McIlroy the each/way value at Portugal Masters

As Ernie Els takes a couple of weeks off to bask in the afterglow of his seventh World Match Play title the door has been opened for Justin Rose to stake his claim for a first Order of Merit title with a win at the inaugural Portugal Masters this week. The latest addition to the European Tour takes place at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura with Rose priced at 9/1 to claim the €500,000 first prize which will send him into first place on the Order of Merit race ahead of the final tournament of the season - the Volvo Masters at Valderrama. "I've had three seconds this year and a piece of silverware would definitely cap a good year for me," said Rose, who is ranked third. "The Order of Merit is very achievable now. I'm certainly moving in the right direction." However, his poor showing at Wentworth will not have instilled the 27-year-old with confidence and there is better value to be found elsewhere. Not least in Andres Romero, who was outclassed by Els in the Match Play semi-finals but has the game to excel at the Porugal Masters. Both the seventh-placed Romero and Nick Dougherty, in ninth, could yet spring an Order of Merit surprise but it is probably too much to expect Dougherty to produce the goods so soon after his Alfred Dunhill Links win, while Romero will relish the sunnier climes and no Els breathing down his neck. One player who probably will be looming large on the leaderboard, though, is the prodigious Rory McIlroy. Although he may look about as menacing as a cub scout on a fishing trip, the Northern Irishman has made a scintillating start to his professional golf career and could well reel in his more experienced rivals come Sunday. His 42nd place at The Open was a portent of things to come and the 18-year-old has since finished third and fourth in his last two sorties. Latest odds of 28/1 with SportingBet represents fantastic value for the baby-faced assassin. And talking about value, an outside squeak on Emanuele Canonica could provide an early Christmas bonus. The Italian has not had the best of golf years by his standards but has hinted at improvement of late with an opening 67 at the Alfred Dunhill Links and a sixth-place finish at the Open de Madrid. At 150/1 with SportingBet it's a longshot but it could be a profitable one. Verdict: 2pts Romero e/w @ 22/1; 2pts McIlroy e/w @ 28/1; 0.5 pts Canonica e/w @ 150/1 (SportingBet) (Editor's Note: Rory McIlroy is the next golf superstar. He has made a tremendous start to his career as a pro and should carry that on at the Portugal Masters. For all the latest golf betting news go to SportingBet)