Live on Sky Sports 4: Thu 10:00 & 20:00 Angus Loughran previews this week’s Nordea Masters and Memorial Championship. Selections.
Rory Mcllroy showed tremendous courage at Wentworth last Sunday to win a thrilling BMW PGA Championship against all the odds and set himself up for a huge summer.
Mcllroy is subsequently the 9/1 market leader for this week’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, where there’s a top class field ahead of the season’s second Major; the US Open at Pinehurst in a fortnight. The young Irishman is also the 9/1 jolly for that event.
Muirfield Village is a great course, which gave European Golf such a huge boost back in 1987 when the European Ryder Cup Team won on American soil for the first time. It always provides a superb event and is usually won by a top player.
New world number one Adam Scott, at 11/1, is also in the field at an event Tiger Woods used to dominate while Matt Kuchar at 16/1 will have plenty of followers. Flying the flag for England, Justin Rose at 18/1 and Luke Donald at 25/1 should both give backers a decent run for their money.
I think this event is made for Jordan Speith, who has burst onto the golfing scene in the last 12 months, including in his achievements his joint second at Augusta in the Masters.
Speith is currently showing maturity well beyond his age and looks a really appealing bet at 28/1 on a course he should relish.
Jason Dufner the PGA champion did little wrong last week and is often a good player to catch warm so at 45/1 he is my each-way pick in this high quality event.
Henrik Stenson is the 13/2 favourite to land the Nordea Masters in Stockholm where he won’t be lacking in support neither and so will Jonas Blixt , a tempting 20/1 to continue his great run by landing this prestigious title in his home country.
Thomas Bjorn is a proud Dane but now very much regards Sweden as his home and after enjoying a great week at Wentworth, despite his poor finish, he’s decent value at 20/1.
Shane Lowry meanwhile, was enduring a wretched year until his top 20 finish in the recent Spanish Open and he followed that up with a huge second at Wentworth on Sunday before clinching a place in the US Open at a Walton Heath qualifier on Monday.
Lowry is a real talent but blows hot and cold. Nevertheless, he seems hot at the moment and looks overpriced at 33/1 to continue his remarkable run of results.
Finally we highlighted the chances of Colin Mongomorie last week in the Senior PGA Championship, which brought him his first Major. The Scot’s success earns him a place in the US PGA Championship at Valhalla in August, an opportunity he’ll definitely relish.
Good luck
Angus Loughran
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