Three of Scotland’s finest courses await a typically strong field at this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, an event that has steadily grown in prestige since its inception in 2001.

Ten of the world’s top 50 players will be in attendance, and there will be the usual assortment of celebrities and high-rollers on hand for the Pro-Am portion of the event. The courses– Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, and the Old Course at St. Andrews– are at the center of the spectacle, and with good reason: Kingsbarns is consistently rated among the U.K.’s best, Carnoustie is a cathedral of golf that is as challenging as it is exquisite, and St. Andrews, where everyone will play on the final day (everyone who makes the 3-round cut, that is), is the home of golf and probably the most famous course in the world.

Most players in the field– even most European players– don’t play links golf often, and some barely at all, which makes this tournament all the more enjoyable for spectators and participants alike. Last year unheralded Englishman Oliver Wilson was crowned champion; Wilson ranked 792nd in the world at the time and was struggling to maintain status on the Challenge Tour. Does that mean we should expect another long-odds miracle? While I certainly wouldn’t discount the possibility, I’ve chosen to keep my money away from the Oliver Wilson types this week. Here are three that may be worth an investment:

WIN MARKET

Recommendations to BACK (odds in parenthesis)

Danny Willett (20.0)- The odds are a little short, but I have a feeling they’ll be even shorter by the time Sunday rolls around. Willett has established himself as a force on the European Tour, ranking second in the Race to Dubai and racking up nine top-15 finishes this year. He’s in good form at the moment, having finished 3rd in the Open d’Italia two weeks ago, and he has two top-5s at the Dunhill on his resume, finishing 2nd here in 2010 and 5th in 2012. Willet is a blue-chip option this week.

Thomas Pieters (43.0)– I mean, you’re going to give me a guy who’s coming off back-to-back wins in his last two starts at better than 40/1? I’ll take it. Pieters won the Czech Masters a month ago and the KLM Open three weeks ago, and hasn’t played since. Plus, he finished 18th at the Dunhill last year in his debut appearance. A definite value at the current price.

Rikard Karlberg (86.0)- True, Karlsberg has missed the cut three times in four appearances at this event, but if you’ve been paying attention over the past couple of weeks you know that the young Swede is now playing the best golf of his career. Winning the Open d’Italia was impressive in itself, but responding with a 5th-place finish at the Porsche European Open last week shows that this level of play is more of a trend for Karlberg than a one-week thing. I think this “trend” should hold more weight than his past record at the Dunhill, especially at a price like 86.0.

TOURNAMENT MATCH BETS

Bernd Wiesberger (1.84) vs. Luke Donald (1.91)

Wiesberger has struggled a bit since his win at the Open de France, finishing outside the top-30 four times in his last six events while failing to notch a top-10. He’s also never finished inside the top-10 at the Dunhill, a feat Donald has accomplished three times in four career appearances. Donald has quietly played some good golf over the past few months, making his last 12 cuts worldwide and posting solid performances at the first two FedEx Cup “playoff” events, which is the last time we’ve seen him in competition. Recommendation: Donald at 1.91

Martin Kaymer (1.8) vs. Branden Grace (1.93)

Grace is a past champion here (2012) and he’s had a great year, but we haven’t seen him on a golf course in awhile, as his last competitive round was over a month ago. Meanwhile Kaymer, who is also a former champion (2010), has been playing regularly and playing well, finishing 2nd at the Open d’Italia two weeks ago. Recommendation: Kaymer at 1.8


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