AUSTRALIAN OPEN / Scores, tee times, favourites, and dark horses who can win this week

Here is out quick preview of the favourites, and sneaky bets for the Emirates Australian Open tees off at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney this week.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN LIVE SCORES

THE FAVOURITES

Jordan Spieth
The world number two arrived in Australia on Tuesday morning and was straight out on to The Australian golf course to reaquaint himself with the scene of his 2014 victory where he blitzed the field with an incredible final round to win by six-strokes from Rod Pampling.

Add another Australian Open victory at Royal Sydney last year, a 2017 Open Championship and four top-10 finishes in his last four starts and you have our clear favourite for this week.

Jason Day
Jason Day has had a rough year despite doing everything he possibly can to regain the form that saw him win the 2015 US PGA Championship. Back in Australia for the first time in a while, Day looks and sounds as relaxed as he has for some time and is desperate to get his name on the Australian Open trophy.

Day’s recent form is pretty good; he has racked up eight top-25 finishes in his last eight starts including three top-10s. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see Spieth and Day battling it out on Sunday? Don’t bet against it.

Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith has been taking a break and refining his game since his superb third place finish at the CJ Cup in South Korea last month. After two missed cuts, 24-year-old Smith found his groove and finished the season with a tie for 12th, a tie for 5th to go with that that third place finish. Smith tied for second at the Australian Open in 2016 and placed top-15 at The Australian in 2015. Big chance to win this week.

DARK HORSES

Kramer Hickok
Little known American Kramer Hickok is here in Australia because his room mate Jordan Spieth told him it’s worth a visit. Despite not playing much outside of the US, the world number 308 is a good sneaky bet to win this week based purely on some great recent form.

Hickok has racked up four top-10s in his last four starts – three on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada including a victory in September. But it was his solid 6th place at last week’s NSW Open at Twin Creeks that shows ominous signs ahead of the Australian Open.

Jason Scrivener
Western Australian based Scrivener always seems to play well during the Australian summer of golf. He finished in a tie for fourth at last year’s Australian Open and it was a huge confidence boost to win last week’s NSW Open. Scrivener didn’t just win either, he blitzed the field in the final round to win by six-strokes.

On top of a good season on the European Tour including a top-5 finish at the Czech Masters, 28-year-old Scrivener has plenty of runs under his belt playing in the big tournaments and could surprise this week at The Australian.

Rhein Gibson
Don’t discount former PGA Tour player Rhein Gibson. Some good recent form, an ability to shoot low, and a tie for 8th place at this same event and location in 2015 could see Gibson finish well again this week.

Adam Bland
Adam Bland is another who always seems to fire at this time of year in Australia. Some decent results in Japan have set him up for a good result back in familiar territory.

TEE TIMES