HNA Open de France golf betting preview and tips
David John has taken three wily British veterans against the field for this week's HNA Open de France in Paris.
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Spain’s Jon Rahm joined the European Tour in March and galleries will get a good look at him over the next few weeks, starting as the star attraction for the HNA Open de France.
The world number 11 is a 14/1 chance for glory on his first look since his early amateur days at Le Golf National - host venue of the 2018 Ryder Cup in case you need reminding - and the issue for me is whether to give him another chance immediately after the US Open.
I’m not overly alarmed by the fact he missed the cut at Erin Hills but it was the manner in which he conducted himself as he sulked his way through 36 holes, looking ready to wrap a seven iron around the neck of the nearest bystander after each wayward shot.
We have all hailed the Spaniard’s burgeoning brilliance but the ‘Rahm-a queen’ side of his personality needs to be kerbed when things are not going his way with Le Golf National sprinkled with pitfalls at every turn.
Sporting Life special - Westwood, Poulter or Dredge to win outright - 18/1. Bet now!
The golfing (and punting) public has extremely high expectations for him every time he turns up but I can see his patience being tested regularly here so will look elsewhere on balance - let’s hope he has learnt a lesson or two from a fortnight ago.
The venue is regarded as one of the best played all season on Tour and provides an excellent test.
Winning scores never spiral out of control and any bad weather can make this a daunting event with single-figure under par proving good enough in four out of the last seven renewals.
Rain and wind is in the forecast all four days so a bit of veteran nous, course knowledge and the patience to grind things out will all be helpful attributes.
There are undoubtedly some flashier names in the field but I like English old stagers Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter to make a positive impact on a rare outing this side of the Pond as they begin their respective build-ups to the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Reports of Poulter’s golfing extinction in the spring proved rather exaggerated as a clerical error meant he still had a PGA Tour card but he then took full advantage of that unexpected opportunity with a superb second place at the PLAYERS Championship.
The way he extricated himself from the shrubbery on the closing hole after shanking his second shot showed the competitive edge remains very sharp as he attempts to get himself back on the winning trail.
He had his 2016 season curtailed by foot surgery so it has been a testing time all around for Poulter but I still feel one of the country’s most durable players has plenty to offer
“I think it's time to start looking, start filling the positive thoughts back in my head and start enjoying golf again,” he said in Jacksonville.
“It's been tough. You know, for 18 months, it's been hard, right from taking the medical exemption to obviously thinking you've missed your card.”
Putting is the part of the game which has caused him most stress, letting anyone who would listen know how bad it was last month at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship.
It had not got much better next time at the FedEx St Jude Classic either and he currently ranks 177th in strokes-gained: putting on the PGA Tour, but the fact this will not be simply a week for the player with the hottest form on the greens helps level the playing field.
The course has been upgraded and revamped in recent years in preparation for next year’s big showdown between Europe and the USA so Poulter will have a few adjustments to make having not taken in the event since 2013.
His record though is excellent here having not missed the cut in 11 tries stretching back to 2000 with three top-four placings sprinkled in along the way.
That second at TPC Sawgrass also represents as a good a piece of form as there is on offer and will have got the juices flowing for a player who has thrived on adrenaline for the majority of his career.
Westwood’s tournament record is extremely good as well with three top-five performances, including a near-miss back in 2009 when his chance sunk along with his golf ball in the lake on 18 during a play-off with Martin Kaymer.
He continues to chip away at the game in his mid-40s despite the next generation at times leaving him in their wake but a course of this nature provides Westwood with a very good chance to compete, as does a continued ability to put the ball in the right place from the tee.
His striking remains very much top drawer and he explained in an interview here two years ago how the set-up plays to his strengths.
“There's a lot of trouble out there,” he said.
“You've got to drive the ball well, so you give yourself chances to attack the pins and have good distance control on your iron shots from the fairway, because it's tough to play this golf course out of the rough.”
He could not extend a good start (69) in his latest event at the US Open but was obviously not the only one to struggle and reading between the lines a little, I don’t think his game is in bad shape as he added: “I hit the ball really well. Hit it close a few times. Putted nicely, as well.”
It is all a refreshingly pleasing assessment while at Wentworth he admitted that the short game was “sharp”.
It seems reasonable to conclude all facets for Westwood are rounding into form at the same time to give him an opportunity here and he gets a thumbs up to put himself in a challenging position over the weekend.
What looks like an unseasonal four days of weather once competition gets under way means Bradley Dredge could be a good man to have on your side to round off a three-pronged attack from the British Isles.
The Welshman boasts bags of experience down the years with the waterproofs on and despite being well into his 40s now like Westwood and Poulter, he is enjoying a bit of a resurgence in his career.
His results last year saw him finish 31st on the Race To Dubai - his best effort since 2007 - and 2017 has been steady enough and included a first ever appearance in the US Open following qualification at Walton Heath when he recorded a course-record equalling 62.
He missed the cut at Erin Hills but was far from disgraced after posting rounds of 74-73 while a T15 previously at the Nordea Masters in Sweden was another promising effort where Dredge revealed he felt his form was “not that far off”.
If you dig back far enough into the record books then he has posted five top 20s in Paris but has failed to make any inroads lately with three missed cuts on the bounce, two coming in the last two years.
Perhaps the latest changes have not suited ideally but Dredge is well worth a shot at a big price based on his ability to dig in and post a score when the elements are testing.
Where to watch on TV: Sky Sports
Posted at 1035 BST on 27/06/17.
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