The Open Championship, the final golf Major of the year, starts on Thursday with the game’s elite looking to claim the famous Claret Jug at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

• Stewart Cink to beat Matteo Manassero and Marc Leishman (11.26am)

• Brian Harman to beat Joaquin Niemann and Maverick McNealy (2.26pm)

• Ludvig Aberg to beat Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland (2.59pm)

Players will go out in groups of three during the day and LiveScoreBet offer markets on who will come out on top among the players in each group.

So here are three predictions on these popular threeball markets featuring groups who will be looking to make a fast start on this testing links course.

Cink to get off to a good start

Stewart Cink broke every golf romantic’s heart when he beat 59-year-old Tom Watson in the playoff at the 2009 Open, but the American is playing well on the Champions Tour and can get the better of Matteo Manassero and Marc Leishman on Thursday.

Cink has five top-six finishes in his last six seniors events, winning the Insperity Invitational and finishing second behind Padraig Harrington at the US Senior Open last time out.

He has not made the weekend in three of the last four Opens, but will be hopeful of doing so this time, while Manassero missed the cut by five shots at last week’s Scottish Open.

Leishman’s confidence may also be low as he has not built upon a LIV Miami win in April, finishing a dismal fifth form last at last week’s breakaway gathering at Valderrama.

Back Stewart Cink to beat Matteo Manassero and Marc Leishman at 21/10

Harman to enjoy himself

Joaquin Niemann has won four times on the LIV Tour this year, but has never shown anything in five Open visits, the first of which was at Royal Portrush when he missed the cut by five shots.

American Maverick McNealy has played only two rounds at both of his Opens and while he closed with a 66 to finish 22nd at last week’s Scottish Open, it could be worth taking a chance on Brian Harman coming out on top of this trio.

Harman lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool two years ago and while he was unable to build upon a strong start at the Renaissance Club last week, an eighth at the Travelers Championship and a Texas Open victory bode well for his chances.

Back Brian Harman to beat Joaquin Niemann and Maverick McNealy at 12/5

Aberg aims to shine on day one

It is difficult to put huge faith in Ludvig Aberg in his second Open after he missed the cut at Troon last year, but the talented Swede has a favourable draw from a threeball-punting perspective.

Aberg comes up against 2017 champion Jordan Spieth, who has not been seen since he withdrew from the Travelers Championship a few weeks ago with a neck injury, and Viktor Hovland, whose short-game issues could be severely tested on this undulating track.

Back Ludvig Aberg to beat Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland at 6/4