Live on Sky Sports 4: Thu 04:00 Angus Loughran previews the 2014 Australian Open Championship tournament.
World number one Rory McIlroy ends his 2014 season by heading Down Under to try and defend the Australian Open title he won in such dramatic fashion, edging out home favourite Adam Scott with a 72nd hole birdie.
McIlroy of course, has every chance and is a top price of 5/2 while Scott, aided by home advantage is 4/1 and is the obvious danger. It is hard to make a case beyond the market’s front two but I marginally favour the Aussie in what could be a memorable duel at the magnificent Australian Club in Sydney.
Jordan Spieth could surprise a few at 11/1 and will have plenty of supporters but I’ve earmarked a couple of different players at decent prices.
Aussie John Senden should love this course and represents decent each-way value at 25/1 and Geoff Ogilvy can give each-way backers a great run for their money at 28/1. Indeed, Ogilvy’s game is suited to the tougher courses, as he demonstrated when he won his US Open crown and he has shown enough over recent months to suggest he is a serious each-way alternative to the front three in the betting.
The action gets underway on Wednesday evening UK time and should provide great viewing over the next four days.
Next week sees the eagerly awaited return of Tiger Woods in his own event – an all star 18-man Invitational which has all the leading players bar McIlroy teeing up at Isleworth, Orlando. A 30 man field meanwhile, chases the big money field for the Sun City Million in South Africa.
Good luck
Angus Loughran
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