Open de France

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Robert Rock to beat Tommy Fleetwood 6 points @ 5-6 (Spreadex)

There is very little in Fleetwood's game, promising as it is, that suggests a tough course demanding accuracy is up his street. Whilst he has had a couple of chances in 2012 and 2013 to do something special, he has looked as if he has a bit to learn about consistency and it is hard to see him beating a back-to-form Robert Rock. Fleetwood is made for a big-price challenge on a links track where accuracy off the tee is of less importance than distance and form figures of mc/mc in two tries here immediately prompt a bet against him.

Rock has had his problems but has bounced back to form over the past fortnight, a final round 65 in the BMW giving him the spur to perform with aplomb last week in the Irish Open. Bounding through the field with a Friday 66, he was ever-present over the weekend and whilst the putts simply did not drop, his tee to green efforts were excellent, a qualification that will be needed this week. Despite watching his every shot, I was surprised to see he topped the scrambling stats but that can only give him further boost round a course where he has a mixed record - a best of 26th.  For a player that was so consistent a couple of years ago, he can be expected to continue his good form now that he has found the 'key' once again and lest we forget this is the player that beat Tiger head-to-head down the stretch in Abu. Anything like recent form will be far too much for the young Fleetwood.