To many he’s still an unknown but if the past few months are anything to go by Jeff Overton will soon be one of the names to beat on the PGA Tour.

The big right hander has been enjoying his finest season to date in 2010 with a host of top ten finishes including two runners-up in the Zurich Classic and HP Byron Nelson.

Furthermore it seems his determination to break his professional winless streak is only getting stronger with a series of results that’s seen him do everything but claim the top prize.

In the last six events entered he’s managed three top-fives and five top-fifteens and as such he can now boast an unexpected but not underserved position of 12^th in the FedEx Cup standings.

This week you have to believe he has a great chance of doing even better though with a track in his favour and the form book hinting that it’s his time to shine.

The Old White Course at Greenbrier where the Greenbrier Classic is hosted for its inaugural running plays as a 7,000 yards par 70 with more than enough to suggest low scores will come fast and furious.

The back nine especially should provide a feast for big hitting Overton with two very makeable eagle opportunity par fives and several straight and simple par fours.

His approach play will need to be top notch with undulating greens perhaps providing the biggest burden to the field, however he’s already shown that for such a big man he knows how to handle a putter (23^rd in putting average).

It goes to say that in a field lacking any real depth you have to be delighted to get 22/1 about Overton and if you look at the remainder of the field this feeling gets stronger and stronger.

The favourite for instance is Jim Furyk (14/1), a man who’s managed just one top ten in the past six events including stinking up St Andrews at the Open and missing the cut by a fair few strokes.

Someone who looks far more dangerous is the second favourite Matt Kuchar after a set of decent performances over the past couple of weeks.

He managed an admirable fourth in last week’s RBC Canadian Open despite failing to really kick into top gear while he’s only been outside of the top 30 once in his past seven events.

In many ways he’s displaying the same sort of consistency as my first pick Overton, I’m just a little cooler on Kuchar because he’s failed to turn good weeks into genuine championship chasing conquests.

Either way though at 18/1 he carries a lot of each way value (he’s finished in the top-10 in four of his past five tournaments).

Finally, my last pick comes a little out of left field but there’s something quite attractive about Martin Laird at 125/1.

The Scotsman’s swashbuckling style hasn’t brought him much success this year but the old-style course design could may lend a big helping hand with the rough likely to be very playable for drivers lacking accuracy.

His putting or approach play will need to step up a gear or two from the dross he’s served up for large parts of this season, no one can be in doubt though that when he finds his line he’s extremely dangerous.

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South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen cruised to a commanding victory in the 139th Open Championship at St Andrews to claim his first major title.

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There is a strong line-up at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club for the ‘3 Irish Open’ in County Kerry this week. It has not attracted the big-hitters from America in Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler but there is a fantastic three million euro purse on offer.

The problem is that although the Scandinavian Masters offered a much smaller purse, it was the week after the British Open, so certain US performers felt compelled to stay-on in Europe and try to win on the European Tour in a weaker event.

Fortunately for the organisers of the Irish Open, there are so many talented players in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that the event should coax some of Europe’s best players into playing in this event for many years to come.

One of the players that will be attracting large crowds is Rory Mcllroy (13/2). He was immense at St Andrews apart from his eighty in the second round and if the media had not solely focussed on Louis Oosthuizen post tournament, he would have surely earned far more plaudits for some great play. He was just exceptionally unlucky that he had the worst of the weather in that second round and lost his head.

Another player that will be looking to impress is Padraig Harrington (16/1). He is not yet certain of a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team and with Monty and Clarke watching, he will be keen to impress and finish well. He won this event in 2007 and is known to enjoy the course!

The 2010 US Open Champion McDowell (14/1) will be desperate to show the home crowd, that he is now the best player in the world and he will fancy his chances after some solid performances this year.

Water will be a major factor in determining player performance because the course revolves around a lake and water hazards will really come into play during the week. The course has long, fast undulating greens and tree-lined fairways, so accuracy is essential.

Last year the title was won by Shane Lowry (33/1), he was an amateur, this year he competes in the Irish Open as a professional.

I have tipped Nick Dougherty (60/1) before in my articles and he has so far failed to impress but he has a few European Tour wins to his name and he managed to tie for nineteenth in the Scandinavian Masters last week and he is due a strong performance. Last year he won the BMW International Open in June and he just needs to find more consistency when playing in major tournaments.

What is most encouraging about Dougherty’s performance in Sweden is that he was impressive in very harsh conditions. In Ireland, he has two top-four finishes from his last four outings at the event. He clearly enjoys playing there and without the pressure of playing for a Ryder Cup spot, it could be his weekend.

Darren Clarke (33/1) looks like he has started to find some form and the Ulsterman is in buoyant mood after being named as one of Monty’s Vice-Captains for the Ryder Cup. He looks very relaxed and seems to be enjoying his golf again, he managed to secure a runners-up place at Loch Lomond in the Scottish Open a few weeks ago and should be thereabouts at the end of the week.

 

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We preview this year’s Irish Open, as Irish golfer Shane Lowry attempts to add his name to the list of illustrious players who have defended the title.

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• World No3 could move to top of rankings next week
• Nick Faldo the only Englishman to have been world No1

Lee Westwood could become the world No1 with victory in next week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Less than one point now separates the world’s top three golfers – Westwood, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson – and any of the three could be No1 after the event in Ohio.

Westwood, the world No3, has been in fine form this year, finishing in the top 25 in eight of his 10 Tour events in 2010, and has closed the gap on the current No1, Woods, who has held the position for the past 268 weeks.

