Open: Steady as you go

SPORTS BETTING:

JUSTIN Rose is the most upwardly-mobile player in the golfing world.

The US Open winner has been promoted to second-favourite by the bookies for the Open Championship at Muirfield from tomorrow.

The Scottish course is tight and tends to suit Steady Eddies rather than blasters.

The recent hot weather may make life easier for the big hitters in as much as the rough shouldn’t be quite so severe as normal, but keeping the ball in play is always key at links courses and it’s the

tee-to-green experts you should be looking at when considering a bet.

Not surprisingly Tiger Woods is favourite, but at 11-1 (William Hill) is a bigger price than normal.

I have yet to be convinced the world number one is the player he used to be, especially in the heat of the majors.

Masters hero Adam Scott (25-1), the mercurial but out of form Rory McIlroy (28-1), French Open champion Graeme McDowell (25-1), luckless Lee Westwood (33-1) and the erratic but brilliant Phil Mickelson (20-1) — on form after winning the Scottish Open — will all have their supporters.

But my two against the field are South African Louis Oosthuizen and American Matt Kuchar, a

couple of solid players with form at the highest level and realistic odds of 50-1.

Both can be backed each-way, first six places.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Louis Oosthuizen and Matt Kuchar, each-way, 50-1 (general).