Wednesday 27 September 2017 16:56, UK
David John has gone for a trio of players at three-figure odds in this week's British Masters.
Three modern greats of the game in the UK have taken turns hosting the British Masters 'supported by Sky Sports' and Lee Westwood completes the trio this week at Close House just outside Newcastle.
Given his love of horse racing, the event will take place around the Colt Course at just under 7,000 yards on a property owned by another huge equine enthusiast in Graham Wylie.
The length suggests it is not going to be too punishing although some cool autumn mornings will ensure a layout described as "old English" in the style of a Wentworth or Sunningdale is not going to be a pushover.
Rory McIlroy is an intriguing runner at the head of the betting having added this event to his schedule as he attempts to salvage something from what has turned into a pretty wretched 2017.
Atlanta's loss is Tyneside's gain and McIlroy is twice the price he would be at 8/1 if in anything like the sort of form he can produce at his best. Perhaps with the finishing line for his year in sight he might loosen up and make a run at the title, but simply too many questions remain.
Masters hero Sergio Garcia will get a warm welcome and goes off second favourite in the betting on the back of playing three decent rounds at the Tour Championship following a slow-starting 73.
He might need the winter woollies after a week of temperatures in the high 80s in Georgia, but Garcia has a splendid record in Britain and Ireland so I see little in the way of problem when it comes to adapting to conditions if you feel the 10/1 on offer represents some value.
Wylie would love to see Westwood win for obvious reasons but getting over the line these days for the 44-year-old is a major sticking point even if the 28/1 does leap off the page a little bit.
He helped design the layout and has bags of playing experience that should be a big advantage, but past hosts Ian Poulter and Luke Donald have not fared very well at Woburn and The Grove respectively so Westwood will have to buck that trend - all of his off-course duties could take their toll.
The local connection is an interesting one for me with very little golf played these days in England and Graeme Storm is an appealing option at 110/1.
Storm famously got the better of McIlroy at the start of the year after a play-off in South Africa and his T3 last week in Portugal has him back well inside the top 60 on the Race To Dubai and locked in for a trip to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in mid-November.
A wrist injury meant Storm had to sit out five weeks in the summer but he is coming to the boil very nicely once again ahead of an event that means a great deal to the man from Hartlepool.
"I have been looking forward to it all year. I can just roll out of bed and drive up and play golf so it should be a lot of fun," Storm said.
"It is huge for the north east as it has been 15 years since the Great North Open at Slaley Hall. The wind and rain can come along and that suits me fine."
I love the way Storm is on an upward curve again after his time off in the summer so this should suit him right down to the ground and, if you put any stock in the notion Close House will play like a Wentworth or Sunningdale, then he has very useful form down the years on both.
The selection mentioned Slaley Hall and a player who definitely has some positive memories from playing there is Bradley Dredge.
It is going back a very long way into the archives but he did manage to hit the frame there in 2001 and 2002, and a generally solid record in the British Isles suggests he will relish a return to this area for a test that looks right up his street.
The Welshman has not been in particularly sparkling form of late which means he sits in 95th place on the Race To Dubai, safe for the moment but uncomfortably close to the cut-off number of 100.
However, a decent performance here with lots of prize money on offer could even see him vault up inside the top 60 and some better scoring last week at the Portugal Masters is a decent foundation to build on.
Finally, this has very much been a breakthrough campaign for Mike Lorenzo-Vera and all that is missing now for the Frenchman is a maiden European Tour victory.
His form all year has been exceptionally consistent, highlighted by a tie for third place in his national open that secured him the biggest cheque of his career.
He has had a short break since his last outing in the Omega European Masters in Switzerland (T30) and I am not ashamed to bang on once again about the inspiration he is likely to take from compatriot Romain Wattel's recent victory in Holland.
In his current mood, he does not need to raise his game too much higher to be a serious candidate and is another player with a three-figure quote who has a stronger chance than those odds would suggest.
Watch the British Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 9.30am.
