Weekly Golf Preview | Open De France – Quicken Loans National

The European Tour – for the first time this year – can legitimately boast the biggest tournament of the week ahead of the PGA Tour.

The Open De France is a tournament that has been pencilled in on many schedules, due to the fact it will also host the Ryder Cup in just three months and a host of big names are looking to get practice at Le Golf National.

The Open De France has a proud history having been founded in 1906 – making it the oldest open in Continental Europe and has been part of the European Tour since its inception in the 1970s.

On the other side of the Atlantic, there is still a fine looking contest with the Quicken Loans National, host by Tiger Woods, taking place in Maryland.

See below as we run through tournaments for you including facts, odds and picks from our own golfing professional Cliff Jackson and Betfair.

OPEN DE FRANCE

  • Staged at Le Golf National, Paris
  • First staged in 1906
  • Current champion is Tommy Fleetwood

FIELD: The European Tour have defending champion Tommy Fleetwood back to defence the title he took 12-months ago, but there is a glittering field to try and stop him, which includes American star Justin Thomas and Spanish ace Jon Rahm.

QUOTES: Justin Thomas is really looking forward to a rare appearance at a European Tour event.

“Playing in the Open de France is different, but it’s a great experience for me. It obviously has some additional intentions to it, with The Ryder Cup this fall, but it just worked out in the schedule where I really wanted to come here, and it worked out well to do so.

“I wanted to play against a great field, which it looks like we’re going to have. It’s a tremendous field this week, and especially playing in one of the Rolex Series events. It’s a big deal for the European Tour, and again, I’m very happy and lucky that you all are letting me come over here and crash the party a little bit this week. It should be a fun week.”

QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL

  • Staged at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm
  • First staged in 2007
  • Current champion is Kyle Stanley

FIELD: Tiger Woods is one of the favourites to win the tournament he is hosting, but Rickie Fowler starts as favourite for the event ahead of some big foreign names including Francesco Molinari and Marc Leishman. Kyle Stanley is also favoured to push hard on his defence this week.

QUOTES: The talk of the practice range this week is all about host Woods and him trying out a mallet putter for the first time.

“I kept saying that I wanted something with more swing than mine, I like feeling like that toe is moving and swinging, but this one has a fraction more swing than mine does. … It’s at my discretion. If I find something that helps me play better, then so be it. If it doesn’t, then it’s not going in the bag.”

ODDS provided by Betfair:

The pro’s point of view…

Our resident golf expert is Cliff Jackson. Cliff is a leading youth coach and PGA professional at the famed Seaton Carew Links – one of the oldest courses in the world.

Some good tournaments this week and nice to see the European Tour having such a great event, and I think Tommy Fleetwood is the man to beat, he really is.

And in America, interesting one – and again hard to look past Rickie Fowler but I can see someone like Jimmy Walker returning to form.

The Bookie says…

We caught up with Betfair’s Joe Dyer to get their views on this week’s action

The Ryder Cup may be three months away but it’ll be foremost in many punters’ minds when the Open de France takes place at Le Golf National, the track where the bi-annual US v Europe showdown will be staged in late September.

The field is strong, with one prominent American a joint favourite at the top of the betting – Justin Thomas sitting alongside Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood at 12/1.

After that trio come a phalanx of contenders for the European team headed by 14/1 Alex Noren, 22/1 on the quartet of Ian Poulter, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Sergio Garcia and the in-form Andy Sullivan. Tyrell Hatton is next up at 25/1, and you can back course lover Martin Kaymer at 28/1 as well as Matthew Fitzpatrick and Thorbjorn Olesen with the Betfair Sportsbook paying 1/5 the odds down to seventh place. The Betfair each-way column hit the one-two last week and you can read the team’s five bets here >>> https://betting.betfair.com/golf/golf-bets/each-way-betting/open-de-france-each-way-betting-tips-250618-6.html

The same terms are available on the Quicken Loans National where 7/1 Rickie Fowler is the favourite followed by 12/1 Tiger Woods and the 18/1 pair of Francesco Molinari and Marc Leishman. Kyle Stanley is 22/1 while you can get 25/1 on a tournament win for Charles Howell and JB Holmes.

And if mention of the Ryder Cup has piqued your interest in that event – the US are 5/6 to win with Europe 6/5 and the tie 10/1.

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