Steve Palmer's French Open second-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

When to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 12.30pm Friday

Best bets

Connor Syme to win 1.10pm threeball
2pts Evens bet365

Preview

Rasmus Hojgaard set the pace after round one of the French Open at Le Golf National, Paris - the Dane enjoying the afternoon sunshine to fire a nine-under-par 62.

Hojgaard, who could be backed at 30-1 ante-post, has become 11-4 favourite going into round two. Paris has been serving up chilly mornings followed by pleasant afternoons, so the leader will probably need to layer up for his 8.20am local time Friday tee-time.

Pre-tournament 16-1 favourites, Patrick Reed and Thomas Pieters, had contrasting fortunes. Reed is struggling to just make the cut after a Thursday-morning 73, but Pieters is well in contention after a bogey-free 67.

Second-round threeball punters are pointed towards Connor Syme (1.10pm), an accurate Scot who should be more comfortable than most along this tight, dangerous track, where loose driving often means a wet double-bogey rather than just single.

A first round of 70 laid a solid foundation for Syme, who twice finished second on the DP World Tour last month, and he can be much preferred to Jeff Winther and Damien Perrier, who both carded an opening round of 72.

The marquee group of Pieters, Victor Perez and Ewen Ferguson tees off at 12.30pm UK and Ireland time. A sunny, calm afternoon is forecast.

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