145th Open: A Few Picks And Thoughts On Royal Troon

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Looking at Troon after spending time at far more beautiful links like Cruden Bay, Royal Dornoch, Brora, Prestwick and Turnberry is, admittedly, a let down. But within the corridors there are some sensational par-4s and par-5s, but beyond of the Postage Stamp, forgettable one-shotters.

Having not been here in over two decades, I forgot just how difficult the 10th and 11th holes look from the tee. While the Postage Stamp looms with its difficult (flat floored) bunkers, the gorse at Sandhills and The Railway must keep a few players up at night, particularly if the rain and cold come as forecast for Friday through Sunday.

Below are some embedded scenes from the course that hopefully give a little perspective what players face on those key holes. And here we talk on Morning Drive about the ebb and flow of the course.

As for picks, Jason Day is my choice over Dustin Johnson despite Day having something "pop" yesterday, but they are both so good right now that it will certainly come down to luck of the draw. Day goes late Friday, which has the potential to be an issue according to forecasters.

Damon Hack and I discussed the fun of wagering a few quid on The Open today.

My current wagering centers around value plays with top 7 finishes in mind, and will likely be rounded out by a few prop bets and perhaps some each way money on Mickelson and Knox (as long as I can get Phil at 45-1) and paying out the top seven spots. My current wagers include Ernie Els each way at 125-1, Graeme McDowell at 80-1, Padraig Harrington at 100-1, Danny Lee at 125-1 and Jim Furyk at 80-1.

**Late add: Greg Chalmers at 500-1! Winner of the recent Barracuda Championship. Go Aussie!

The course is soft and green, as we explained on Morning Drive, but the forecast has me liking "mudders" who know how to handle such conditions, which accounts for my interest in three former major champions who have been showing signs of



Nice spelling by the Tweeter here...trains, planes, eh...