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

When to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 12.30pm Friday

Best bets

Sean Crocker to win 12.10pm threeball
1pt 11-5 bet365

Preview

Rory McIlroy cemented his position as Italian Open favourite by carding a four-under-par opening round of 67 on a difficult day at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome.

McIlroy, a general 7-2 for victory ante-post, has become a 9-4 chance after recovering from a slow start to put his name on the leaderboard.

Teeing off from the tenth tee, the Northern Irishman covered the easier nine (holes ten through 18) in one over par, drifting to 11-1, but an eagle and three birdies on the tougher stretch (holes one to nine) hauled the four-times Major champion back into the thick of things.

A windy Thursday challenged the players and sent balls hurtling towards the thick rough. The afternoon starters on Friday seem set to get the strongest of the breeze and McIlroy is due off at 1.30pm local time (12.30pm UK and Ireland).

McIlroy is odds-on for his threeball against defending champion Nicolai Hojgaard and local hero Francesco Molinari. There is no urge to play at that price and preference is for the much bigger odds about Sean Crocker defeating Richard Mansell and Adri Arnaus.

Crocker, who made his breakthrough in the Hero Open in July, is a crisp ball-striker who should be able to handle the breezy Friday-afternoon conditions. He was edged by his playing partners in round one, but Mansell has been nursing a wrist niggle for a few weeks, while the ultra-attacking Arnaus is difficult to trust in challenging weather.

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