STEVEOCN

Jeunghun Wang was tied 7th two weeks ago at the KPGA Championship and in his last eleven starts he has two top ten finishes in Asia. He opened and closed with rounds of 66 at the KPGA and I fancy with a win in Morocco back in 2016 at the Trophee Hassan II that Wang will challenge for this International Series Morocco.

Tied 6th at the LIV Hong Kong Invitational earlier this year, and I fancy Peter Uihlein will feature this week on the Asian Tour. The American has a good record in these International Series events over the last twelve months, with wins in Qatar and England and a runner-up finish in Thailand. Since the start of last year, it’s six top ten finishes in this Series, and I am siding with Uihlein challenging in Morocco.

The New Zealander started the year with a runner-up finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and he has five Top 30 finishes since, including a tied 9th at the Hainan Classic. Daniel Hillier won the British Masters two years ago, and he has a couple of wins on the Challenge Tour, including in Switzerland. He tied 3rd two years ago at the BMW International Open, and I fancy he will fly under the radar this week to challenge in Germany.

The Spaniard has finished top fifteen in his last three appearances in the BMW International Open, and he was third at Golfclub München in 2021. Runner-up at the Turkish Airlines Open, 7th at the KLM Open, I fancy Jorge Campillo won’t be too far away this week in Germany.

The Norwegian won the Soudal Open in May over in Belgium and he closed with a final round of 62 to land a maiden DP World Tour title. Runner up in the Austrian Open and 13th at the KLM Open in Holland, Kristoffer Reitan closed with a 68 last week in Italy and I fancy he puts a big week together at the BMW International Open.

The German returns home as a DP World Tour winner after lifting the Austrian Open last month, and he has since finished 7th in the KLM Open and 5th in the Italian Open. Tied 5th here in 2022, I fancy Nicolai Von Dellingshausen will be full of confidence teeing it up at Golfclub München, and I am siding with another strong showing in front of the German fans.

Tied 25th two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship and the American has four top ten finishes in his last nine starts since The Players Championship in March. Top 5 in the Charles Schwab Challenge and Valero Texas Open, Bud Cauley has a top ten and a couple of top twenty finishes at TPC Deere Run and I fancy he puts a good week together at the John Deere Classic.

16th at the Charles Schwab Challenge and 12th at the US Open, the South African was 4th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Top 20 at the Arnold Palmer. Christiaan Bezuidenhout was runner up on debut in 2022 at the John Deere Classic and I fancy he puts another good week together at TPC Deere Run.

Five top 30 finishes since the Players Championship in March, and I fancy TPC Deere Run is a course that really suits the American's eye. Tied 7th twelve months ago with four rounds in the sixties, Eric Cole opened with a 62 on Thursday and never really got hot on Sunday, carding a 69. He has several top ten finishes in events where the requirement is going low, and I am siding with another good week at the John Deere Classic for Cole.

27th at the RBC Canadian Open and tied 4th last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic where he finished with rounds of 61, 66 and 68, I fancy the American will go low this week at TPC Deere Run. Jake Knapp opened with a 66 last year on debut and although he finished 52nd that week I can see four low numbers in his locker at the John Deere Classic. His only tour title came at the Vidanta Mexico Open and that was a low scoring event, I am siding with Knapp getting hot in Illinois to land a second PGA Tour victory.

The Champions open their Premier League title defence at home to Bournemouth on Friday night and I fancy The Reds put in a performance to start the season in style. They beat Bournemouth home and away last season to nil and they have now won five in a row against The Cherries, all in on the Anfield home win.

Aston Villa finished last season with eight straight home wins, and the opening Saturday lunchtime kickoff of the season should be an entertaining encounter at Villa Park. Newcastle have won three of the last four head-to-head. They have only lost one of the last five against Villa, and I fancy we see a score draw with two teams going for an opening weekend win.

Brighton finished 8th last season, and it was their second-best campaign in the Premier League in modern times. Albion have turned the Amex into a tough place to go, and they beat Fulham 2-1 at home in March. Fulham lost four of their last six on the road last season, and I fancy a new-look Brighton will get the three points on the opening weekend. I am siding with The Seagulls.

Premier League football returns to the Stadium of Light, and I fancy this will be an entertaining fixture between Sunderland and West Ham United. The last three times The Black Cats hosted The Hammers, it ended in a draw. I am siding with neither keeping a clean sheet. The play is the score draw on the opening weekend.

The last two times Burnley were in the Premier League they were beaten home and away by Tottenham Hotspur and it’s a new regime for Spurs with Thomas Frank now in charge. Tottenham won the UEFA Europa League last season and have something to build on this season with a new manager at the helm, I fancy they open with a win against newly promoted Burnley.

The defending champion beat Michael van Gerwen twelve months ago to become the world champion at the age of 17. I fancy he returns to the Ally Pally stage very much the man everyone has to beat. The Nuke has reached the final the last two years in London, and I am siding with Luke Littler becoming a two-time world champion.

With the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the new Brazilian coach I fancy the Samba Boys will come good in time for this FIFA World Cup. The five times winners lifted the trophy in 1994 when it was last hosted in USA and I can see a much different Brazil under the managerial leadership of the Italian. Raphinha and Vinicius Jr can spearhead the Brazilians to World Cup glory, I am siding with a sixth World Cup for the South Americans.

Nobody has won more World Cup tournaments than Brazil, who have five. The last time the United States hosted the finals, it was the Brazilians who beat Italy in the final. Carlo Ancelotti is the coach leading the South Americans now, and with Vinicius Jr and Raphinha on the wings, I fancy Brazil will peak at this World Cup to reach an eighth final and win it for a sixth time.

The Dutch reached the World Cup Final in 2010, losing out to Spain in extra time at Soccer City in Johannesburg. They were beaten semi-finalists in the last European Championships. With such a talented squad, I fancy the Netherlands will be a stronger unit two years on, and I am siding with Holland going all the way to the final.