Open Champion Tips: Kyle Stanley

For this selection I am throwing the formbook out of the window and backing Kyle Stanley purely because of his talent.

The 25-year-old created one of the feel-good stories of the 2012 season. After blowing a three-shot lead on the final hole at the Farmers Insurance Open he bounced back the following week to win the Phoenix Open.

A fantastic ball-striker, he is a similar type of player to Rory McIlroy, in that he creates tremendous club-head speed despite his slight frame. That puts him towards the top of the distance stats but also means he can struggle if his timing is slightly off.

That largely explains the lack of consistency in his results this year; Stanley has two top-3 finishes but has also missed 10 cuts.

There is a danger that he blows out again this week in Scotland, but he’s made the cut in his two previous Open Championship appearances, with a T39 last year.

When on his game, Kyle Stanley is amongst the best players in the world and there have been enough glimmers this year which suggest he should not be 300/1 (Boylesports). Back him each-way and get ¼ odds for a top-6 finish.