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The pot is at €771 entering this week's first tournament of focus, the Irish Open on the European Tour.
It's meant to be Ryder Cup week, but the coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to that.
So hats off to the European Tour, Dubai Duty Free, and the local organisers for managing to stage a tournament at all.
Shane Lowry also deserves credit for making his way across the Atlantic to play at Galgorm Castle in Ballymena, the course which is now hosting it, with Kilkenny's Mount Juliet unavailable this week.
Galgorm Castle is a par 70 which requires accuracy off the tee. It's been host to the Northern Ireland Open on the Challenge Tour.
An unusual national championship begins at 7.40 am on Thursday.
So after some dogged research, here are this week's selections.
Be sure to shop around, with bookmakers such as Paddy Power, Betfair, SKY Bet, and Boylesports offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top 8.
Our first selection is Wil Besseling for €6 each way at 35/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
The headline selection this week is Dutchman Wil Besseling. The 34-year-old has been on the circuit for a few years, but it's only now that he's playing his best golf. He heads the statistics for greens in regulation when it comes to the market leaders for this event. Besseling shot four sub-par rounds to finish inside the top 15 at last week's Portugal Masters and in the tournament before that, he posted a tied third placing at the Andalucia Masters. He also has form at Galgorm from his days on the Challenge Tour; tied for ninth in 2018, a run which included a final round 63, and also a tied sixth-place finish back in 2016. He possesses course form and recent form and with the field shallow in star quality, he can contend.
Our second selection is Lucas Herbert for €3 each way at 28/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
The performance of Matthew Wolff at last week's US Open should remind us that youth and talent go a long way in golf. Sometimes you need to focus on potential rather than experience, and at 24, Australian Lucas Herbert has already demonstrated a flair for the game. He won the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year in windy conditions, which he may face this week. Herbert hasn't played Galgorm Castle before, but that didn't stop him posting five top-five finishes in his debut season in Europe, so there's obvious adaptability to new challenges. He didn't disgrace himself at last week's US Open, ending in a tie for 31st, so his ability can help him make the frame here.
Our third selection is Robert Rock for €3 each way at 80/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
Maybe the Irish Open owes England's Robert Rock a victory. If the 43-year old did come home in front this week, nobody could say it's not deserved. Rock likes our national championship, illustrated by his playoff loss to Shane Lowry in 2009 and another runner up placing behind Paul Casey four years later. That display in 2013 was at Carton House, a parkland course, like Galgorm. Rock shot 60 on Saturday at Lahinch last year, ending up inside the top five behind winner Jon Rahm. He has played reasonably well this year, with a tied fourth on the books at the British Masters in July. Emotion shouldn't come into it, as back in 2012, Rock faced down Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to win the Abu Dhabi Championship. You never know.
Our final selection this week is Cormac Sharvin for €3 each way at 90/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
I think Cormac Sharvin is overpriced to make the top eight, and who knows, even win! The Ardglass native carries good memories from Lahinch last year when he was the top Irishman. He won his European Tour card following eight top tens on the Challenge Tour. It can be the case that such form doesn't transfer as well upon the step up in grade, but I'm backing Sharvin to carve out a good career for himself. He was within the top 20 at last month's English Championship and on previous visits to Galgorm Castle, he landed inside the top ten in 2017 and 2018. His accuracy statistics are also excellent. Here's hoping!
So that's €30 wagered on this week's Irish Open. Please bet less at home!
Gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford, and good luck!
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