Ben Coley picks out his best three-ball bets for round one of the Open, plus two first-round leader fancies.
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Recommended bets: The Open R1
0.5pt e.w. Paul Waring to lead after round one at 150/1
0.75pt win Rafa Cabrera Bello to lead after round one at 70/1
0.75pt win Zach Johnson to lead after round one at 80/1
2pts Andrew Johnston to win his three-ball at 23/20
0.5pt Luca Cianchetti to win his three-ball at 19/5
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Thursday at the Open Championship offers a fairly calm forecast in comparison to what could lie ahead but the afternoon starters might just be at an advantage, as can be the case in this famous tournament.
With every group going off the first tee from the crack of dawn until the setting of the sun, tee-times are spread across the best part of 10 hours and the stillest part of the day may be Thursday evening, which means Paul Waring could just provide us with a day-one story.
Waring is from nearby Birkenhead and had the time of his life when finishing 19th here in 2008, playing alongside Phil Mickelson and in front of friends and family.
Injuries have since dogged a promising career but there's been enough in his recent play to suggest that he could turn it on for at least one round, something he did just a couple of weeks ago when opening in 64 strokes to lead the Open de France.
Waring's record under these type of conditions includes contending in the Irish Open at Portrush and in the Dunhill Links and with a new set of irons in the bag he could go well at a big price from one of the last groups on the tee.
I was tempted to overlook Rafa Cabrera Bello after he rather peaked too soon with a sensational final round to win in Scotland on Sunday, but at 66/1 generally and 70s in a place he still looks more than fairly priced.
There's a question mark as to how he backs up that Scottish Open win, but there's no obvious reason he can't go low again as he does so often on day one.
Cabrera Bello has held six first-round leads since the beginning of 2014 versus what was zero titles until last week and he showed what he can do in this event when 67 was good enough for second back in 2013.
His links record was good even before winning at Dundonald and with 71 his worst score in five first-rounds at the Open, plus what looks a nice tee-time, the Spaniard is backed to pick up where he left off.
Finally, I can't resist the Captain Obvious selection - it was, after all, a policy which paid off with a 100/1 winner in this market at the Masters.
Zach Johnson is the one this time and that's largely because in the last five Opens, he's been first, second twice and fourth after round one. His other effort was a far-from-disastrous 71 to sit 33rd at Hoylake.
It's true that Johnson's year so far hasn't really gone to plan, that was until last week when a return to familiar surroundings in the John Deere Classic saw him get right in the mix on Sunday.
The quick turnaround from Illinois is no issue because this is what Johnson does every year and if he can strike the ball as he did last week, the 2015 Open champion can once again confirm how much he loves links golf with yet another bright start.
Onto the three-balls and Chris Wood is tempting in the very first group, but at a best of evens his injury concerns are too serious to ignore.
Instead, the banker looks to be Andrew Johnston, who can be backed at a shade of odds-against to beat Adam Hadwin and Todd Hamilton (off at 1136 BST).
Johnston is a very solid links player, as he demonstrated when eighth at Troon last year, opening up with a pair of 69s.
I'm near certain that his performance at Troon was in part down to the fact he loves playing in front of UK fans, for whom he's become something of a cult hero, and that notion is backed up by seventh place at Wentworth.
He's been back close to peak form lately and with Hamilton not expected to be a factor, that gives him the edge of Hadwin.
The Canadian is making his debut in the event having been in largely poor form since winning in the spring. He's finished no better than 53rd in his last five starts, which include rounds as high as 78 and 80.
Hadwin may also suffer for a lack of links preparation and that makes Beef a bet at the prices.
For those seeking a value outsider, David Drysdale is tempting to beat US pair Charley Hoffman and Kevin Kisner, even if he concedes a class edge to both.
The Scot is as accurate as they come and qualified for this on the links of Portstewart, so 7/2 looks fair enough all things considered.
However, I'm sweeter on Luca Cianchetti, the promising Italian amateur who looks well-drawn against Richard Bland and Shaun Norris at 1030.
Norris is not up to this standard on everything we know and while Bland enjoyed a fabulous 2016, but for one good week in Germany this year has been a write-off.
Cianchetti meanwhile made the last four of the Amateur Championship at Royal St George's and finished second when bidding to defend his European Amateur title.
It's hard to weigh the merits of such form versus professionals who've been doing this for years, but it's two decades since Bland's one and only Open start while Norris is by no means guaranteed to take to the challenge on his first try.
In essence this three-ball could be won in a mid-70s score and close to 4/1 that it's the promising youngster who betters two journeymen looks a risk worth taking.
Paul Broadhurst and Tom Lehman are two seniors to consider at big odds in the early matches but it's youth which is favoured as we feel our way into the championship.
Where to watch on TV: Sky Sports The Open
Posted at 1200 BST on 19/07/17.
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