5 outsiders worth backing for the 2015 Open

With the bookies offering very short odds on the likes of Jordan Spieth (5/1) and Dustin Johnson (14/1), we take a look at some longshots who could come in on Sunday

Open betting can be tough, but there are lots of patterns you can look out for to steer you in the direction of potential outsiders.

From course specialists like Louis Oosthuizen (25/1), to in-form men with a pedigree for links golf like Dustin Johnson (14/1), there are trails that can lead to some great value bets.

Both those men are a little too shortly priced to make it into this Open betting feature, however we've managed to find five contenders who do fit the bill perfectly and who could contend at St Andrews...

Shane Lowry (66/1)

The Irishman is having a stonking season, including a T6 at the BMW PGA Championship and a T9 at the US Open, while another top-10 at the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool proves he isn't afraid of the biggest stages. Lowry's short game is his biggest assest, and on a short course like St Andrews, that could hold the key.

Tommy Fleetwood (100/1)

The Englishman has had some very good showings at the big events this year, including a third place finish at the Shenzhen International, T5 at the WCG Cadillac, T6 at the BMW PGA and T11 at the BMW International Open. His links golf record during his elite amateur and professional career is also among the best in the field, and his last four rounds on the Old Course at St Andrews have seen him accumulate a total of 26-under-par. Yes, 26!

Francesco Molinari (100/1)

The Italian has racked up three recent top-10 finishes, including T3 at Memorial and a fifth in the BMW PGA Championship, so is in reasonable form heading to St Andrews. Molinari also has a very solid record at The Open, including a T9 in 2013 and T15 in 2014.

Victor Dubuisson (100/1)

The Frenchman is a surprisingly good performer at St Andrews. During the Alfred Dunhill Links event in 2012 Dubuisson finished T5 thanks to playing the Old Course in a cumulative score of -14, while in the 2011 event he finished T27 thanks to a cumulative score of -10. Dubuisson's form is also starting to peak, with a T20 at the BMW International Open and T12 at the Alstom Open de France in his last two starts, which were both marred by closing rounds of 73 and 75, which robbed him of consecutive top-5s.

Miguel Angel Jimenez (200/1)

The likable Spaniard is a Golf Monthly favourite thanks to his candid interviews and famous warm-up routine. At 200/1, he also offers incredible value for somebody who regularly contends at The Open, and his carefree demeanor could prove vital with some bad links luck likely to come everyones way at some point during the tournament.