Steve Palmer's free Australian Open predictions and golf betting tips: Our top tipster bids to follow up last week's 70-1 winner

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When to bet on the Australian Open

By 7.55pm on Wednesday

Where can I watch the Australian Open

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 1am on Thursday

Steve Palmer's Australian Open predictions

Lucas Herbert
3.5pts each-way 14-1 general

David Micheluzzi
3pts each-way 25-1 BoyleSports

Kazuma Kobori
1.5pts each-way 60-1 Betfair, Power

Wenyi Ding
1.5pts each-way 55-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Curtis Luck
1pt each-way 125-1 Betfair, Power

Hayden Hopewell
0.5pt each-way 300-1 Betfair, Power

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Steve Palmer's Australian Open preview

Joaquin Niemann is favourite for the Australian Open, bidding to retain the title he won in Sydney 12 months ago. The Chilean will be making his debut at two different courses this time, though, and has been putting poorly.

The two just behind Niemann in the betting can be resisted, too. Cameron Smith, who has not been closing events well, does not have a good record at this week's venues. He finished 47th in the Australian Open at Victoria and Kingston Heath two years ago, despite arriving as a world number three who had just won the Aussie PGA.

Min Woo Lee has not been putting well while last week's Aussie PGA hero Elvis Smylie may be exhausted after such a life-changing triumph. Smylie will have a different caddie this week as Duane Smith is switching back to the bag of his wife Sarah-Jane Smith, who is competing in the Women's Australian Open.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Lucas Herbert 14-1

Stick with LIV Golf star Lucas Herbert, despite a disappointing Australian PGA. The 28-year-old made a sluggish start, which may have been down to over-zealous revelry after his victory the previous Sunday.

Herbert won the New South Wales Open by three shots the week before last, then partied with pals at his favourite pub, which is only 90 minutes from the scene of his triumph. The Aussie said he “celebrated appropriately”, revealing that seven beers could fit in the trophy he won, which may go some way to explaining his sluggish opening round of 71 in the PGA.

Herbert was unfortunate to get a bad Thursday tee-time, tackling strong breezes. A Saturday 66 was excellent, but he made a slow start on Sunday, was well out of contention, probably lost interest, and eventually shared 43rd place. Expect a refreshed and refocused Herbert in Melbourne.

This week's venues suit Herbert, who has always possessed a magical short-game. He finished tenth in the Australian Open at Victoria and Kingston Heath two years ago, despite arriving with a back problem which had forced him to withdraw during round two of the PGA the previous week.

This three-time DPWT champion, who won on the PGA Tour in 2021, is high on motivation. LIV players struggle to access Majors and there are three Open berths up for grabs in the Aussie Open. This is a golden opportunity for Herbert to book a ticket for Portrush.

Next best bet

David Micheluzzi 25-1

Another short-game wizard well suited to this week's assignment is David Micheluzzi. The Melbournite, guaranteed to be a fans' favourite this week, grew up playing in the Sandbelt region. He was a great amateur, who won the 2017 Victoria Amateur.

Micheluzzi finished second in the 2022 Sandbelt Invitational, which featured a round at Kingston Heath. He has won four times on the Australasian Tour – and the last of them was the Victoria PGA. He is back in Victoria this week at a pair of venues where he tied tenth in the Aussie Open two years ago.

Micheluzzi earned a DPWT card through winning the Australasian Order of Merit last year and has handled the upgrade well. Seventh place in the Singapore Classic in March was followed by tenth in the Italian Open, second in the BMW International, then tenth in the Danish Championship. Fifth place in the PGA on Sunday can be followed by something even better.

Other selections

Kazuma Kobori 60-1
Wenyi Ding 55-1
Curtis Luck 125-1
Hayden Hopewell 300-1

Kazuma Kobori enjoyed great success in Victoria as a junior, then won on the Australasian Tour in 2019 when still an amateur, romping to a four-shot victory in the NZ PGA. He won the Australian Amateur last year and in his final event as an amateur he finished sixth in the Asia-Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne. Back in Melbourne 13 months later, expect fireworks.

