BetUK Blog

The Lancashire coast around Southport will be invaded this week by not only the world’s best golfers (well almost), but also by a mass of media representatives and golf nuts when The Open at Royal Birkdale gets under way on Thursday. It will the ninth time the course has been used for the third major and is rightly lauded as one of the great links tracks and a very fair one with birdies or bogeys likely at every hole.

However, it hasn’t been fair to European golfers who have yet to taste success there. But that could change this week when The Open, without the presence of Tiger Woods, could see the famous Claret Jug stay on this side of the Atlantic. Let’s make it clear from the off that defending champion Padraig Harrington faces an uphill task in trying to keep his hold on the trophy, but the man he beat in a play-off to win 12 months ago could easily go one better.

Sergio Garcia (10/1 with BetUK) will need no reminding that he let slip a three-shot lead going into the final day at Carnoustie in 2007, or that he only needed par to win on the final hole. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t his year and he allowed Harrington to grab the glory. This time round the Spaniard could finally nail his first major as he approaches the week in pretty good nick having finished runner-up to Ross Fisher in the European Open a couple of weeks ago and was not disgraced when producing a fourth in the St Jude Classic previously.

Links golf seems to suit Garcia better than most and he must have a favourite’s chance. English golfers didn’t fare too badly the last time Royal Birkdale hosted the Open in 1998 when Raymond Russell and Justin Rose (a 17-year-old amateur at the time) shared fourth spot.

You can see all BetUK’s range of markets on The Open here.