Russell Henley can enjoy another happy visit to Greenbrier

Sky Sports Golf from 8pm Thursday
Tournament starts at midday

The Greenbrier Classic, or A Military Tribute at Greenbrier as it has been renamed this year, has struggled to produce an identikit winner since it made its US Tour debut in 2010.

It's not the strongest field in West Virginia and bookmakers view it as an open affair with Tony Finau chalked up as a 14-1 favourite.

Debutants have a strong record in the event which was back on the calendar last year after flood damage meant the 2016 running was cancelled, and this is an opportunity for some of the game's lesser names to shine.

Wilkerson's top tip
Russell Henley 20-1
It would be harsh to put three-time US Tour winner Russell Henley in that bracket and he heads to West Virginia with his game in decent nick.

A 25th-placed finish at the US Open may be viewed as somewhat disappointing after he carded an opening round of 69, but he wasn't the only player who struggled with the course set-up on a difficult Saturday so he shouldn't be too hard on himself.

Indeed, he was in fine form the following week at the Travelers Championship when he got off to a blistering start with opening rounds of 66 and 65 before finishing tied for sixth, four shots behind winner Bubba Watson.

Others have demonstrated that course form is not necessarily a pre-requisite for success at Greenbrier - four of the last six winners were tournament debutants - but it should certainly not be considered a handicap and Henley should be confident of a decent showing having finished fifth in the last two tournaments.

Those performances have contained some excellent round when he has toyed with the par-70 layout, hitting 64 in his second round last year and closing with an excellent 63 in his previous appearance in 2015.

Gaining an advantage on the greens could be crucial on a course which can be tamed by top players and as he is ranked 22nd in the greens-in-regulation statistic, this excellent putter should be handed plenty of opportunities as he looks to grab another title.

Next best
Danny Lee 40-1
New Zealand's Danny Lee is another fine putter who tends to enjoy himself in West Virginia. He won the tournament in 2015 and put up a spirited show in finishing ninth when he made his defence that was delayed by a year because of the weather.

Lee is in an especially good mood this week and has gone on record as saying that he is confident that he can hole putts from anywhere on the Greenbrier greens.

Even if he doesn't live up to those high standards, he looks prepared to go deep into the tournament once again.

Lee has suffered a few missed cuts of late - he didn't help his chances at The Memorial when he carded a dismal first-round 83 and he also had the weekend off at last week's Quicken Loans National.

However, since the middle of May, he has finished seventh at the Players Championship, 14th at the Fort Worth Invitational and 15th at the Travelers, so it is worth chancing that he can perform well again at one of his favourite tracks.

Other selection
Anirban Lahiri 70-1
Lahiri is making his debut in this tournament but, as has already been noted, that has not proved to be a barrier to many winners of the Greenbrier Classic.

The Indian posted his best finish on the US Tour in last year's Memorial when he was second and he has been in a rich vein of form in last couple of weeks when things have been coming together on the greens.

The 31-year-old from Pune posted three fine rounds at the Travelers before a closing 69 saw him slip out of contention and finish ninth.

He followed that with 13th place at the Quicken Loans National when he paid the price for a second-round 74.

Looking at the bigger picture with regard to his performance in Maryland, however, he finished the tournament leading the field in strokes gained putting, so his flatstick is plainly in good order.

In a tournament where just eight of the world's top 50 players line up, he could make a big impression and the son of an army officer could also be inspired by this week's atmosphere.

Others to note
Bubba Watson
The two-time Masters champion has won three times this season and is a member at Greenbrier. However, he has not claimed a top-ten finish in four attempts in this tournament.

Phil Mickelson
Another big name with Greenbrier connections who has struggled in this competition. Lefty finished 20th last year after three missed cuts.

Jimmy Walker
The former US PGA winner has had three top-five finishes at the West Virginia venue, the last one in 2013. His form has cooled a little after a fast start to the summer.

Webb Simpson
Simpson won the Players Championship in May and was tenth at the US Open. With three top-ten Greenbrier finishes, he has to be respected in this company.

Brian Gay
Gay has moved 79 places up the world rankings this year and claimed four top-20 finishes in his last five tournaments, including 20th at the US Open. However, his course form stinks - last year's 72nd spot was his best performance in six attempts.

Recommendations
R Henley
2pts each-way 20-1 Betfred
D Lee
1.5pts each-way 40-1 Paddy Power
A Lahiri
1pt each-way 70-1 Betfred

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The lowdown

Course The Old White TPC, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Prize money $7.3m ($1.314m to the winner)
Length 7,286 yards Par 70 Field 156

Course records – 72 holes 258 Stuart Appleby (2010)
18 holes 59 Stuart Appleby (2010)

Course winners taking part Stuart Appleby, Scott Stallings, Ted
Potter Jr, Jonas Blixt, Danny Lee, Xander Schauffele

When to bet By midday on Thursday
Where to watch Live on Sky Sports from 8pm
Time difference West Virginia is five hours behind the UK and
Ireland

Last week - Quicken Loans National 1 F Molinari 22-1, 2 R Armour 125-1, 3 S Kang 175-1, T4 T Woods 14-1, A Ancer 200-1, T6 B Burgoon 250-1, B Hossler 33-1

Course overview US Tour chiefs oversaw a redesign of The Old White which was supposed to make the layout tough enough to stage a tournament, but when it made its bow in 2010 Stuart Appleby carded a final-round 59 en route to a 22-under-par total. The track was obliterated by a moderate field.

Only three players finished double-digits under par in 2011, with
the course lengthened and narrowed, but another birdiefest took
place in 2012 with 16 players ten under or better.

The course has settled down on the circuit as mid-range in terms
of difficulty. The old-fashioned design closes with a fairly easy 175-
yard par three. The three other par threes are much longer, totalling
656 yards.

There are only two par-fives (12th and 17th) and they are the easiest holes. The 492-yard par-four 13th is the most difficult assignment. The fairways are generous and the greens undulate and it generally rates as one of the easier par 70s on the tour.

The tournament is known as A Military Tribute at Greenbrier this year and it was cancelled two years ago after severe flooding just a few weeks before play was due to start.

The story of last year Xander Schauffele hit a wedge to three feet on the par-three 18th, which proved enough for a one-shot victory ahead of Robert Streb and Sebastian Munoz.

Weather forecast Temperatures are expected to be in the high 20s-low 30s for most of the week but thunderstorms are expected to disrupted play on Friday. Clear skies are anticipated for the tournament's climax on Sunday.

Type of player suited to the challenge No particular type of winner has emerged from the seven stagings of the tournament and solid putting could be what tips the balance.

Key attribute Touch/putting

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