Racing Post's ISPS Handa Invitational predictions and free golf betting tips

When to bet

By 7am Thursday

Where to watch the ISPS Handa Invitational

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 11am on Thursday

Best bets

Adrian Otaegui
2pts each-way 22-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Romain Langasque
1.5pts each-way 20-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Tom McKibbin
1pt each-way 25-1 BoyleSports

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It has been almost a month since there was a DP World Tour golf tournament, but punters are presented with a real conundrum with this week's ISPS Handa Invitational in Northern Ireland.

Not only do we have to get to grips with two courses, but they have completely different demands and one makes its tournament debut. The event is held alongside a LPGA competition using the same venues and then you can add into the mix a pretty dismal weather forecast.

It definitely looks a week to tread carefully, initially at least.

Top tip

Adrian Otaegui 22-1

Just three of this week's 144 players are in the top 100 of the world rankings and there is an opportunity for one of them, Spain's Adrian Otaegui, to take a grip of things.

It is difficult to gauge how much emphasis to put on links experience this week as the test at Castlerock will be played just once and there is scope for plenty of variance when it comes to weather, so perhaps looking at what happened in the three rounds at Galgorm last year is stronger information.

Ewen Ferguson never looked in danger after an opening 61 and he won by three shots, finishing as the player who gained the most strokes from tee to green and around the green 12 months ago.

That should bode well for Otaegui, who is top of the DPWT driving accuracy charts and the highest-ranked player in terms of tee-to-green play in this week's field.

He is a decent scrambler too, and recent history suggests that could be an asset at Galgorm

His latest results at the Scottish Open and The Open have not been earth-shattering, but this field is nowhere near as strong and his win at the Andalucia Masters in October and a second at the KLM Open at the end of May suggests he can be a factor in this sort of company.

Next best bet

Romain Langasque 20-1

France's Romain Langasque is another player who appears to possess the desired skillset and there have been flashes in some recent big tournaments that he could be a threat this week.

The 2020 Wales Open champion was 25th at the Scottish Open and 33rd at The Open, which are not bad results among this field, and there were some strong highlights with a second-round 65 at the Renaissance Club and then a Saturday 67 at Hoylake a week later.

So it could be a case of knitting it all together for the man who was eighth at the British Masters before that.

He is fourth in this field in terms of tee-to-green play and sixth around the green, so this could be the week the recipe proves perfect.

Other selection

Tom McKibbin 25-1

There is a case for local knowledge providing an advantage this week and one player who will be particularly keen to do well will be Tom McKibbin, who is the touring professional associated with Galgorm Castle.

Although he hails from the Holywood Golf Club, where Rory McIlroy learned the fundamentals, this tournament comes at a good time for McKibbin, following the two-shot win he claimed at the European Open in June.

He was 35th at the Scottish Open in his last outings and finishes of 26th and 10th in this tournament in the last two years are cause for further optimism.

Galgorm Castle & Castlerock course guide

Courses Galgorm Castle Golf Club, Ballymena, Northern Ireland & Castlerock Golf Club, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Prize money $1.5million ($255,000 to the winner)
Length Galgorm 7, 151 yards, Castlerock 6,859 yards
Par - Galgorm 70 – Two par-fives; 12 par-fours; four par-threes, Castlerock 71 – three par-fives; 11 par-fours; four par-threes,
Field 144
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Robert MacIntyre (58), Victor Perez (68), Adrian Otaegui (91), Romain Langasque (125), Ewen Ferguson (130)
Course records - 72 holes Galgorm - 265 Ryan Fox (2016), Calum Hill (2018) ) 18 holes Galgorm 61 Ewen Ferguson (2022)

Course winners taking part Jack Senior, Daniel Gavins, John Catlin, Ewen Ferguson

When to bet By 7am on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 11am on Thursday

Format The tournament will run concurrently with a LPGA on the same two courses. Each tournament will be concluded with two rounds at Galgorm. The top 60 men will qualify for the third round and this will be reduced to 35 for Sunday

Course type Galgorm is parkland while Castlerock is a links

Course overview Galgorm Castle was the regular venue for the Northern Ireland Open on the European Tour and also hosted the 2020 Irish Open, which was won by John Catlin, who lines up this week.

Three rounds will be played at the venue while the other will be on a links at Castlerock, which will present all the typical tests of such a layout, which is regarded as one of Northern Ireland's best. Keeping it straight will not be easy in potentially poor weather.

Galgorm is bordered by two rivers which come into play on numerous holes, as well as five lakes. The rough is juicy and the fairways are tight, and the winds have a tendency to swirl at this venue

Story of last year Ewen Ferguson went wire-to-wire to win by three shots after firing a course-record 61 on the opening day at Galgorm

Weather forecast The tournament is set for a dry start but there should be plenty of rain over the final three days. Temperatures are unlikely to get above 20C

Type of player suited to the challenge The different courses have their own demands but the ability to keep the ball in play, particularly and get up and down from around the green could be of paramount importance.

Key attribute Accuracy

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