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THE European Tour gets back under way in typically eye-catching style today with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship teeing off the three-week Middle East swing,
Tommy Fleetwood will be trying to win the event for the third year in a row against the likes of world No 3 Dustin Johnson and last year’s double major winner, Brooks Koepka. It lifts the lid on a season that, even without a Ryder Cup, is filled with promise. Here are 10 dates for your calendar.
RORY McIlroy’s view that the Deep South pageant has grown to the point where it’s now the No 1 major might be debatable, but there’s no question the sense of anticipation seems to rise every year. Not even McIlroy (right) taking his latest shot at the career Grand Slam will be enough for top billing, with all eyes on Tiger Woods to see if he can resume his major quest following his near misses at the Open and USPGA last year.
The 68-year wait for the return of the game’s oldest event to Northern Ireland is blessedly almost over. Get ready to swoon as the camera gorges eagerly on the stupendous views, as one of the UK’s top three courses basks in the spotlight. All you need to know about the sort of welcome that is in store on the Antrim coastline, is that this will be the first all-ticket Open — and it sold out in minutes.
JusT as a win at the Open when played at St Andrews carries with it a special meaning, so the same applies to its American equivalent. Adding to the good news is the fact that the Mickey Mouse years, when the tournament was plagued by joke set-ups, may now be behind us, with new man John Bodenhamer now at the helm.
I’m not a fan of this new date but it’s good to begin on this revered Long Island municipal, where New Yorkers still happily sleep in their
BET 1 SOCCER TREBLE AT 6/1 MANCHESTER UNITED (-1) HANDICAP 8/10 – SOUTHAMPTON V EVERTON OVER 2.5 GOALS 17/20 – LIVERPOOL VS CRYSTAL PALACE OVER 3.5 GOALS 21/20
MANCHESTER UNITED VS BURNLEY (HOME (-1) HANDICAP) 8/10 – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the first Man United manager to win his first six Premier League games at the club after a stellar performance from his side at Wembley, walking away as 1-0 victors over Tottenham. United have certainly turned the corner since departing ways with Jose Mourinho, with teams now fearing the biggest club in the land, and rightfully so. Brighton gave a decent account of themselves against Liverpool, losing 1-0, while they also managed to beat Manchester United earlier in the campaign. However, this is a resurgent United team and one that cannot be stopped at the moment. The Red Devils on the (-1) Handicap is the bet of the weekend at 8/10.
SOUTHAMPTON VS EVERTON (OVER 2.5 GOALS) 17/20 – Southampton showed why they cannot be any pundits’ favourites to go down this season after yet another fantastic result, winning 2-1 away to Leicester City. Yann Valery was sent off in that game, which will hand Cedric Soares another opportunity to regain his place back in the team. Everton recorded their first win in three matches, Back Over 2.5 Goals at 17/20. cars overnight to grab a tee-time. The sign by the first tee might be the best in golf: ‘Warning — The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.’
5. Solheim Cup, Gleneagles (Sept 13-15)
It will be hard to beat the atmosphere created by the good people of Des Moines in Iowa last time, but, given how special the Ryder Cup was here in 2014, it might be close. Is it too much to ask for a little more of that freakily good weather we witnessed in Perthshire five years ago?
The rearranging of the men’s calendar allows some breathing space for this event, where Georgia Hall will put her title on the line on the course her British rival Charley Hull calls home.
Thank goodness this event was saved at the last minute. Not the greatest date, but with Tommy Fleetwood as host and the venue one of Britain’s finest, it’s a better outcome than seemed likely.
The three-event FedEx Cup will now dominate August, with the bonus claimed by Justin Rose last year increased from $10million to a still more staggering $15m. Let’s hope the climax is half as good as in 2018, when Woods won the final event.
The PGA Tour’s flagship event moves from May, when the ground was hard and the event was claimed by some decidedly obscure names. This year, it will be interesting to see if the softer conditions suit the bombers more than in the past.
Like the Ryder Cup, this amateur equivalent played between teams from Britain and Ireland and America has been dominated by the home side in recent editions, with no away wins since 2007. One man hoping to whistle a different tune is the US captain, Nat Crosby — son of legendary crooner Bing. – Daily Mail
LIVERPOOL VS CRYSTAL PALACE (OVER 3.5 GOALS) 21/20 – It was far from glamourous, but Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League, defeating Brighton 1-0 at the Amex Stadium. That result showed that it will be a bumpy ride for the Reds to claim their first ever Premier League title. Liverpool now face familiar opposition in a similar situation to the 2013/14 season, after that famous night, now known as “Crystanbul”, where the Reds surrendered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3. Crystal Palace are certainly one of the most unpredictable teams in the league. Palace have won three of their last four league matches at Anfield – which shows their capabilities of causing an upset. It is undeniable that Palace are Liverpool’s hoodoo team in the league, so back Over 3.5 Goals at 21/20 instead of opting for a winner.
BET 2 VALUE BET WATFORD VS BURNLEY (HOME WIN & BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE) 23/10 – Watford came from behind to record a well-deserved 2-1 victory away to Crystal Palace last weekend. That result means the Hornets are back up to seventh on the table, which is considered to be the best from the rest, as the top six seem to be head and shoulders above the rest at the moment. Burnley are up to 15th in the league standings after winning their third successive game last weekend, also coming from behind to beat Fulham 2-1. Watford came out 3-1 victors in the last tie, and are expected to do the double over their opponents, despite Burnley’s upturn in form. Take Watford to Win & Both Teams to Score here at 23/10.