Steve Palmer's Austrian Open preview, best bets, free golf tips, course guide

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Austrian Open at Diamond Country Club on the European Tour.

Best bets

Thomas Detry
4pts 8-1 Ladbrokes
Oscar Lengden
1.5pts each-way 66-1 bet365, Ladbrokes
Ben Stow
1pt each-way 75-1bet365
Adrian Meronk
1pt each-way 50-1Betfair, Power
Moritz Lampert
0.5pt each-way 300-1Betfred, Hills

Analysis

The European Tour makes its return after a four-month absence, but travel issues and a relatively small prize fund mean the best players on the circuit are waiting until the much-touted UK Swing before joining the fray.

Six-time European Tour victor Joost Luiten has made the trip from the Netherlands, while French Open champion Nicolas Colsaerts is also taking the opportunity, along with Vienna-based legend Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Adri Arnaus is listed in the field, but the Spaniard has been competing Stateside, playing regularly in Korn Ferry Tour Monday qualifiers. It remains to be seen whether Arnaus makes the long journey to Austria, but he will probably be more jaded than most of the field if he does.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Thomas Detry 8-1

The lengthy European Tour suspension means punters do not have much of a formbook to work with for the Austrian Open, but Thomas Detry dropped a hint at the end of last month that his game is still in fine order and the Belgian can land a long overdue maiden Tour title on Sunday.

Detry won the Worplesdon Charity Pro-Am, a 50-strong gathering which had the strongest field assembled in the UK so far this year, featuring Andy Sullivan, Paul Waring, Jordan Smith, Ross Fisher, Lee Slattery, James Morrison, Colin Montgomerie and Paul Broadhurst. A 64 from Detry dazzled the locals.

Detry has been strongly threatening a European Tour breakthrough since graduating from the Challenge Tour four years ago. He was third in the Alfred Dunhill Championship straight away and second in the 2017 BMW International before taking third place in the 2018 KLM Open and the same position in that year's Turkish Airlines Open.

A World Cup win alongside Thomas Pieters followed, then third place in the 2019 Nedbank. Sixth spot in the Saudi International in February was another bold effort and it seems only a matter of time before this gifted 27-year-old gets the job done. His Challenge Tour victory came by a 12-shot margin. He missed the cut by a shot in his only previous Diamond Country Club spin in 2017, but he was in terrible form at the time and ranked 219th in the world.

Next best bet

Oscar Lengden 66-1

Fifth place in the Katrineholm Open, a Nordic Golf League event, was a useful warm-up for Oscar Lengden last week. The 28-year-old Swede, who has won twice on that circuit as well as twice on the Challenge Tour, is good enough to make an impression at a course where he tied for 23rd in the 2018 Shot Clock Masters.

Other selections

Ben Stow 75-1

Adrian Meronk 50-1

Moritz Lampert 300-1

Alongside Lengden in 23rd spot in the Shot Clock Masters was Ben Stow – another talented 28-year-old capable of making waves in this grade. Stow won in Prague on the Challenge Tour in 2018 and has a good record in Switzerland, across the Austrian border. After a decent warm-up on the Clutch Pro Tour at Hollinwell, Stow could go well at Diamond CC.

Best value of the Diamond debutants is arguably Adrian Meronk, who won on the Challenge Tour last year and looks full of potential. The Polish powerhouse finished eighth in the CT event in Austria last season. And save a bean or two for Moritz Lampert, who won the first of his three CT titles in Austria in 2014.

Lampert's career has since stalled, but he found some form on the Pro Golf Tour last season, winning the Open Madaef. His best CT finish of last year was second place in the Swiss Challenge and a return to this part of the world could be just the tonic he needs. The German is still only 28 and has much to offer.

Players to note

Sami Valimaki
The Oman Open champion is the recommendation for punters wanting six strings to their bow. The Finn is making his course debut, but is clearly good enough to overcome that handicap.

Oliver Lindell
Another Finn could have a say in matters at a much bigger price. Lindell, an explosive player who has twice carded a 59, is a 21-year-old with plenty of potential.

Diamond Country Club course guide

Course Diamond Country Club, Atzenbrugg, Austria
Prize money €500,000m (€83,330 to the winner)
Length 7,458 yards
Par 72
Field 144
Course records- 72 holes 269 Bernd Wiesberger (2012) 18 holes 63 Tom Lewis (2013)

Course winners taking part Joost Luiten, Mikael Lundberg

When to bet By 6am Thursday

Time difference Austria is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland

Course overview The Jeremy Pern-designed Diamond Country Club has hosted this event since 2010. It was the Lyoness Open from 2012 to 2017, then became the Shot Clock Masters in 2018, before coming off the schedule in 2019. This flat, exposed track has water hazards on nine of the 18 holes and becomes much tougher when the wind blows. The back nine, which has two long par-four holes (the 504-yard tenth and the 490-yard 17th), two long par fives (the 600-yard 15th and the 591-yard 16th) and a long par three (the 225-yard 14th), is more difficult than the front nine, where two easy par fives (the 506-yard first and the 556-yard fourth) present eagle opportunities. The two par threes on the front (two and six) both have island greens surrounded by water

Weather forecast Sunny for the first two days, before a cloudier, cooler weekend. Light breezes throughout, with Sunday expected to provide the windiest stage

Type of player suited to the challenge This long, flat course is excellent terrain for big-hitters to enjoy themselves when the weather gods allow. Plenty of birdies are available, with decent conditions expected

Key attribute Power

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