Steve Palmer's Women's Open predictions & free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Women's Open at Carnoustie.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 11am Thursday

Best bet

Leona Maguire
1pt each-way 40-1 Betfair, Hills, Power

Preview

The Women's Open - the last of the five Majors on the 2021 LPGA schedule - starts at Carnoustie on Thursday, with world number one Nelly Korda the 8-1 market leader.

Korda was a winning favourite in the Olympics, firing a spectacular 62 in the second round to take control of the tournament. The 23-year-old also won the PGA Championship at the end of June - shooting a Friday 63 - and she has established herself as the best in the business.

Korda's Open record is not great though - form figures of MC-42-9-14 - and she is still learning links golf. Throw in a cloudy, breezy forecast, with chilly mornings, and the superstar from the Sunshine State can be opposed.

Preference at a much bigger price is for Ireland's Leona Maguire, a 26-year-old who is slowly but surely becoming a member of the elite.

Maguire, born in County Cavan, loves links golf and will be hoping the notorious Carnoustie is set up as difficult as possible. She was world number one amateur for a record 135 weeks and was low amateur in the 2016 Open.

Maguire has been a professional for only three years and she burst through the $1m mark for career earnings in the Scottish Open last week.

She showed just how dangerous she can be at last month's Evian Championship carding a final-round 61 - the joint-lowest round in Major history - to finish sixth.

A share of 23rd followed in the Olympics, then 15th in the Scottish Open last week. There has been an all-round consistency about Maguire which bodes well for her chances of posting a competitive 72-hole total if Carnoustie bares its teeth.

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