Golf betting tips: Final-round preview of Scandinavian Mixed on Sky Sports

Golf betting tips: Scandinavian Mixed

1pt e.w. JB Hansen to win the Scandinavian Mixed at 30/1 (BoyleSports 1/4 1,2,3)

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Even the most hardened cynic - and I'm not that far behind - must raise a glass to the European Tour's latest innovation in the Scandinavian Mixed.

Trying to work out the suggested difference in tee placings, yardages and the like was always going to see doubters hovering over the stats but, fair play, it has worked a treat.

Via Twitter, the always excellent @sgtee2green has been keeping us informed of differences in almost everything and after three rounds things are pretty much level.

The ladies are averaging around 28 yards shorter for their approach shots but incredibly both sections are matching each other for proximity to the pin and, driving distance apart, there isn't anything like a gulf between the two.

It's a beautiful thing that we have four co-leaders, two of each sex, but there are doubts about most of the top 10 and I reckon there is a result to be had on Sunday.

Caroline Hedwall, for much of the day a clear leader until a late double-bogey, has enough experience to cope with most conditions and should be coming into this a couple clear. Her reaction to that will be crucial, especially as she is two-over for the first three holes combined.

The Swede has been slowly returning to form and although that final-round 68 in France last week may have been a conduit to improved play, I'm not sure she should be less than half the price of Alice Hewson.

Nine years the junior and totally unexposed after just 10 events on the LET, 23-year-old Hewson won her first event on tour as a professional, the South African Women's Open, at which Hedwall was 12th. Her recent form isn't great but she is longer off the tee than her main female rival and has been more consistent this week - perhaps she's worth a look for top female honours at 9/4.

Alongside them, Rhys Enoch and Jason Scrivener have long given the impression they could take a regular tour event in their stride and the Welshman has put up some impressive tee-to-green stats over the second and third rounds. With a couple of top-20 finishes in Sweden on the Challenge Tour, he will be fine with any conditions but he fell apart when in contention in Gran Canaria and there will be huge pressure on what is usually a fragile short game. Of more interest is that his best performances are in his adopted second home, South Africa, scene of two of his three professional victories.

And we can go south too for 32-year-old Scrivener.

Winner of just one event in his home country, the Australian has been catching the eye since the end of (golfing) lockdown last year, putting up top-20 finishes in Wales (Celtic Manor form and Scandinavian form has always crossed over), a top-10 in Portugal and more impressive results such as matching Tyrrell Hatton's final-round 66 to get second place in Abu Dhabi, and a joint-third in Denmark a couple of weeks ago.

As befits his heritage, Scrivener enjoys it when conditions are windy and fast but for all that he has been knocking on the door quite loudly, 3/1 about a player who has won once in 226 starts makes no appeal.

It won't surprise should any of the top four take the trophy home but with Scrivener's third-place finish at the Nedbank a couple of years ago making it four players with South African form, I'm taking last season's Joburg Open winner as the best value on the board.

I'm happy to look past his two recent missed cuts and JB HANSEN has long shown that these heathland conditions are no hindrance to his best game, results in Scotland (third in Phil Mickelson's Scottish Open and a runner-up at Spey Valley) giving credence to the thought that his tee to green game should be prefect for Vallda.

• Click here to back Hansen with Sky Bet

A winner in Denmark on the Challenge Tour (beating Kalle Samooja, very prominent here this week before Saturday's disaster) and a runner-up and 16th in Sweden read well, the better effort behind Oliver Wilson, currently lying on the same score in 10th place.

Although his figures this week haven't suggested fireworks, I'm taken by his consistency, gaining positive numbers for tee-to-green and putting for all three days. Given that much of the current top-10 have considerable negatives when in contention, I'm happy to take a chance on a player who has birdied the two par-fives on the back nine on each of the three days and who really should be finishing higher than his current position in this class.

Of the aforementioned Wilson, followers of Ben Coley's column will be hoping for a 400/1 payout, or at least a place for finishing in the first six, and Sky Bet are betting without Scrivener, Enoch and Hedwall for those interested in that market. For what looked a tricky event and has proven to be so, small stakes at a price looks the way to go and the Dane will be the sole wager before the big one in a few days.

Posted at 2010 BST on 12/06/21

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