Steve Palmer's Senior Open Championship predictions and free golf betting tips

When to bet 

By 7am on Thursday

Where to watch the Senior Open

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm on Thursday

Steve Palmer's Senior Open predictions

Miguel Angel Jimenez
3pts each-way 12-1 Betfair, Power

Rodney Pampling
1pt each-way 40-1 general

Phillip Price
0.5pt each-way 125-1 general

Steve Stricker does not like to play in the Senior Open Championship, while Stewart Cink has opted for the 3M Open and a potential place in the FedEx Cup playoffs, so Padraig Harrington is clear favourite at Royal Porthcawl.

Harrington made the cut in both the Scottish Open and the Open, so has had eight demanding rounds in some rough weather over the last fortnight. The links master and two-time Open victor is an obvious market leader, but can be resisted at just 13-5 with some potential fatigue in his system.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Miguel Angel Jimenez 12-1

Two-time Porthcawl champion and four-time Senior Open winner Bernhard Langer is all the rage for the Senior Open and his odds have been tumbling, but the German is almost 66 years of age, and preference is for the bigger price about Miguel Angel Jimenez.

The 59-year-old Spaniard has finished eighth and 11th in the two Senior Opens at Porthcawl and has tournament form figures of 8-4-3-11-1-10-2-29, winning at St Andrews in 2018.

The two-time senior Major champion, a three-time winner on the Champions Tour last year, was third in the 2001 Open and relishes links golf. He posted six top-20s in the Open in his pomp and still carries plenty of energy and swagger.

Jimenez, famed for his extravagant pre-round stretching routine, has solid form figures of 5-5-14-13 in the senior Majors this year. Expect a more serious title tilt in his home continent.

Next best bet

Rodney Pampling 40-1

Texas-based 53-year-old Australian Rodney Pampling can handle windy conditions and will not fear the Porthcawl forecast. Less than seven years ago, he won the Shriners Open on the PGA Tour, repelling Brooks Koepka. That was his third PGA Tour title.

Pampling has played in 11 senior Majors and he has never finished outside the top 50, posting eight top-20s and four top-tens.

Other selection

Phillip Price 125-1

Welshman Phillip Price can put local knowledge to good use this week. He got plenty of early practice rounds in and has been promoting the event with seniors newcomer Bradley Dredge. Price, who famously defeated Phil Mickelson in the 2002 Ryder Cup singles, was tenth in the 2003 Open Championship.

Price, 56, has kept his eye in on the European seniors circuit, winning the Irish Legends event last year on a windswept links. This tidy player may give the home galleries something to cheer.

Royal Porthcawl course guide

Course Royal Porthcawl, Wales, United Kingdom
Prize money $2.75m ($475,288 to the winner)
Length 6,901 yards Par 71
Field 144 The cut Top 70 and ties qualify for round three
Course records - 72 holes 266 Bernhard Langer (2014) 18 holes 64 Tom Pernice (2014), Philip Walton (2014)

Course winner taking part Bernhard Langer (twice)

When to bet By 7am on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm on Thursday

Course overview Founded in 1891, this classic links layout on the south coast of Wales hosted the Amateur Championship six times, the British Masters in 1961, the Walker Cup in 1995 and the Senior Open in 2014 and 2017

Story of last year Darren Clarke edged Padraig Harrington by a shot at Gleneagles

Weather forecast A fresh breeze is set to blow all week, while some light rain can also be expected, with temperatures around 17C

Type of player suited to the challenge Links-lovers should dominate as wind whips across this old masterpiece

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