Back to win: Tommy Fleetwood

No player has won the British Masters while hosting since the tournament came back into the European Tour schedule in 2015, but Fleetwood looks poised to change that this week.

The Liverpudlian is clearly the class act at his home venue in a field that is weaker than usual due to the PGA Championship being scheduled for next week.

Fleetwood is yet to win this year, but he has finished inside the top five at both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the PLAYERS Championship during his last five starts.

The 28-year-old finished T9 at this event last year and has form in links events, having won the 2017 Open de France and placed T2 at last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Each-way shout: Ryan Fox

Fox’s pedigree at links venues makes him worth backing this week.

Most of the Kiwi’s best results on the European Tour have come at links courses, including a playoff defeat at last year’s Irish Open, a T4 at the same event in 2017 and back-to-back top-six finishes at the Scottish Open.

Fox hasn’t played much this year – this week’s event will be his first start since March’s Maybank Championship – but he already has a win to his name in 2019 having triumphed at the World Super 6 in February.

Ball striking should be key in the wind at Hillside, which suits Fox, who ranks thirds in greens in regulation percentage and seventh in shots gained from tee to green on the European Tour this year.

Outside shot: Matthew Southgate

Southgate has struggled for form this year, but looks a good bet to get back on track in Southport.

The 30-year-old has had plenty of success at links courses in the past, including a T6 in the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, just down the road from this week’s venue.

Southgate also finished T12 at the Open in 2016, as well as T2 at the 2017 Irish Open, fourth at the same event in 2016 and T5 at last year’s Open de France.

Six of Southgate’s eight best career results in terms of ranking points have come at links courses, so he looks great value at a big price this week despite his form.

Three #BetYourWay picks

A British or Irish winner

Three of the last four British Masters champions have been from England or Ireland, and it's likely that trend will continue this week.

Seven of the eight players priced at 25/1 or shorter this week are British, including Fleetwood, who looks a formidable favourite at the top of the market.

Tyrrell Hatton, Eddie Pepperell, Jordan Smith, Erik van Rooyen and Ross Fisher all to make the cut

Hatton and Pepperell are among the favourites to win this week and have both had consistently good results at the British Masters, with just one missed cut in their seven combined starts.

Smith is making his first British Masters start while Van Rooyen missed the cut on debut last year, but both are in fantastic form and look poised to contend.

Fisher has missed the cut three times in his last seven starts at this event and also missed the cut in China last week, but that was just the second time in his last 13 starts that he hasn't reached the weekend and he's worth backing to do so at Hillside.

Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton to finish in the top five

It's hard to imagine Fleetwood not going close this week given the strength of the field.

Hatton's finished T13-T9-T8 in his three British Masters starts, and his links prowess means this is certainly his best chance of triumphing at this event.

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