Harrington is value at long odds

The Scottish Open which started today will tell us a lot about the mental and physical state of several leading players for the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes next week.

Tiger Woods will again start as over-whelming favourite to land the most prestigious prize in world golf, but unlike last year, pre-St Andrews, his form has fallen to the level of just a top-10 player.

He recorded his worst finish of the season last week when 20th in the Western Open and, allied to the fact that his one visit to Royal Lytham caused him plenty of problems, I have chosen three players at around the 50-1 mark to lift the famous Claret Jug.

Padraig Harrington got us off to a good start in our quest to land the European Order of Merit with a cracking joint second at the K Club last Sunday. The only slight setback was that Order of Merit leader Retief Goosen finished sixth.

Harrington has long been regarded as a superb links player and his long game - allied to his outstanding putting - makes him a major player next week. A general price of 50-1 is too good to miss and, if you can get one fifth of the odds to come in the first five as opposed to one quarter the odds to finish in the first four then take it, because a finish from second to fifth will, in theory, land you a 10-1 winner.

Jesper Parnevik regards The Open as his best chance of landing a major. His record in the event speaks volumes with three top 10 finishes. He's been in superb form in America this year with two wins. At around 50-1 he, too, looks an outstanding each-way bet.