Five bets for this week’s Irish Open

This weekend’s Irish Open will be played at the spectacular Royal Portrush. It tees off tomorrow so here’s five bets that might feather your nest a little.

The Irish Open is always a great event on the European calendar but this year looks to be extra special. Played on the amazing links course at Royal Portrush, a sell-out crowd, a host of Irish Major winners and a few other big names make this a real treat for golf fans.

But what about golf betting fans. It’s a bit trickier for us but here’s five punts that could net you a decent return.

Top Irish golfer, Alan Dunbar each-way 33/1

With 26 Irish players teeing off, including all four of our Major winners (Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke) picking the top Irish man is far from easy.

But we like the look of amateur Alan Dunbar. Winner of the British Amateur Championship last week he is from the sister club of Royal Portrush, Rathmore, the same as McDowell. In form, with local knowledge and playing with no pressure, at 33/1 with the top three places paying out each-way, Dunbar looks a decent bet.

An Irish winner, 5/4

As we said, there are a lot of Irish players in this week’s field. The top three in the individual betting are McIlroy, McDowell and Harrington. Add in the others, including 2009 winner Shane Lowry and a revitalized Paul McGinley, and this bet should give you a good run for your money.

There will be a hole-in-one this week, 5/6

There have been 17 holes-in-one on the European Tour this year. With four Par 3s on the Dunluce Links, we think there is more than a decent chance that one of the massive field will pull off the peak of golfing perfection this week.

Top English player, Robert Rock, 9/1

A gutsy winner in Abu Dhabi in January, when he held off Tiger Woods, McIlroy and McDowell to win by one stroke, he has been remarkably consistent since. He’s 13th on the European money list this season and is fond of these shores, finishing runner up to Lowry in that famous 2009 Irish Open. If he handled the conditions at Baltray that day, he can handle anything.

Yes, 2010 winner Ross Fisher and 2011 winner Simon Dyson are here this weekend but we think Rock, who likes links golf too, is a great bet at 9/1.

Keegan Bradley to miss the cut, 15/8

We don’t want to wish ill on our US visitor but the USPGA champ has never played a tournament outside of the US. What he will encounter this weekend at a probably wet and windy Portrush will be like nothing he has ever seen before.

We hope he makes the weekend for those who make the trip to north Antrim but at 15/8, he looks a decent bet to be spending Saturday and Sunday retracing his Irish roots in Cork.

Odds courtesy of Paddy Power