The Irish Open is the first event since the European Ryder Cup picks were released.
Defending Irish Open champion, Adrian Meronk returns this week, hot of the heels of the diappointing news that he has been left out. How will he react this week?
Meronk will have to best a field that includes Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, and Shane Lowry, three players thay will be going to Rome at the end of this month.
The K Club hosts the event this week, the site for the 2016 renewal that Rory McIlroy won, and a course that previously hosted the Ryder Cup.
We break down the course and our favorite picks below.
To compare the latest Irish Open odds, head over to OddsChecker now!
Before breaking down the course, and making our picks for the 2023 Irish Open, we want to show you the best offers for this week's DP World Tour event, brought to you in association with OddsChecker. Lock in $600 worth of guaranteed bonuses, and $1000s in first bet cover with the offers below!
2023 Irish Open: Course Preview
- Par 72
- 7,441 Yards
Back down to earth - quite literally, as the players leave the mountaints of Cran-sur-Sierre and head to the K Club in Ireland.
This former Ryder Cup venue, and a course that has hosted the 2016 Irish Open and the European Open in years past, is all about those who hit plenty of greens througout the week.
The last three winners have led the field in Greens in Regulation, including Rory McIlroy, who also drove it nicely that week. He didn't put great ranking 58th in Putts per Round, but it's clear if you hit it close enough times, you can win.
Irish Open: Key Stats
- Greens in Regulation - Greens in Regulation has been the key start for the last three winners at this course, with all three leading the field. There's no reason to think that will change this week.
- SG Tee to Green - When it comes to an event where it looks like you can get away with mediocre putting, make sure the rest of your game is firing on all cylinders.
Irish Open Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner
Adrian Meronk +2800 (Bet $100, to collect $2900) The best odds for this Adrian Meronk pick are at BetMGM Sportsbook
Adrian Meronk why undoubtedly the 13th man in the 12-man list for the European Ryder Cup team, having won and finished 2nd in his two starts at Marco Simone.
His Italian Open win was his third win, but this event 12 months ago was the first title he picked up on the DP World Tour, and he will look to defend strongly at the first time of asking.
Meronk didn't quite do enough last week, but in three of the four rounds last week he ranked inside the top 7 for Greens in Regulation, and finished 13th, for fourth top 15 in nine starts.
Meronk is one of the better drivers of the ball in the field and he's clearly hitting his irons well enough to compete here, so I am happy to give him a chance of defending a title for the first time.
With form of 10-MC-1 in his three Irish Open starts, he deserves another look this week.
Eddie Pepperell +8000 (Bet $100, to collect $8,100) The best odds for this Edoardo Molinari pick are at BetMGM Sportsbook
Pepperell is my favorite bet of the week, and he can extend his fine form in the Irish Open with a win here.
The Englishman finished 8th at this course in 2016, a year after losing in a playoff to Soren Kjeldsen in this event. Overall, Pepperell has finished 2nd, 8th, and 4th in the Irish Open and I love his chances of carrying that form on.
Pepperell overcame poor course form last week to finish 8th at the Omega European Masters, and that is third event in a row where he ranked inside the top 8 for SG Approach. In his past five made cuts, he's not ranked outside the top 8 in the category, leading it once, so his irons are clearly in great shape.
Course form, event form, and hot irons, Eddie Pepperell was the first player on my card this week.
A two-time winner on the DP World Tour and a play-off loser in this event, Pepperell has proven time and time again he likes playing in the UK and Ireland and he will continue to show that here.
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