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

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Euram Bank Open at GC Adamstal on the European Tour.

Best bets

Francesco Laporta
2pts each-way 33-1 Betfair, Paddy Power
Bernd Ritthammer
1.5pts each-way 50-1 bet365
Oliver Lindell
1pt each-way 100-1bet365
Daan Huizing
1pt each-way 60-1Betfair, Paddy Power
Gregory Bourdy
0.5pt each-way 250-1bet365

The European Tour stays in Austria for the Euram Bank Open and Joost Luiten will start as favourite again. The Dutchman flopped in the Austrian Open, ending up in 18th place, but the six-times Tour champion commands respect in a weak field at GC Adamstal.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Francesco Laporta 33-1

Francesco Laporta's career was taking off until he was stopped at Doha airport and denied entry to Qatar because of his nationality – the coronavirus crisis was just starting and he was unable to take his place in the Qatar Masters. The Italian is thrilled to be back in action and his upward curve can continue in the Euram Bank Open.

The accurate Laporta seems well suited to Adamstal and the 29-year-old can build on his two Challenge Tour triumphs by making a European Tour breakthrough on Sunday. He won the Hainan Open and the CT Grand Final at the end of last year, topping the rankings and emphatically earning promotion to the main circuit.

Laporta tied for 55th spot at Diamond CC last week, but he closed with a 69, which only eight players in the field bettered. Solid Adamstal finishes of 11th and 38th are encouraging, too, at a venue which is new to many in the line-up.

Next best bet

Bernd Ritthammer 50-1

Four rounds in the Austrian Open surely aids the cause of players competing at Adamstal and last week was an excellent warm-up for Bernd Ritthammer. The precise German, a three-time CT champion in 2016, closed with a 69 for 18th spot at Diamond CC.

Ritthammer's only previous Adamstal appearance resulted in eighth place after a nine-under-par weekend.

Other selections

Oliver Lindell 100-1

Daan Huizing 60-1

Gregory Bourdy 250-1

Oliver Lindell is a talented 21-year-old Finn who has won three Nordic League events and once carded a 59 in a CT pro-am. He fired a second 59 in practice last year and this explosive player can build on his 25th place Diamond CC effort. Lindell finished fourth on his Adamstal debut last year.

A Dutchman, Darius van Driel, won the 2018 Euram Bank Open and Daan Huizing could triumph at Adamstal as well. Huizing, 25th in the Austrian Open, is a two-time CT winner with course experience (26-42).

Complete your attack with Gregory Bourdy, a four-time European Tour champion who enjoys tight, fiddly tracks such as this. The Frenchman blew away the cobwebs with 44th spot at Diamond CC and a closing 67 in last year's Euram Bank Open suggests he can be a contender this time.

Players to note

Joel Stalter
The Frenchman was tenth in the last Adamstal event and 15th at Diamond CC on Sunday.

Oscar Lengden
The two-time CT champ followed fifth place in a Nordic League event with eighth spot at Diamond.

Adamstal course guide

Course Golf Club Adamstal, Ramsau, Austria
Prize money €500,000 (€76,823 to the winner)
Length 6,473 yards
Par 70
Field 144
Course records- 72 holes 262 Calum Hill (2019) 18 holes 61 Julien Quesne (2019)

When to bet By 6am on Wednesday

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

Last week - Austrian Open 1 M Warren (150-1), 2 M Schneider (125-1), 3 W Besseling (60-1), T4 S Garcia-Rodriguez (150-1), C Howie (400-1), C Syme (25-1), D Van Driel (100-1)

Course type Parkland

Course overview Adamstal was a Challenge Tour venue in 2018 and 2019 when hosting this tournament which has had its status elevated in the revised post-lockdown European Tour schedule. The winning scores have been 17 under par and 18 under – the course has proved a doddle with Darius van Driel and Calum Hill emerging as Euram Bank champions. The length of the track is the main reason the CT fields made merry – there are four par-four holes of less than 400 yards – although most of the front nine runs uphill. The unusual layout has five par threes and three par fives – of 481, 607 and 494 yards – and birdies are freely available. The most difficult holes close each nine – the 449-yard par-four ninth and the 219-yard par-three 18th. The track, completed under the stewardship of Jeff Howes in 1998, runs through a wooded, undulating mountain valley, affording stunning views

Weather forecast A miserable opening day, with temperatures low and showers set to drench the afternoon starters. Cloudy and cool conditions are expected throughout, with a thunderstorm threat on Thursday and Friday, but winds should be light

Type of player suited to the challenge Accurate approach shots are needed to sloping greens. The whole course is severely undulating, tight and fiddly, and balls fly further at altitude, so precision operators are favoured. Crans-sur-Sierre, home of the European Masters, is a similar assignment

Key attribute Accuracy

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