Well the alarm clock is set...8.30am...The British Open is on the BBC at 9am which gives me a half hour to get the tea and toasted sandwiches made,get back into bed just in time to see ''The wonderboy'' Rory tee off at 9.09am.First of all let's get the big question out of the way...Can he win??After what I saw at The U.S Open and the three previous majors before that the answer is most definitely YES!!This time I'd love to see how he could handle the pressure coming down the stretch on Sunday with a one shot lead instead of a seven shot lead!
For me though I can't be backing him this week.Of course I think he has a great chance but at skinny odds of 8/1 there is just no value there.Also in an interview he gave recently he said he found ''golf easy'' when winning The U.S Open.I said that a few years ago and have never played a good round since.Surely making statements like this will ruin his chances!!!!!!
So what about the course,the tournament and what kind of player are we looking for?Well this is the third major of the year and for me must be the most mentally draining major on the players.Played on a rota of courses between Scotland and England every July by the sea.These courses are of course known as 'links' Built on sandy soil and exposed to high winds and rain that falls sideways!
Tour players all year have been playing courses where you hit high tee shots,hit high approach shots which then settle quickly once they land....This type of golf will not work here whoooahahahahahaha(thats my evil laugh!!)Instead players will have to play shots along the ground and use the contours and slopes they see infront of them.A good looking shot might get a bad kick which will cause major frustration,so a player with links experience and great composure are some of the key attributes we should be looking out for when selecting our winner.
This years open is played at Royal St George's golf club in Sandwich,England.It's not the most feared course on the rota,that goes to Carnoustie,but forecast high winds over the weekend so make it a though test.
I think McIlroy,Donald and Westwood all have a great chance of winning this week but because of their prices will have to give them a miss as I try and find some value.And so on to the tee!!
Sergio Garcia(32s Betfair)
Looking at the top ten in the market the one that stands out for me and represents great value is Sergio.Six times he has finished in the top ten at The British Open,Finished T10th here on this course back in 03.7th place at U.S open at Congressional and followed that up with a 2nd place finish at The BMW International.20th on The PGA Tour in ball striking and he's one I want on my team!
Charl Swartzel(50sBetfair)
More of a gut pick this one.Having a great year so far with one major already tucked away.The way in which he won that major shows to me the size of Charl's cajones!!T9th at his next major The U.S Open shows he's a major player.Has two top 25sin six British Opens and could be close to getting his second major title.
Adam Scott(80s Betfair)
Adam is slowly becoming the player everybody thought he could be.Came close to winning his first major at The Masters earlier this year and nearly the first Aussie to win a major since Greg Norman who as it happens won a British Open at RSG.When Adam won in his home country at The New South Wales Golf Club which is a true links course I always had him down as a future British Open champ.3rd in total driving on the PGA Tour and two top ten finishes in the two majors so far this season make Adam a must pick for me.
Paddy Harrington(46s Betfair)
I can't leave him out.My favourite golfer and maybe I'm letting my heart rule my head here but things are looking good for Paddy.Experience could be key as I pointed out earlier and there is not many with more experience of links golf than Harrington.Two wins back to back in 07 and 08 mean that Harrington can never be overlooked for this major.Three top tens on the PGA Tour this year and a great showing last week at Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland tells me that Harrington could make it a hatrick of British open wins this week....I hope so!!
BEST OF LUCK!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Who will be crowned U.S Open Champion?
Well it's U.S Open time and I for one can't wait!For one week of the year I love to see professional golfers scramble for pars and just hang though.That's maybe a little sadistic of me I know but when par is good on any hole it makes a change from the norm of players going out and burning courses up with birdie after birdie.From a betting point of view its great too as if your player is in the lead you can never sit comfortably but if your a few shots back one birdie can catapult you to the top!
Over the years The U.S Open has come up with some sporting gold.I'll never forget Geoff Ogilveys win at Winged Foot in 2006.A whole host of players had chances to win.Our own Padraig Harrington was there only to bogey his final two holes and poor auld Monty who needed par on the last to win his only major pushed his approach to the right and into the thick stuff which finished his chances.Also Torrey Pines in 2008 when Tiger won on one leg but was pushed all the way by journeyman pro and fan favourite Rocco Mediate.
Looking at this weeks U.S Open it sets up for a real cracker.Being played at Congressional Blue Course in Washington D.C the course set up is looking...let's say a little though!!It's a par 71 at an amazing 7570 yards long.Alot of the par 4s are in and around 490 yards,the 9th hole is a monster 636 yard par 5,and if it's close come Sunday the 18th is set up for maximum drama.A par 4 that stretches 523 yards and a green that has water on three sides makes the second shot a real test of courage.
