Aberdeen Asset Scottish Open betting preview and tips

Recommended bets:

1pt e.w. Chris Wood at 80/1 (1/4 1,,2,3,4,5,6)

1pt e.w. Thomas Detry at 150/1 (1/5 1,2,4,5,6,7)

1pt e.w. Lee Slattery at 300/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

Click here for our fully transparent tipping record  

Dundonald Links makes its European Tour debut as host for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open with another excellent chance for players to hone their skills ahead of next week’s Open Championship.

Situated on the Ayrshire coast and mingled in amongst the jewels like Troon and Turnberry, designer Kyle Phillips was keen to create a ‘Kingsbarns for the west coast’ and at a little over 7,000 yards, it should not provide too brutal a test ahead of the main event despite the rather murky forecast.

“It will take imagination and craftiness from some of the tight lies if you miss the putting surface,” said Phillips.

“It will suit players who are good tacticians, are great around the greens and not daunted by those tight lies.”

The first thing to notice in terms of the betting is Rory McIlroy playing second fiddle at the head of the market to Rickie Fowler.

It is two missed cuts out of three recently for Rory and he cut a rather frustrated figure as he spent the weekend on the sidelines at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

After uninspiring rounds of 72-73, he said: “I don’t feel like I am that far away. A few putts dropping here and there and if I can do the simple things right, it makes the game a lot easier.”

I still get the distinct impression he is playing catch-up in terms of trying to find a competitive edge so tackling this event makes perfect sense with the obvious aim of trying to peak at Royal Birkdale.

Fowler lifted the prize two years ago at Gullane and might well have landed two or three titles – and maybe even a first major - already in 2017 to go alongside the Honda Classic. 

Another good chance went down the tubes a fortnight ago in the Quicken Loans National while he needs to address exactly what is going on following two rather lacklustre Sundays at the Masters and US Open.

He remains a superb talent though well capable of challenging over the next two weeks while his electric short game certainly fits the bill here - it is just a question of whether you want to row in at around the 8/1 mark and currently I feel that is quite tight enough. 

Sporting Life Special - all three players to finish in the top 20 including ties - 175/1!

One investment that certainly is worth the risk is on Chris Wood despite his withdrawal following round three at the HNA Open de France.

A wrist issue was giving the Englishman a problem in Paris but he has since reported on Twitter all is good to go once more and a safety-first policy was without doubt the right one considering we are at such an important point of the season. 

You would not expect him to be a great player in the wind with his willowy 6-6 figure but he is one of the most reliable links exponents when on song and possesses the full array of shots to combat breezy conditions.

He recently came up just one shot shy behind Renato Paratore in the Nordea Masters after being unable to extract himself from deep in the trees on the 72nd hole so very much looked a player to follow before that little bit of an injury blip in France brought a temporary halt to progress.

He was the BMW PGA champion in 2016 so has the necessary class in a high-quality field like this while he should be all giddy with excitement as he looks ahead to a return to Birkdale, the course where he posted an outstanding top-five finish in the Open as an amateur nine years ago. 

Wrist injuries for golfers are notoriously fickle but I will hold Wood to his word that all is 100 percent and 80/1 is a bit of an insult.   

I have probably been a bit guilty lately of hanging my hat on some of the old guard delivering the goods based on savvy and experience but I am going to change direction this time and side with the improving Thomas Detry.

The Belgian looks much younger than 24 but produced the best performance of his professional career recently at the BMW International Open in Germany, perhaps taking inspiration from the victory of Paratore.

Detry ultimately found a resurgent Andres Romero one shot too good come the final reckoning but it was tough not to be impressed with the way he handled himself having been right in contention throughout the final 18 holes.

“My game is feeling great and I am very excited for the next few weeks,” Detry revealed in Munich.

“I have a lot of confidence and have just got to keep doing my thing and the win will come soon.”

He missed the cut the following week in France but chipped away well enough in Ireland to suggest he was still very much bubbling away and though we have to take on trust how effective he actually he is playing on a links course, he should be sharper now we head to Scotland. 

A spot in the Open Championship field is also up for grabs with three places available if you finish inside the top 10 for those not already on board and Detry has both the quality and upside in his game to snap up one of those as well by getting right in the mix.

Finally, England’s Lee Slattery catches the eye at 300/1 as the Southport man also makes a last-ditch effort to make it into the Open Championship at his local venue.

That should be a tremendous added incentive for the 38-year-old, who is the second most famous player currently attached to Formby Hall after Tommy Fleetwood. 

He missed out by a whisker in final qualifying at Hillside a couple of weeks ago and another chance went begging across the Irish Sea when unable to bag one of the three spots on offer over there.

His eventual T30 was extremely encouraging though with just five dropped shots in 72 holes and only two going astray over the weekend bearing in mind the display came rather out of the blue on the back of five straight missed cuts.

Slattery should be suited by this type of test again as he proved in Sicily earlier in the season that he handles blustery conditions well and although that chance to reach Birkdale heaps on some extra pressure, he suddenly looks really focused on the task ahead.  

 Posted at 1905 BST on 10/07/17.  

More golf previews: 

John Deere Classic preview