Irish eyes were smiling at the end of last year’s British Masters and our palm reader reckons the glove fits for two of our boys this year too. Here are his top tips for this week at Walton Heath.
Padraig Harrington 50/1
Windy, wet, heathland….it has to be set up for Padraig Harrington to play well. IF… he isn’t exhausted after a whirlwind few weeks. After losing his PGA Tour card, Podge came back home to finish 5th in Holland, Vice-Captain Europe at the Ryder Cup and all but cement his 2020 Captaincy, then finish T7 last week at the Dunhill Links. On a run of three top-7 finishes in his last four European starts, a win must be coming.
Shane Lowry 25/1
You have to fancy Shane’s iron game at Walton Heath. Missed out on Sunday last week in St Andrews but 6th in Portugal (T4 Greens in Reg) the week before was an impressive return to what we all know he can do. It’s hard to figure how five Top-20’s on the PGA Tour including a T12 at the PGA Championship didn’t secure his 2019 PGA Tour card. T7 last year at Close House and T2 in 2015 at Woburn. Shane could launch a late season surge this week.
Lucas Bjeregaard 25/1
Crazy long odds on the Dane after completing a superb recent run with a win at the Alfred Dunhill Links on Sunday. That included a T8 at the Czech Masters, 6th in Denmark, 2nd in Switzerland, T20 in Portugal before winning that comparatively low-pressure shotgun start in Scotland. T8 last year at Close House and worth an each way bet at those odds.
Lucas Herbert 50/1
The young Aussie is on a great end of season run after a T2 in Vilamoura and T7 over Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and Saint Andrews last week. It’s all rosy in the garden for Lucas after bagging over a quarter of a million quid in the last fortnight, rising to 50th in the Race To Dubai and 104th in the World Rankings.
Tom Lewis 50/1
Great to see Tom Lewis win again in Portugal recently, seven years after he first won on the Victoria Course. Still only 27, Tom has seen the highs and lows of Tour life but things are certainly looking up just now. After a solo second at the Czech Masters, Lewis won convincingly at the Bridgestone Challenge on the Challenge Tour before his triumph two weeks after in Portugal. T10 in Scotland last week and fingers crossed he keeps up the good play.
Long Odds Glory Shots
Marcus Fraser 150/1, Lee Slattery 150/1
Marcus Fraser showed some good form at the Alfred Dunhill before stumbling on Sunday to a T10 but overall, he’ll have gained confidence heading to a course he knows well and has done well on in US Open qualifying.
Lee Slattery really impressed me tee to green last week and he showed in the Czech and Nordea Masters that he can contend. Way overpriced at 150/1 and I’ll be having a flutter for sure!
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