The type of player suited to winning a U.S Open is a player who has everything-Long and straight off the tee,accurate with his irons,great scrambler,great putter,Patience and lots of bottle...Easy!!
As usual all prices are given by Bet365 and Betfair as these have the best prices for golf around.You can avil of FREE GOLF BETS by clicking the links above and setting up an account.
Right lets get on the tee-
PHIL MICKELSON(17s Betfair)
If Phil's odds are over 16/1 I always tend to back him as it has payed off before.Five times a runner up in this tournament and I think this year will be his year.People are saying that he's having a bad year and this is reflected in his price but he's already won this year in Houston,second at Torrey Pines,9th at Quail Hollow and most recently 13th at Memorial...bad season??I think Not!The only thing that's killing Phil's chances this week is his driving stats-163rd on tour in driving accuracy is not good especially on a tight tree lined course such as this.But Phil's got an answer and I like it-The driver is staying at home this week and instead will use a trusted 2 iron off the tee,for me this is the play which will see Phil finally win a deserved U.S Open and will finally see this blog get a deserved winner!!!
NICK WATNEY(34s Betfair)
If Phil can't win it this week well I think this guy should be next in line.Surly a major is just around the corner for this kid who I think has everything.The win at The WGC earlier in the year had to convince him that he could mix it with the big boys and come out on top.I was a little disappointed with his performance at The Masters.He had good course form,good current form,he was in the top 3 in the betting and everyone was talking his chances up and I don't think he was comfortable with that and duely finished well down the field.Since then he has'ent played too much but a 4th place finish at The Players alerted me.Now Nick is coming into this tournament under the radar which is how he will like it.12th in total driving,17th in GIR percentage,16th in strokes gained putting and 6th in all around ranking scream U.S Open winner to me and I sincerely hope he obliges...COME ON WATNEY!!
BUBBA WATSON(50s Betfair)
I can't believe this guys price,3 times a winner in the last 12 months,so nearly a major winner after being beaten in a playoff for The USPGA back in August ,7th in total driving,1st in GIR percentage and he's 50's!!!Give me all of that and more.His stats say he can win and I say he can win,does'ent need any more!
BO VAN PELT(100s Betfair)
Sticking with BVP this week as he recently brought some much needed cash to my bank account with a 3rd place finish at 80/1 at Colonial just a few weeks back and followed that up with a 13th at the though Memorial course.Has finished 8th at the years first Major The Masters so he has got major game.Regularly hits fairways and greens and with a putter thats recently started to heat up,keep an eye open for BVP this week!
BILL HAAS(130 Betfair)
Bill was the talk of the tour early in the season with top 10s nearly every week,his best coming 2nd at the Bob Hope.A couple of mid table finishes and nobody is talking about poor old Billy anymore.But I've been keeping a close eye on him and with a 4th place finish at Quail Hollow and an 8th at Colonial recently I've had Bill marked down as a player who could go really well this week.14th in total driving,7th in GIR and 8th in all around ranking is so impressive.Also a little stat that caught my eye was that Bill is 4th on tour at GIR from the rough and 9th on tour at scrambling from the rough,both are going to be needed alot on this course.Another who's price I can't believe and I'm taking it all.
JASON DUFNER(220 Betfair)
I took the 300s available on Dufner at the weekend but 220s is still available and I think its a cracking price!Of course I'm hoping he can get off to a fast start and I can lay a little off but I think he can go really well this week.His recent form line reads 14th at The Heritage,8th at The Byron Nelson and 6th at The Players..not bad!He's one of my favourite players on tour...mainly because he's won me alot of money this year and also he seems to be a player that the bookies don't notice as his price is always big.I tweeted to Jason how he thought he might do this week and to my surprise he replied!!This is what he tweeted ''Great golf course,love my chances,love U.S Open style golf'' Because he replied back to me I'm backing him.COME ON DUFFERS!!!
BEST OF LUCK AND STAY GREEN!
Over the years The U.S Open has come up with some sporting gold.I'll never forget Geoff Ogilveys win at Winged Foot in 2006.A whole host of players had chances to win.Our own Padraig Harrington was there only to bogey his final two holes and poor auld Monty who needed par on the last to win his only major pushed his approach to the right and into the thick stuff which finished his chances.Also Torrey Pines in 2008 when Tiger won on one leg but was pushed all the way by journeyman pro and fan favourite Rocco Mediate.
