Top Golf Betting Picks for the 2021 Hero Open

It’s double duty this week on the European Tour. As the WGC in Memphis takes center stage, the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews hosts the Hero Open. Home of last year’s Scottish Championship, the par-72 track is extremely “gettable” if the conditions stay benign.

For perspective, Adrian Otaegui opened with 62 and closed with 63 to post 23-under-par and win by four at Fairmont St Andrews in October. Otaegui returns to Fife as one of the betting favorites, although the entire field is staring up at Englishman Andy Sullivan.

After a diligent scan of the markets, here are my top Hero Open picks.

Watching a Challenge Tour player ranked 453^rd in the world emerge at Galgorm Castle should inspire other unheralded names. It should also encourage bettors to take a stab at a couple of dark horses in Scotland.

The 38-year-old Spaniard has endured a rocky 2021, but a surge over the past two weeks gives Alejandro a little pep in his step as he arrives in Fife. After tallying a T25 at the Cazoo Open, Cañizares posted four rounds in the 60s to land T3 at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational.

Consistently one of the better putters on the European Tour, Alejandro’s propensity to fill it up on the greens makes him an intriguing prospect at Fairmont St Andrews.

Do you want to bet on a guy who can make a lot of birdies? Here’s a 23-year old budding star who led college golf in birdies made in 2019. He’s the same guy who fired a Friday 65 to play the weekend at Royal St George’s, ultimately taking home the Silver Medal.

Schmid descends on the Torrance Course fresh off a top-20 in Northern Ireland; he’s made four cuts in a row.

I’m heading back to the Conner Syme well in the top-20 market. One of the many Scots in the field playing on home soil, Syme is especially familiar with this week’s layout.

The Kirkcaldy native (25 miles from Fife) finished 18^th and 32^nd over the last two weeks; he’s connected on four consecutive cuts and sits inside the top-20 in scoring average (69.74).

Spotting Syme at +150 at SportsBetting.ag to crack the top-20 makes this one of the easier Hero Open predictions to lock in.

Scoping the Hero Open matchup selection, one “plus-money” matchup piqued my interest. Ashun Wu makes the long trek from Tokyo to Scotland – about 9,300 kilometers to be exact – to tee it up in his first European Tour event since the middle of June. His last start on the Challenge Tour (late June) resulted in a missed cut.

Despite posting a respectable finish (T32) at the Olympics, banking on Wu to play well at Fairmont St Andrews seems like a bit of a stretch.

On the flip side, Ashley Chesters makes the short strip from Galgorm Castle with momentum on his side.

I like Chesters had they been evenly priced; I love Chesters considering there’s no juice to lay.

As you’re penciling in Hero Open betting picks, take a hard look at Santiago Tarrio at the top golf betting sites. Talk about a golfer who’s been blistering as of late, Tarrio’s play since the calendar turned to June has been nothing short of spectacular.

In seven starts on the Challenge Tour over the last two months, Santiago has compiled six top-5s, including a couple of victories. The 30-year-old Spaniard carried his hot play into Galgorm Castle, registering a T15 last week at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational.

Tarrio’s long, he’s precise, and his short game is intact. And oh yeah, his confidence is through the roof.