‘He is disrespectfully low in the betting’ – Steve Palmer has three recommendations for the Australian Open
Steve Palmer has nailed 13 outright winners this year at 66-1, 60-1, 40-1 (three times), 33-1, 22-1, 20-1 (twice), 9-1, 8-1, 11-4 and 7-4.
Read on to find out his fancies for this week’s tournament.
Australian Open date, start time & TV info
Date Thursday, December 4 – Sunday, December 7
Course Royal Melbourne
Start time 7.45pm on Wednesday, December 3
TV Live on Sky Sports Main Golf from 8pm on Wednesday
Rory McIlroy tees up in the Australian Open for the first time since 2014 and a fanfare will be following his every move at Royal Melbourne. As the headline act in an intense atmosphere, it may be difficult for the favourite to focus on the competition on his course debut, especially with the strongest of the day-one winds set to arrive for his back nine.
McIlroy could struggle to get going again after his playoff defeat in Dubai a fortnight ago, while David Puig is making his Australian Open debut. Joaquin Niemann missed the cut in the Saudi International, then the Aussie PGA, so the 2023 Australian Open champion appears out of sorts.
Steve Palmer’s Australian Open predictions
Ryan Fox
3pts each-way 28-1 general
Lucas Herbert
2.5pts each-way 40-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
Wenyi Ding
2pts each-way 35-1 Betfair, Paddy Power
Steve Palmer’s Australian Open preview
Top tip
Ryan Fox 28-1
Kiwi ace Ryan Fox made a promising return to action last week, finishing 39th in the Aussie PGA in his first start for two months, and the refreshed powerhouse looks great value at Royal Melbourne.
There were two short spells in Brisbane last week when the rust told – Fox carded a seven at the 15th in round two, then started the back nine on Saturday with five consecutive bogeys – but he was bogey-free on Sunday and his greens-in-regulation numbers were strong all week.
With the short-game rust out of his system, expect Fox to contend at Royal Melbourne, where he arrived in miserable form for the 2013 Talisker Masters. Despite having missed his last four cuts, teeing up as world number 855, Fox fell in love with Royal Melbourne and finished fifth.
That result stabilised his Australasian Tour career, he won his maiden title in 2014, another in 2015, then made a DP World Tour breakthrough in Australia in the 2019 Perth Super 6, going on to become a four-time DPWT champion, winning the BMW PGA at Wentworth in 2023.
Fox has taken his game up to a new level this term, winning two PGA Tour titles, the latest coming in the Canadian Open in June. He is the second-highest ranked player in this field, behind McIlroy, but disrespectfully low in the betting.
Next best bet
Lucas Herbert 40-1
This could be a week of relentless celebration for Lucas Herbert, who turns 30 on Friday. He has always been one of the brightest young golfers in Australia, boasting four top-tens from his five starts in his national Open.
Herbert was born in Victoria, so knows Royal Melbourne well, and he has proved his bottle all over the world, winning three times on the DPWT, once on the PGA Tour, once on the Australasian Tour, then once on the Asian Tour – a five-shot romp in Japan in May this year.
After the final event of the LIV season, Herbert took three months off, getting married with his caddie taking the role of best man, then he got the rust out of his system with 44th place in the New South Wales Open in the middle of last month.
Rounds of 70, 67, 69, 64 followed for fifth place in the Saudi International the week before last. Royal Melbourne suits, his short-game is typically mustard, and Herbert can make another bold bid for Aussie Open glory.
Other selection
Wenyi Ding 35-1
Rising star Wenyi Ding can showcase his talent in Melbourne. The former world number three amateur, a star at Arizona State University, won on the China Tour when still an amateur in 2021, then finished 47th in the 2022 Australian Open when still an amateur.
Ding got a DPWT card through the Global Amateur Pathway, turned pro in October last year, then finished fifth in his first Aussie Open start as a pro. The Chinese starlet lost a playoff for the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne, so can hit the ground running this week.
Third place in the Macao Open on the Asian Tour in October was followed by sixth spot in the Hong Kong Open, then runner-up honours behind Puig in Brisbane last week.
Read more top golf tips from Steve Palmer:
Australian Open: Royal Melbourne course guide, start time, odds and how to watch
Steve Palmer’s free golf betting tips and predictions for the Nedbank Golf Challenge
Nedbank Golf Challenge: Gary Player Country Club course guide, start time, odds and how to watch
Steve Palmer’s free golf betting predictions for the Hero World Challenge
Hero World Challenge: Albany Golf Club course guide, start time, odds and how to watch
For those looking for even more extensive golf coverage don’t miss Palmer’s extra pointers every Wednesday in the Racing Post newspaper.
As well as his tips and insight you will also get expert spotlight comments for all players in our extensive PGA Tour and DP Tour price comparison grids which include course and recent form, plus Palmer’s unique attribute icons to help identify the type of players likely to be suited to conditions each week.
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