Dredge can prove best in early Irish exchanges

First round
Sky Sports 1 & 4, 10.30am Thursday

Rory McIlroy tees off alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm in the star afternoon threeball on the opening day of the Irish Open at Portstewart Golf Club.

Tournament host McIlroy is favourite to shoot the lowest round of the illustrious trio when they get underway at 1.20pm but the prices look about right and there may be better value in some of the lower-key groups.

Bradley Dredge shot a final-round 76 to blow any chance he had of winning last week's French Open but the Welshman carded three consecutive 69's to get his name on the leaderboard at Le Golf National and should be backed to get off to a flying start.

Dredge was a runner-up behind McIlroy at the K Club last year and he finished tenth in this event when it was hosted on a links course at Royal County Down two years ago. He also lost out in a playoff when Padraig Harrington won the Irish Open at Adare in 2007.

He will play the first two days alongside Joost Luiten, who has a moderate links record and has managed only one top-ten finish this season, which is below his usual high standards.

Inconsistent Frenchman Gregory Bourdy completes the trio but Dredge looks the man to side with.

Recommendation
B Dredge to win threeball
2pts 13-8 general