Estoril Open de Portugal golf form guide: main candidates

MAIN CANDIDATES

CHRIS WOOD Clearly, Wood's best form justifies his position as tournament favourite. Not only has he spent most of the last month contending for much better events, but he's also made the frame in the last two Opens, confirming that windy conditions will suit. Nevertheless, 12/1 about a player without a win to his name is simply too short, especially given that he's looked very shaky in front to date. Wood was poor at Celtic Manor after holding the early lead. ALEJANDRO CANIZARES Were it not for the inclusion of other short-priced contenders, Canizares could well have made the staking plan. He looked a winner in waiting during May, registering three top tens, including second at a not dissimilar short, windy track at Pula. ROBERT ROCK Despite giving us a good run for our money at big odds last week, Rock makes much less appeal around this very different track. He tends to save his best for courses where his long-hitting, birdie-chasing game would be more suitable, and has little pedigree in the region. IGNACIO GARRIDO Garrido ticks many boxes in terms of recent form and tee to green accuracy. However if memory serves, he held similar claims at Oitavos last year before missing the cut badly. There is a suspicion that he dislikes windy conditions. THOMAS BJORN Sunday's top ten ended a run of six straight missed cuts, and rekindled hopes from earlier in the year that the Dane has rediscovered his love for the game. At his best, Bjorn was a superb exponent of windy conditions, so could be worth considering at this lower level.

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