Steve Palmer's Cazoo Open first-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

Free golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the first round Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor on the DP World Tour.

When to watch

Sky Sports Arena and Golf red button, 2.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Hurly Long to win 2.25pm threeball
1pt 5-4 general

Preview

Cazoo Open favourite Jordan Smith has been handed an opportunity to make an early impression on the Celtic Manor leaderboard with a 9.40am Thursday tee time.

Smith, a general 14-1 market leader for the event in Wales, will start his attempt to end a five-year victory drought alongside local man Jamie Donaldson and American raider Johannes Veerman.

Smith, who tends to be more trustworthy early in tournaments than late, seems likely to edge that contest, but a better option may be Hurly Long to defeat Francesco Laporta and Ewen Ferguson (2.25pm).

Long is in rock-solid form, having followed fourth place in the Barbasol Championship with seventh in the Barracuda and 14th in the Hero Open.

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