The Open Championship is now complete, with Jordan Spieth having seen off all in front of him to claim a third major win, as attention turns to the Porsche European Open in Hamburg this week. With last year’s event having been reduced to 54 holes as a result of bad weather, event organisers and players alike will be hoping for more luck this time around, with the competition having attracted some of the game’s biggest names.
Frenchman Alexander Lévy heads to Germany as the reigning champion, with the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Retief Goosen, Darren Clarke and Nick Faldo among the famous names to have won the tournament in the past.
Betting on golf is becoming more and more popular, with this event set to attract much attention from punters. As a result, our top betting tip aims to help you on your way when making a selection. However, first, we will take a closer look at some of the leading candidates for the title this week.
European Open Contenders
Despite being held at the same time as the popular Canadian Open, the tournament in Hamburg has attracted a stellar line-up this year, with American duo Patrick Reed and Jimmy Walker among the favourites.
Reed has five PGA Tour wins to his name, along with a single European Tour success to date, with the 26-year-old one of the more unusual characters in the game today. Reed actively encouraged the crowd to boo him at the recent Scottish Open, however he is undoubtedly one of the biggest competitors on the planet. Despite having a terrible time at Royal Birkdale last week, Reed is undoubtedly a world-class performer on his day.
Elsewhere, Charl Schwartzel has one of the finest swings on tour, however has so far underachieved during his career. Having made a great start at the Open before imploding, the South African is certainly in with a shout if he can improve upon his consistency, with the 2011 Masters winner one of the best in the world off the tee. Meanwhile, for British fans, Richie Ramsay could be worth an outside bet, with the Scot having won three times on the European Tour.
Having starred for the European Ryder Cup team last year, Thomas Pieters was expected to kick on in 2017. Despite the Belgian failing to find his best form for the majority of the year, if he can play anywhere near his best, he may well be among the frontrunners come Sunday afternoon.
Top Betting Tip
Given the fact that betting on the outright winner of a golf tournament is extremely difficult to predict, our top betting tip for the European Open is to bet on Patrick Reed with an each-way bet. Ladbrokes are offering odds of 1/4 for this, meaning that Reed is required to finish in the top five positions in order for your bet to be successful.