Westwood, who is yet to win a major, would become only the 13th world No1 – and only the second Englishman, Nick Faldo having spent nearly two years at the top of the sport – in the 24 years of the official rankings.

Latest leading positions in the world golf rankings

1 Tiger Woods 9.97pts, 2 Phil Mickelson 9.24, 3 Lee Westwood 9.04, 4 Steve Stricker 7.35, 5 Jim Furyk 6.65, 6 Ernie Els 5.71, 7 Luke Donald 5.67, 8 Rory McIlroy 5.64, 9 Paul Casey 5.46, 10 Ian Poulter 5.29, 11 Graeme McDowell 4.92, 12 Martin Kaymer 4.86, 13 Anthony Kim 4.86, 14 Robert Allenby 4.31, 15 Louis Oosthuizen 4.13, 16 Retief Goosen 4.03, 17 Edoardo Molinari 3.97, 18 Justin Rose 3.96, 19 Padraig Harrington 3.93, 20 Zach Johnson 3.81

Other leading Europeans: 23 Henrik Stenson, 31 Robert Karlsson, 35 Francesco Molinari, 36 Ross Fisher, 37 Miguel Angel Jiménez, 41 Alvaro Quirós, 45 Sergio García, 49 Peter Hanson, 50 Rhys Davies, 59 Oliver Wilson, 67 Soren Kjeldsen, 68 Soren Hansen, 74 Fredrik Andersson Hed, 76 Brian Davis, 77 Simon Dyson, 79 Anders Hansen, 82 Shane Lowry, 85 Danny Willett, 89 Ross McGowan, 90 David Horsey, 92 Fredrik Jacobson, 93 Stephen Gallacher, 95 Gregory Bourdy, 98 Raphael Jacquelin, 100 Chris Wood

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Lee Westwood is looking forward to working under his seventh different Ryder Cup captain as he dreams of being handed the honour himself one day.

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Louis Oosthuizen goes into the third round at St Andrews clutching a five shot lead and once again we’ve been joined by tour professional Jamie Spence.

Our expert looks at the outright market to see if the South African can be caught by the chasing pack.

Jamie also puts several 2-balls under the microscope.

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Rory McIlroy equalled the lowest round ever in a major championship with a stunning nine-under-par 63 in the first round of the 139th Open Championship at St Andrews.

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Torrential overnight rain forced a delay in the final round of the Nordea Scandinavian Masters at Bro Hof Slott near Stockholm today…

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Mike Weir’s glory days of the early twenty first century may seem a long way away after years in golfing wilderness but the proud Ontarian could be poised for a return to the winners’ enclosure at this week’s RBC Canadian Open.

Weir, the 2003 Masters Champion, has been nothing short of awful this year with just one top ten from fifteen starts ensuring his lowest FedEx Cup position this century.

Admittedly he’s gone trophy less since 2007 but this year it seems nothing is falling into place for the usually silky Canadian, with the most alarming stat being the five missed cuts he’s made - equating to a third of all events played.

He’s never been long off the tee, however his accuracy, one of the staples of the left hander’s game, is where all is being lost with less than 56% of fairways being hit in regulation (167^th overall) and an abysmal percentage of 57.45 of greens in regulation made (187^th overall).

Had it not been for one of the hottest putters in the game (2^nd overall in putts per round) his chase for a Tour card could well have ended more than a few weeks ago.

The signs for this week may not be perfect, there are good reasons to grab a piece of his 40/1 price though (45/1 win only).

Firstly, with the return to the St George’s Golf and Country Club, host of the RBC four times previously but not since 1968, Weir may just hold a slight psychological edge over his rivals.

Not only has he played the course many times, it could also be a prototype for his perfect course when every facet of his game is firing on all cylinders.

It tests accuracy above all else with a 2002 remodelling adding more bunkers around the already tough to hit greens while solid long iron play is a necessity with the five long par threes likely to be a make or break for most players through the week.

Fair enough Weir has enjoyed less accuracy than Tiger Woods and his driver this year but his followers know he still has it in his locker as he showed earlier in the year at the Bob Hope Classic and at times during May’s Crowne Plaza.

If he can get back to hitting greens in regulation and providing the moments of genuine genius around the greens then there’s no reason he can’t enjoy a return to form on a course he’ll know better than anybody else.

Much in a similar vein to Weir, Tim Clark could also be set for more success this week if this year’s priors are to be judged on.

The little South African, who claimed his first PGA title in this year’s PLAYERS, will feel confident that his brilliant accuracy with his irons will lead to a second title of the year and his stats suggest his confidence is well placed.

His accuracy off the tee ranks third overall, his putting seventh and his sand save ability, which will be tested to the max, a more than respectable fifteenth.

The big factor for me though has to be the similarities between St George’s and TPC Sawgrass, host of the PLAYERS and a track that Clark, despite big nerves, conquered on the toughest day of all.

Again, despite the pluses in Clark’s favour you can still get him at what looks a massive price at 25/1 (28/1 enhanced win only price).

Elsewhere further down the betting Matt Bettencourt may be worth a small punt after seeing off a weak field in last week’s Reno-Tahoe.

The Open may have drawn the star talent away from Reno but Bettencourt would surely have proved a match for anybody if his final round of four under is to go on.

He was striking the ball beautifully all week (all bar a poor round of 75 on Saturday) and the way he held his nerve in closing out his first ever victory on the Tour makes his 100/1 price look enormous.

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