GOLF: FRENCH OPEN/GREENBRIER CLASSIC TIPS

IF it wasn’t for Henrik Stenson finding a bit of water at the fifth extra hole against Parguayan Fabrizio Zanotti last week we might have had a winner. But you win some you lose some.

This week the European Tour moves on to the Alstrom Open de France at Le Golf National in Paris with a good European field taking part.

Number one on the European Tour, Thomas Bjorn, finished T8th at the BMW International last week and is a player you can’t discount just now. He has had three top-10 finishes in his last five, including a T8th in the Masters. His putting this year is 28.47 and with driving accuracy and GIR in the 60 per cent mark, you would think as long as he gets the ball on the green in regulation he should score low.

With an eight-under-par first round at the BMW International last week Rafa Cabrero-Bello looked in tip-top form. His driving accuracy isn’t that great but he has a GIR stat of over 75 per cent so he seems to be able recover well.

He’s had six top-10 finishes on the European Tour this year and lost in the play-off to Zanotti, along with the aforementioned Stenson and Gregory Havret, but if he continues that sort of form he should be near the top on Sunday.

Jamie Donaldson has had three top-five finishes in Europe this year, including a T5th last week. He is fourth in the Road to Dubai and looks a certainty for the Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles. Another one with a low driving accuracy stat but his his GIR stat (67 per cent) and certainly his putting at 28 seem to get him through.

The two-time European Tour winner is at the top of his game just now and look for him to get better as the season progresses.

Over on the PGA Tour the players turn up to the Greenbriers Classic on the Old White TPC, par 70 at White Sulphur Springs, WV.

Designer Charles Blair Macdonald modelled a few of the holes here after ones from his native Scotland, including North Berwick, Prestwick and St Andrews.

The man to look out for this week is FedEx leader Jimmy Walker. He is the only man with three top-10 finishes at The Greenbrier and is going after his fourth victory on the Tour this season.

He’s going along nicely with four top tens in last six outings and his form here puts him at the top of the list for a win.

After missing the cut at the Wells Fargo in April one man who is firing on all cylinders is Brendan Todd. Since then 29-year-old has won once and three top-five finishes with a T17 at the US Open. In his last 20 rounds he’s been over par twice and one of them was a 79 in the US Open and the other was one over so he’s scoring well. Looks a good bet this week.

15pt staking plan

Thomas Bjorn 2pts ew 22-1 Coral, bet365

Rafa Cabrero Bello 1pt ew 33-1 Betfred

Jamie Donaldson 1pt ew 22-1 Betfred

Jimmy Walker 2.5pts ew 12-1 (general)

Brendan Todd 1pt ew 25-1 (Betfred)

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