Stan Hey: 6-5 Against

Like planets aligning, the conjunction of two events next Thursday will produce a heavenly British summer's sporting day – weather permitting. The second Ashes Test will unfold at Lord's, while up on the coast below Ayr, the Open Championship is staged at Turnberry for only the fourth time.

This spectacular place on the edge of the sea conjures memories of the 1977 Open when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus went head-to-head in the "Duel in the Sun". The forecasts suggest rain on the opening day and Saturday. Wind could also be a factor.

Two established foul-weather players are Graeme McDowell (50-1 Betfred) who spent his youth on blustery links, and Stephen Ames (125-1 totesport), who learnt his golf in the Caribbean. A fiver each-way on both.

The main story will be Tiger Woods' bid to put down Padraig Harrington's insurgency. Woods is about 90 per cent back to form – he won by one shot at the AT&T tournament last week, thanks to Hunter Mahan's 62, but his transition from visualisation to execution was seamless. The 2-1 at Skybet must be taken, to a £20 stake. Harrington (33-1 generally) has to be a "swerve". Rory McIlroy is too low at 22-1 with sportingbet, so the last bet is Henrik Stenson, third last year, £5 each-way, 33-1 Ladbrokes.

*Andy Murray was unlucky to run into an in-form Andy Roddick, but Serena landed the odds for us.