Kobori has won three times on the Australasian Tour this year, including once in Victoria. He was seventh in the Sandbelt Invitational last year, which featured a round at Victoria. He was 12th in the Dunhill Links on the DPWT last month and 15th in the Aussie PGA on Sunday.

Wenyi Ding, a star at Arizona State University before turning pro a month ago, has a DPWT card through the Global Amateur Pathway and is a 20-year-old going places fast. He finished 47th in the Australian Open at this week's venues as an 18-year-old amateur and has been magnificent since, including a runner-up effort at Royal Melbourne in last year's Asia-Pacific Amateur.

Former world number one amateur Curtis Luck, a winner on the Australasian Tour when still an amateur in 2016, won on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020. Third place in the Western Australia Open a month ago hinted this great talent is getting back to his best, while Hayden Hopewell is another Aussie youngster worth chancing.

Hopewell, 27th on his Aussie Open debut in 2019 as a teenage amateur, won the 2020 Western Australia Open on the Oz Tour when still an amateur. He finished tenth in the Aussie Open at this week's venues two years ago soon after turning pro.

Hopewell, who hit form on the Challenge Tour in September, should be inspired by Smylie's PGA triumph. They share the same coach – Ritchie Smith – and have grown up competing alongside one another.

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Course guide for the Australian Open

• Course Kingston Heath Golf Club & Victoria Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia
• Prize money A$1.7m (A$283,390 to the winner)
• Length Kingston Heath 7,259 yards; Victoria 6,887 yards
• Par Kingston Heath 72; Victoria 71
• Field 156 The cut Top 60 and ties qualify for round three
• Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Min Woo Lee (49), Cam Davis (51), Victor Perez (74), Jordan Smith (87), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (95)
• Course records - 72 holes Victoria 269 Ian Poulter; Kingston Heath 271 Peter Senior, Adam Scott; Victoria (three rounds) and Kingston Heath (one round) combined 268 Adrian Meronk 
• When to bet By 7.55pm on Wednesday
• When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 1am on Thursday
• Time difference Melbourne is 11 hours ahead of the UK and Ireland
• Last week – Australian PGA Championship 1 E Smylie (70-1), 2 C Smith (15-2), T3 M Leishman (12-1), A Quayle (1,000-1), 5 D Micheluzzi (33-1), T6 A Ayora (45-1), C Davis (18-1)
• Course type Parkland
• Courses overview Victoria and Kingston Heath are on the Melbourne Sandbelt. Both courses will be used over the first two rounds, with the final two rounds played at Kingston Heath. Victoria staged the Victorian Open from 1994 to 1999 and the Australian PGA in 1999. The 2002 edition is the only Australian Open played fully at Victoria in the last 40 years. The Australian Masters was at Victoria in 2010 and 2011, as well as the 2011 Australian Amateur. Kingston Heath was Australian Open host in 1995 and 2000. It staged the Australian Masters in 2009 and 2012, and the World Cup in 2016. The 2022 Australian Open was over both these two courses, but Victoria staged three of the four rounds. Kingston Heath has also been a regular venue for Open Final Qualifying. As with all tracks on the Sandbelt, the courses are like a hybrid between parkland and links golf, with fast-running turf, tight-cut greenside bunkering, and undulating, firm greens
• Story of last year Joaquin Niemann beat Rikuya Hoshino in a playoff for the title. The Australian and The Lakes courses were both used for that event, with three rounds at The Australian
• Weather forecast Clear, sunny and calm for the most part, but there is potential for some thundery showers on Saturday. Temperatures peaking at 28C on Friday afternoon
• Type of player suited to the challenge Positional play off the tee is more important than power, setting up the right angle of attack to well guarded greens, but short-game class is crucial on and around fast, undulating dancefloors
• Key attribute Touch/putting

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For those looking for even more extensive golf coverage don't miss Palmer's extra pointers every Wednesday in the Racing Post newspaper.

As well as his tips and insight you will also get expert spotlight comments for all players in our extensive PGA Tour and DP Tour price comparison grids which include course and recent form, plus Palmer's unique attribute icons to help identify the type of players likely to be suited to conditions each week.