Breezy conditions could knock Open debutants off track

Mark Foster returns to the Open Championship this week after a decade of absence, but the Worksop man has a wealth of links experience to draw upon and should know too much for Open debutants Yikeun Chang and Chan Kim in their first-round threeball.

Foster, who has based his career on accuracy and will appreciate the stiff tee-to-green test of Birkdale, was joint-winner of the 36-hole qualifier at Notts GC with a ten-under-par total. He has won three times on the Challenge Tour, once on the European Tour and knows how to handle a links assignment.

Fifth place in the 2012 Irish Open at Royal Portrush and 11th spot in the 2014 Dunhill Links Championship are examples of Foster's links assurance, and he has made the cut in all his three previous Opens, finishing 28th, 63rd and 35th.

Chang and Kim have been performing well in Asia, but may find breezy Birkdale has their measure in round one. This course is a different challenge to what they are used to facing at home. Foster can boss the 10.42am match.

The forecast for heavy downpours on Wednesday night means there should be plenty of moisture in the course on Thursday morning, meaning the early starters have scope for low scores. Alex Noren is the most attractive first-round leader option.

Noren finished 19th at Birkdale on his Open debut as a European Tour maiden in 2008, so he can hit the ground running this time. Nine years later, he has nine Tour victories under his belt and a bank of Open experience to draw upon.

Noren is one of the best putters in the business and capable of spectacular bursts of scoring, as highlighted by his final-round 62 on route to winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May. From an 8.03am starting berth, expect the Swede to make early headway at Birkdale.

Noren is 55-1 for first-round leader with Betfred, but their each-way terms are a quarter the odds for the first five places. Preference is for 50-1 with BoyleSports, who are offering a fifth the odds with seven places.

Recommendations
M Foster to win threeball
2pts 9-5 Betfair, Paddy Power
A Noren first-round leader
1pt each-way 55-1 Betfred