Steve Palmer's Dunhill Links Championship first-round predictions & best bets

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews on the DP World Tour.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, midday Thursday

Best bets

Brandon Stone (11-10), Robert MacIntyre (21-20), Richie Ramsay (4-6), Thorbjorn Olesen (8-11)
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First-round preview

The draw for the Dunhill Links Championship was probably greeted with glee by many of the best players in the field - the likes of Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry and others have managed to avoid playing Carnoustie in the wind and rain which is forecast for Friday.

The Dunhill is played over three courses - Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews - with the 168-man field split into thirds for the first three days. Most of the elite are teeing off at Carnoustie, the toughest of the tracks, on Thursday, before Kingsbarns on Friday and St Andrews on Saturday.

The first round starts at 9am and punters are pointed towards Brandon Stone (9.33am, Carnoustie), Robert MacIntyre (9.44am, Carnoustie), Richie Ramsay (9.44am, St Andrews) and Thorbjorn Olesen (10.06am, St Andrews) for twoball wagers.

Stone, the 2018 Scottish Open champion, is vastly more experienced than newcomer Fitzpatrick. MacIntyre, bursting with form and confidence, can see off American raider Billy Horschel, who was disappointing on his Presidents Cup debut last week, while Richie Ramsay, who won the Cazoo Classic on a links in July, can outscore world number 300 Daniel Gavins. Former Dunhill champion Olesen can be much preferred to Wilco Nienaber.

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