeker 50/1

Kind of got the hang of links golf over the past two years with a T3 at Royal Lytham and T11 at Muirfield.  Dug deep with apparently hurting to score a T9 at Pinehurst but played the following two weeks at TPC River Highlands (T11) and Congressional (T21).  Straight hitter and on these big flat greens if Sneds can get that putter popping he could really contend.


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