This week the DP World Tour heads to Kildare for the Horizon Irish Open which is set to be played at The K Club starting on Thursday 7 September.

THE COURSE

The Arnold Palmer designed, North Course, will be played for the 12^th time on the DP world Tour. The par 72, parkland course has tree lined fairways, with water in play on 13 of the 18 holes. This and the fact that it is a relatively long course make this course optimal for players who are stronger with their drivers in hand. A good example of this is the fact that the last time the Irish Open was played here back in 2016, it was won by Rory McIlroy renowned for his length off the tee.

MARKET LEADERS

World number 2, Rory McIlroy, leads the betting at 7/2 following good recent form as well as the fact he was the last person to win the Irish Open at the K Club’s North course. He is followed by Tyrrell Hatton at 10/1 and then the Irishman, Shane Lowry, at 18/1 who won the Irish Open back in 2009 when he was still an amateur.

BETTING – Click here to bet

Rory McIlroy 7/2

Tyrrell Hatton 10/1

Shane Lowry 18/1

Min Woo Lee 20/1

Adam Scott 20/1

Adrian Meronk 25/1

28/1 and better the balance, all prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change

SELECTIONS:

Rory McIlroy win only at 7/2

McIlroy is the favourite to win this year’s Irish Open and he is for good reason. Not only did he win the last Irish Open at The K Club’s North Course, which shows his fit for the course, but he has also placed in the top 15 in his last five tournaments and in this field I will be backing to convert a high finish into a victory.

Alexander Bjork at each way at 28/1

Despite this being his first time playing this course in competition, Bjork has been in decent form in from in his past two tournaments, finishing top 15 in both of them. He is a player I have been keeping an eye on and I think he will be a good fit for the course.

Connor Syme at 100/1

In his last two tournaments, Syme has managed two top 5 finishes and the price I didn’t have to think too hard before including him in my staking plan. This will be his first time playing the North course in competition but with confidence high he looks a lively runner.

Alex Fitzpatrick at 50/1

Fitzpatrick has placed top in the top five in three of his last five tournaments and is in great form going into this weekend. He made his professional debut at the Horizon Irish Open last year and has been on the rise up the ranks ever since, currently sitting at 139^th in the world. Fitzpatrick remains in his brothers shadow but the signs are there that he will be making a name for himself with a win soon.

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