Looking at this weeks U.S Open it sets up for a real cracker.Being played at Congressional Blue Course in Washington D.C the course set up is looking...let's say a little though!!It's a par 71 at an amazing 7570 yards long.Alot of the par 4s are in and around 490 yards,the 9th hole is a monster 636 yard par 5,and if it's close come Sunday the 18th is set up for maximum drama.A par 4 that stretches 523 yards and a green that has water on three sides makes the second shot a real test of courage.
The type of player suited to winning a U.S Open is a player who has everything-Long and straight off the tee,accurate with his irons,great scrambler,great putter,Patience and lots of bottle...Easy!!
As usual all prices are given by Bet365 and Betfair as these have the best prices for golf around.You can avil of FREE GOLF BETS by clicking the links above and setting up an account.
Right lets get on the tee-
PHIL MICKELSON(17s Betfair)
If Phil's odds are over 16/1 I always tend to back him as it has payed off before.Five times a runner up in this tournament and I think this year will be his year.People are saying that he's having a bad year and this is reflected in his price but he's already won this year in Houston,second at Torrey Pines,9th at Quail Hollow and most recently 13th at Memorial...bad season??I think Not!The only thing that's killing Phil's chances this week is his driving stats-163rd on tour in driving accuracy is not good especially on a tight tree lined course such as this.But Phil's got an answer and I like it-The driver is staying at home this week and instead will use a trusted 2 iron off the tee,for me this is the play which will see Phil finally win a deserved U.S Open and will finally see this blog get a deserved winner!!!
NICK WATNEY(34s Betfair)
If Phil can't win it this week well I think this guy should be next in line.Surly a major is just around the corner for this kid who I think has everything.The win at The WGC earlier in the year had to convince him that he could mix it with the big boys and come out on top.I was a little disappointed with his performance at The Masters.He had good course form,good current form,he was in the top 3 in the betting and everyone was talking his chances up and I don't think he was comfortable with that and duely finished well down the field.Since then he has'ent played too much but a 4th place finish at The Players alerted me.Now Nick is coming into this tournament under the radar which is how he will like it.12th in total driving,17th in GIR percentage,16th in strokes gained putting and 6th in all around ranking scream U.S Open winner to me and I sincerely hope he obliges...COME ON WATNEY!!
BUBBA WATSON(50s Betfair)
I can't believe this guys price,3 times a winner in the last 12 months,so nearly a major winner after being beaten in a playoff for The USPGA back in August ,7th in total driving,1st in GIR percentage and he's 50's!!!Give me all of that and more.His stats say he can win and I say he can win,does'ent need any more!
BO VAN PELT(100s Betfair)
Sticking with BVP this week as he recently brought some much needed cash to my bank account with a 3rd place finish at 80/1 at Colonial just a few weeks back and followed that up with a 13th at the though Memorial course.Has finished 8th at the years first Major The Masters so he has got major game.Regularly hits fairways and greens and with a putter thats recently started to heat up,keep an eye open for BVP this week!
BILL HAAS(130 Betfair)
Bill was the talk of the tour early in the season with top 10s nearly every week,his best coming 2nd at the Bob Hope.A couple of mid table finishes and nobody is talking about poor old Billy anymore.But I've been keeping a close eye on him and with a 4th place finish at Quail Hollow and an 8th at Colonial recently I've had Bill marked down as a player who could go really well this week.14th in total driving,7th in GIR and 8th in all around ranking is so impressive.Also a little stat that caught my eye was that Bill is 4th on tour at GIR from the rough and 9th on tour at scrambling from the rough,both are going to be needed alot on this course.Another who's price I can't believe and I'm taking it all.
JASON DUFNER(220 Betfair)
I took the 300s available on Dufner at the weekend but 220s is still available and I think its a cracking price!Of course I'm hoping he can get off to a fast start and I can lay a little off but I think he can go really well this week.His recent form line reads 14th at The Heritage,8th at The Byron Nelson and 6th at The Players..not bad!He's one of my favourite players on tour...mainly because he's won me alot of money this year and also he seems to be a player that the bookies don't notice as his price is always big.I tweeted to Jason how he thought he might do this week and to my surprise he replied!!This is what he tweeted ''Great golf course,love my chances,love U.S Open style golf'' Because he replied back to me I'm backing him.COME ON DUFFERS!!!
