Steve Palmer's free Czech Masters predictions & golf betting tips

When to bet on the Czech Masters

By 6.30am on Thursday

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Where can I watch the Czech Masters

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from noon on Thursday

Steve Palmer's Czech Masters predictions

Tom McKibbin
4pts each-way 14-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Bernd Wiesberger
3pts each-way 22-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Daniel Brown
1pt each-way 50-1 Betfair, Hills, Power

Lukas Nemecz
0.5pt each-way 125-1 bet365

Matthias Schwab
0.5pt each-way 110-1 bet365

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Steve Palmer's Czech Masters preview

The tenth anniversary of the Czech Masters will be staged at a new venue and a fascinating layout will be on show. Kyle Phillips, who created a masterpiece in the shape of Kingsbarns, can also be proud of PGA National OAKS Prague.

There are 13 more DP World Tour events left this season, culminating in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in the middle of November.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Tom McKibbin 14-1

PGA National OAKS looks set to provide a stiff examination of ball-striking and that will be music to the ears of Tom McKibbin, who has developed into one of the most consistent tee-to-green performers on the circuit.

The 21-year-old Northern Irishman is powerful but accurate, boasting a free-flowing swing which has made him a leaderboard mainstay on the DP World Tour this season. McKibbin has posted 11 top-25 finishes in 15 starts.

The only occasions he has finished outside the top 25 can be easily forgiven. He teed up with tonsillitis in Singapore, he tied 41st on his US Open debut when partnering Scottie Scheffler in round four, he missed some short putts when carding 69-69 and missing the cut by a shot in the Scottish Open, then he finished 66th on his Open debut last time out.

Royal Troon was an exciting but long week for the youngster, who enjoyed some high-profile practice rounds with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke. McKibbin was probably mentally drained by the end of the week, but he has hardly put a foot wrong this year.

The Belfast-born rising star has freshened up since the Open and can land a second DP World Tour title on Sunday at a venue which is ideal for showing off his stellar driving.

Next best bet

Bernd Wiesberger 22-1

Another consistent ball-striker can shine at PGA National OAKS. McKibbin and Bernd Wiesberger look best equipped for plotting safe passage along the Prague fairways. Wiesberger has settled nicely back into DP World Tour life, putting his LIV days behind him, chasing hard for a ninth DPWT title.

The Austrian, like McKibbin, has been a top-25 machine this year. Big Bernd tied second in the European Open in June, then he was seventh in the KLM Open and 16th in the BMW International. He is hungry for competition having been controversially banned by the PGA Tour from entering the ISCO Championship and Barracuda Championship because of his LIV foray.

Wiesberger, fresh from a month off and full of determination, most likely hopped over the border from his homeland early to get some thorough preparation at the new Czech Masters venue.

Other selections

Daniel Brown 50-1
Lukas Nemecz 125-1
Matthias Schwab 110-1

The Open Championship provided an enormous injection of confidence for Daniel Brown. The qualifier led after round one and manfully retained his place on the Troon leaderboard for a long way, before eventually finishing tenth.

That incredible Major debut, in which he hardly missed a fairway and stayed remarkably cool under pressure, has banked a juicy cheque which sets the Yorkshireman up for a positive end to the year. He made his DPWT breakthrough almost exactly a year ago, so seems to come alive in the summer. By far his best result of 2018 was fifth place in the Prague Golf Challenge, which was played in July that year, and he tied 14th on his Czech Masters debut last August.

Complete the attack with two big-priced Austrians who are playing relatively close to home. The accurate Lukas Nemecz will be thrilled to be teeing up with such solid form behind him, having finished 27th in the BMW International last month, then 45th in the ISCO Championship and 13th in the Barracuda. Those Stateside efforts will make the three-time Alps Tour champion feel he can be a factor this week.

Matthias Schwab, a formerly exceptional amateur who has twice finished second on the DP World Tour, can boast seven top-fives on this circuit. One of them came in the 2019 Czech Masters. After eighth place in the China Open in May and tenth spot in the Italian Open in June, Schwab can recover from a couple of narrow Stateside missed cuts to threaten in this weak grade.

Course guide for the Czech Masters

• Course PGA National OAKS Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
• Prize money $2.5m ($416,750 to the winner)
• Length 7,592 yards
• Par 72 - four par-fives; ten par-fours; four par-threes
• Field 156 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
• Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Ryo Hisatsune (99), Jordan Smith (101), Ewen Ferguson (103), Tom McKibbin (107), Sami Valimaki (110)
• When to bet By 6.30am on Thursday
• When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from noon on Thursday
• Time difference Czech Republic is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland
• Course type Parkland
• Course overview The Czech Masters was created in 2014, with the Albatross Resort hosting a Tour event annually every year apart from 2020 (cancelled due to Covid), but there is a new venue for the tenth anniversary of the tournament. PGA National OAKS Prague, located just south of the capital city in Nebrenice, opened in the summer of 2020. Kyle Phillips, who created Kingsbarns in Scotland, designed the course. It starts in an oak-studded valley, before opening up from the fourth hole onwards, then tightening up again from the 12th hole. With streams, ravines, wetlands, knee-high rough in places, doglegs and firm greens, this appears a tough track
• Story of last year Todd Clements reached 22 under par to pip fellow Englishman Matt Wallace by a shot and make his DP World Tour breakthrough
• Weather forecast Sunny, warm and calm for the vast majority of the event, with the potential for some short showers on Sunday
• Type of player suited to the challenge This looks a tougher layout than the Albatross. Strong ball-striking and course-management should yield results
• Key attribute Accuracy

Steve Palmer's Czech Masters key stat

Six of the last eight Czech Masters winners were DP World Tour maidens

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