Steve Palmer's Open Championship early first-round threeballs preview

Golf tips, best first-round threeball bets and player analysis for the Open Championship at the Old Course, St Andrews.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 6.30am Thursday

Best bets

Victor Perez to win 9.36am threeball
2pts 11-8 Betfred

Ashley Chesters to win 7.19am threeball
1pt 9-4 bet365, Betfred

Preview

Victor Perez could be the best threeballs wager in the groups who tee off prior to 10am. The Frenchman's maiden DP World Tour title came at St Andrews in the Dunhill Links and the more difficult tee-to-green challenge of an Open set-up makes this strong ball-striker even more of an Old Course force.

The Dundee-based Perez can account for St Andrews debutants Mackenzie Hughes and Scott Vincent (9.36am), while Ashley Chesters is worth chancing at a bigger price in the 7.19am contest. The accurate driving of Chesters, who was 12th in the 2015 Open at St Andrews as an amateur, may be enough to outscore the out-of-sorts Garrick Higgo and Minkyu Kim.

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