27th June 2012
Irish Open Betting: Michael Hoey can upstage bigger names to be the top Irish player at Portrush
As you would expect with the Irish Open there are a lot of Irish players teeing it up at Portrush this week which means the Top Irish Player market is a very competitive one. In total in this market there are four major champions which makes the contest a very strong one. Not surprisingly Rory McIlroy is the favourite in this market this week at 15/8 with Paddy Power.
McIlroy comes into the tournament a little short on confidence having had a poor run over the last six weeks or so. This tournament will be as much about boosting his confidence ahead of The Open next month as it will about winning the tournament or even where he finishes so with that in mind I’m not one to be backing him at that price.
Graeme McDowell went so close to winning the US Open in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago and he’ll hope to use that good run to his advantage this week. However the US Open and the links style of this Irish Open are two totally different ball games. Despite growing up in the area close to the course and learning links golf from an early age his record in The Open isn’t great although he does have a couple of top 10’s in the Dunhill Links.
Padraig Harrington is coming back into good form and he could well land the spoils but I’m looking for a bit more value than a 7/2 shot in this field given its quality and so I’m going to go for the current Dunhill Links champion Michael Hoey. Hoey showed links golf agrees with him when he ran away to victory on the Scottish coastline last year and he’s already won a tournament this year to show that was no fluke. Anyone who has a liking for and a passion for links golf will go well this week and at 18/1 I think Hoey could well be the value to come through and be the top Irishman at Portrush over the weekend.
Back M.Hoey Top Irish Player for a 1/10 stake (e/w) at 19.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-3)
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Author: 'Arry Allsports
