Betting

No, we won't gloat too much about telling you to put your few pennies on Robert Karlsson to win the Belgacom Open at odds of 33 to 1. However, lightning is unlikely to strike twice and, although the Swede is a tighter 25 to 1 to win this week's Volvo Masters at Montecastillo, this is a tournament where the tour's "big guns" are more likely to dominate.

Colin Montgomerie is back after his week's rest and, to the surprise of nobody, is installed as 4 to 1 favourite to land the spoils. Given the limited field, those odds aren't as short as you might expect and Monty tends to give anyone who backs him more than a run for their money.

Last year's winner Darren Clarke is on offer at 20 to 1 and obviously has a liking for the course, while Lee Westwood, winner two years ago, is available at 8 to 1. Padraig Harrington, a player very much in form and a runner-up to Westwood two years ago over the same course, is on the 20 to 1 mark.

A question mark remains about Clarke's ability to kill off the opposition at the present time . . . and the better value for money this week could come from the local brigade with Sergio Garcia, seeking his first Tour win on home soil, on offer at 9 to 1 and the in-form Miguel Angel Jimenez probably the bet of the week at 25 to 1.

4-1 - Colin Montgomerie (Scotland).

8-1 - Lee Westwood (England).

9-1 - Sergio Garcia (Spain).

20-1 - Darren Clarke (Ireland), Retief Goosen (South Africa), Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Thomas Bjorn (Denmark).

25-1 - Miguel-Angel Jimenez (Spain), Robert Karlsson (Sweden), Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spain).

33-1 - Bernhard Langer (Germany), Ian Woosnam (Wales).

Selected other - 80-1 - Paul McGinley (Ireland).

Prices supplied by Ladbrokes Ireland.