Racing Post European Open predictions & free golf betting tips: Canter can tame the Green Eagle

When to bet on the European Open

By 5pm on Thursday

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Where can I watch the European Open

Live on Sky Sports Golf from midday on Thursday

Ian Wilkerson's European Open predictions

Laurie Canter
2pts each-way 33-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Richard Mansell
1.5pts each-way 28-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Paul Waring
1pt each-way 35-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

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European Open preview

A beast of a course awaits DP World Tour participants this week as the Green Eagle in Germany hosts the European Open.

The Hamburg track may not play to its whole 7,882 yards as the option is there for organisers to alter tee positions, but it should still be a test where the ability to give the ball an almighty straight wallop will help bring success in the second event of the tour's 2024 European swing.

Top tip

Laurie Canter 33-1

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin triumphed at Green Eagles 12 months ago but this has been a tournament where English players have enjoyed success in four of the last six gatherings and there are three players who could continue that impressive run in Hamburg.

Top of this list is Laurie Canter, who would have probably missed this had he not fallen just short at the breakaway LIV Tour's Q-school in December.

That was a blow after he joined LIV from the outset, but he has bounced back since then, finishing second at the Mauritius Open the week after that disappointment and then performing competently when handed wildcards from the Saudi-backed tour for events at Mayakoba and in Las Vegas.

A niggly injury curtailed the amount of action he saw in the spring, but there were good signs when he finished seventh in last week's Soudal Open following a two-month absence.

This will be his first visit since the Covid-shortened event in 2021 when he was 29th, but his second-round 67 demonstrated that he could get to grips with the water-filled layout and there is a good chance that he will kick on from last week's showing.

Next best bet

Richard Mansell 28-1

Richard Mansell is another English challenger who would make a big impression as he sits sixth in the strokes-gained-off-the-tee rankings and third from tee-to-green, which looks an ideal skillset for the Green Eagle test.

He has failed to make the top 25 in just one of his last nine efforts and he demonstrated that consistency with four solid rounds on his way to 13th spot in Belgium last week.

Mansell, who is still searching for his first success in the DP World Tour, was third in this tournament in 2022, when he was three shots behind winning Finn Kalle Samooja, and his closing 68 was the joint-best round of the final day 12 months ago when he pushed for 29th spot. It would not be a surprise to see another strong effort.

Other selection

Paul Waring 35-1

Another English player completes the European Open trio of tips and Paul Waring looks to be coming into some decent form.

He built upon a third place at the shortened China Open with tenth spot last week and this solid tee-to-green player, who is also no slouch when it comes to approach play, looks the ideal fit for this week's Hamburg test.

Waring was not the only player to see his challenge slip away with a 75 when he posted a tenth-placed finish in last year's event, and his recent form suggests he is right to have hopes of finishing in an even stronger position this time.

Course guide for the European Open

• Course North Course, Green Eagle Golf Courses, Hamburg, Germany
• Prize money $2.5m ($425,000 to the winner)
• Length 7,882 yards
• Par 73 – Six par-fives, seven par-fours, five par-threes
• Field 156 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for third round
• Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Keita Nakajima (84), Rasmus Hojgaard (92), Jordan Smith (98), Thriston Lawrence (106), Jesper Svensson (110)
• Course records - 72 holes 274 Paul Casey (2019) 18 holes 64 Bernd Wiesberger (2019), Romain Wattel (2019), Kalle Samooja (2022)
• Course winners taking part Jordan Smith, Richard McEvoy, Marcus Armitage, Tom McKibbin
• When to bet By 6.30am on Thursday
• When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from midday on Thursday
• Time difference Hamburg is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland
• Last week – Soudal Open 1 N Elvira (90-1), T2 R Langasque (45-1), T2 N Norgaard (70-1), T2 T Pieters (22-1), T5 J Dean (400-1), T5 M Jordan (70-1)
• Course type Parkland
• Course overview This course is a monster, containing six par-fives, three of which appear in the final four holes. Water comes into play on virtually every hole, but the tees are moveable and it is unlikely to be played at its optimal length. A good 300 yards could be taken off the total distance. The greens are big put contain plenty of ups and downs so finding the correct section will be vital.
• Story of last year Tom McKibbin kept his nerve with an inspired five-iron approach to 18 to claim a two-shot victory and his first European Tour success.
• Weather forecast Rain is expected in the run-up to the tournament and on the opening two day, but expect it to brighten over the weekend. Temperatures should peak around 20C
• Type of player suited to the challenge The length of the course will encourage the big hitters, as will the wide fairways, but the omnipresence of water will also have to be accounted for.
• Key attribute Power

European Open key stat

Just one of the last 13 European Opens has been settled by a winning margin greater than two shots

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