Steve Palmer's ISPS HANDA World Invitational predictions & free golf tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for ISPS HANDA World Invitational at Galgorm Castle and Massereene on the European Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Thursday

Best bets

Vincent Norrman
2.5pts each-way 28-1 Betfair, Power

Calum Hill
2pts each-way 28-1 Betfair, Power

Maverick Antcliff1.5pts each-way 40-1BoyleSports

Francesco Laporta1pt each-way 80-1 Betfred

Jonathan Caldwell1pt each-way 80-1 Betfred

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Galgorm Castle has been a Challenge Tour venue since 2013 - and it hosted the Irish Open on the European Tour last year - so plenty of players in the ISPS HANDA World Invitational can draw upon course experience this week.

Andy Sullivan is better suited to easier courses and low-scoring events, so the short prices about the Midlander make little appeal, while Justin Harding needs to quickly get over the agony of gifting Nacho Elvira a Cazoo Open playoff victory on Sunday. A bogey six from the South African allowed the Spaniard to claim a maiden European Tour title. 

Steve Palmer's top tip

Vincent Norrman 28-1

The European Tour plays second fiddle to an intriguing Olympics this week, but the ISPS HANDA World Invitational may turn into the event where Vincent Norrman accelerates his journey to superstardom.

Norrman has made a barnstorming start to his professional career and the 23-year-old Swede could prove the man to beat in Northern Ireland. He was superb in Stateside college competitions, rising to fourth in the world amateur rankings, and his last tournament in the unpaid ranks was the Scandinavian Mixed in his homeland just over a month ago.

Norrman finished 12th in the Scandinavian Mixed, then was fifth in his first start as a pro - the BMW International Open - carding an incredible hole-in-one at a par-four in the process. He further showcased his talents with an opening round of 64 in the Cazoo Open last week.

Norrman contended at Celtic Manor until taking ten shots at the par-five 18th on Saturday. He bounced back with a Sunday 66 to finish tenth. This week's venues will probably force him to be less gung-ho and club down, but his strength from the rough will be a massive asset. Expect a Norrman conquest on the European Tour at some stage soon.

Next best bet

Calum Hill 28-1

Three-time Challenge Tour champion Calum Hill won the first of those titles at Galgorm Castle in the 2018 Northern Ireland Open. He was seventh and 28th in his two other Galgorm spins and could quickly bounce back from a disappointing Sunday in the Cazoo.

Hill had his coach caddying for him at Celtic Manor - a one-off - and after a double-bogey seven at the second hole on Sunday he got tailed off and seemed to lose focus in the middle of his round. A steady finish though - he was two under par for his final four holes - sent the Scot to Northern Ireland with some encouragement.

Hill has been threatening a breakthrough success this year - particularly when a shot shy of the playoff in the Kenya Savannah Classic - and Galgorm provides another excellent opportunity.

Other selections

Maverick Antcliff 40-1

Francesco Laporta 80-1

Jonathan Caldwell 80-1

Maverick Antcliff, an accurate Aussie well suited to this week's venues, finished third in the 2020 Irish Open at Galgorm. He won three times on the China Tour in 2019 and is becoming increasingly dangerous on the European circuit.

Francesco Laporta, the star of the Challenge Tour in 2019, is also fond of the tracks being used this week. The Italian finished fifth in the 2019 ISPS HANDA, which used an identical format to that being employed this week, with one round at Massereene. Laporta was fourth in the Irish Open at the start of this month and his typically straight driving stands him in great stead this week.

Complete the staking plan with Jonathan Caldwell, a 37-year-old Irishman relishing the chance to tee up in his homeland. Caldwell won his maiden European Tour title in the Scandinavian Mixed last month - a brilliant approach to the final hole resulting in a decisive birdie. Even though he was outside the world's top 1,000 each time, Caldwell has finished ninth, 12th and 13th in Challenge Tour starts at Galgorm. He has returned as a European Tour champion.

Players to note

John Catlin
The 2020 Irish Open victor relishes the dimensions of Galgorm Castle.

Matthias Schmid
The German, 14th in the BMW International and 59th in the Open, finished 47th in the Cazoo on his pro debut.

James Sugrue
The 22-year-old Irishman won the Amateur Championship in 2019 and retains plenty of potential.

Galgorm and Massereene course guide

Course Galgorm Castle and Massereene, Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Prize money $1.5m ($250,000 to the winner)
Lengths Galgorm 7,005 yards; Massereene 6,827 yards
Par Both 70
Field 144
Course records - 72 holes 265 Ryan Fox (2016), Calum Hill (2018) 18 holes Galgorm 62 Joakim Lagergren (2014), Ryan Fox (2016), Tyler Koivisto (2020); Massereene 64 Craig Ross (2019)

Course winners taking part Clement Sordet, Robin Sciot-Siegrist, Calum Hill, Jack Senior, Tyler Koivisto, John Catlin

When to bet By 7.40am on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Thursday

Last week - Cazoo Open 1 N Elvira (250-1), 2 J Harding (16-1), 3 M Korhonen (35-1), 4 C Shinkwin (125-1), 5 M Kawamura (50-1), T6 S Horsfield (12-1), C Hanna (80-1)

Courses type Both parkland

Courses overview Galgorm Castle hosted the Northern Ireland Open annually on the Challenge Tour from 2013 to 2018, then the tournament was renamed the ISPS HANDA World Invitational for 2019, with only three of the four rounds staged at Galgorm, and the other at Massereene. The same format is being used this week. Galgorm also hosted the 2020 Northern Ireland Open and the 2020 Irish Open. There will be two cuts this week - the top 60 and ties after two rounds, and top 35 and ties after three rounds. An identical women's event is running concurrently at the two venues. Simon Gidman designed Galgorm Castle and it opened in 1997. Galgorm is bordered by two rivers which come into play on numerous holes, as well as five lakes. The rough is juicy and the fairways are tight, and the winds have a tendency to swirl at this venue. There are only two par-fives - both on the back nine - the tenth and the 18th.

Story of 2019 The last and only ISPS HANDA World Invitational was won by Jack Senior in a playoff against Matt Baldwin after both finished at 11 under par two years ago.

Weather forecast Light rain in the build-up should spill into round one. Cloudy but clear from Friday onwards. Light winds throughout, peaking on Thursday afternoon. Temperatures around 15C for the duration.

Type of player suited to the challenge The healthy rough and tight, tree-lined fairways encourage investments on accurate operators, particularly with John Catlin and Aaron Rai first and second in the Irish Open at Galgorm.

Key attribute Accuracy

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