BEST OF LUCK AND STAY GREEN!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fed Ex St Jude Classic
The PGA Tour heads south to Memphis,Tennessee for the Fed Ex St Jude Classic,played at TPC Southwind.Four years ago this tournament moved to the weekend before the US Open which means its fields have gotten alot stronger with international players drawn to the event looking to tune up for the second major of the year.
The course is a par 70 at 7244 yards long with 2 par 5s.The greens are small and undulating so GIR and scrambling are at a premium.Only playing small stakes this week as I'm keeping the war chest for next week!!All prices are from Bet365 and Betfair as the prices on offer are the biggest around.FREE GOLF BET'S are available by clicking the links above and setting up an account.And so on to the tee!!
ZACH JOHNSON(18s Betfair)
Having a good season so far but lately he's starting to show some serious form-6th at Quail Hollow,12th at The Players and 4th at Colonial in his last three starts on tour.That reads great but has he any course form at TPC Southwind??Two starts here show a 12th and a 5th...Get your money on Zach!!
DAVID TOMS(11s Bet365)
Form horse on The PGA Tour David Toms is back playing this week after taking last week off.As you all know David came 2nd at The Players and then won at Colonial the week after so he's playing some of the best golf of his career.In the past nine years of this event David has been in the top 5 six times!!!!including back to back wins in 2003 and 2004 and runners up in 2005 and 2009 so he more or less owns the place.Now is not the time to be getting off this horse!
BRIAN DAVIS(75s Betfair)
Taking a chance on the English man here this week as he always seems to do well on par 70 courses.Playing well this year-18th last week at The Memorial,16th at Quail Hollow and 12th at Bay Hill are all respectable finishes at though courses.8th in driving accuracy,33rd in GIR and 37th in scrambling are all good stats here.Might just get his first PGA Tour win this week at a nice price.
ROBERT ALLENBY(60s Betfair)
Not having the best of seasons by his standard.Out of 15 events played this year has only 10 cuts made but has 2 top 10 finishes coming at The Northern Trust(4th) and Houston Open(6th)He's on my team this week due to his course form here.Out of 8 starts he has 3 top 10's.Last year he withdrew with an injury but from 2009 to 2007 he came 4th 2nd and 12th.This guy is too good not to be playing well and I have a gut feeling that we could see Robert in the winners enclosure come Sunday.
Others to go well:
Brian Gay(24s Betfair)The 2009 champ has 3 top 15's here in the last 4 years.
Brandt Snedeker(34s Betfair)T5th here in 07,5 top 10's in 14 starts this season.
Players for trading purposes only:
Camillo 'bejasus' Villegas(95s Betfair)
Feddie Jacobson(75s Betfair)
Bob Estes(360 Betfair)
Tim Herron(280 Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!
The course is a par 70 at 7244 yards long with 2 par 5s.The greens are small and undulating so GIR and scrambling are at a premium.Only playing small stakes this week as I'm keeping the war chest for next week!!All prices are from Bet365 and Betfair as the prices on offer are the biggest around.FREE GOLF BET'S are available by clicking the links above and setting up an account.And so on to the tee!!
ZACH JOHNSON(18s Betfair)
Having a good season so far but lately he's starting to show some serious form-6th at Quail Hollow,12th at The Players and 4th at Colonial in his last three starts on tour.That reads great but has he any course form at TPC Southwind??Two starts here show a 12th and a 5th...Get your money on Zach!!
DAVID TOMS(11s Bet365)
Form horse on The PGA Tour David Toms is back playing this week after taking last week off.As you all know David came 2nd at The Players and then won at Colonial the week after so he's playing some of the best golf of his career.In the past nine years of this event David has been in the top 5 six times!!!!including back to back wins in 2003 and 2004 and runners up in 2005 and 2009 so he more or less owns the place.Now is not the time to be getting off this horse!
BRIAN DAVIS(75s Betfair)
Taking a chance on the English man here this week as he always seems to do well on par 70 courses.Playing well this year-18th last week at The Memorial,16th at Quail Hollow and 12th at Bay Hill are all respectable finishes at though courses.8th in driving accuracy,33rd in GIR and 37th in scrambling are all good stats here.Might just get his first PGA Tour win this week at a nice price.
ROBERT ALLENBY(60s Betfair)
Not having the best of seasons by his standard.Out of 15 events played this year has only 10 cuts made but has 2 top 10 finishes coming at The Northern Trust(4th) and Houston Open(6th)He's on my team this week due to his course form here.Out of 8 starts he has 3 top 10's.Last year he withdrew with an injury but from 2009 to 2007 he came 4th 2nd and 12th.This guy is too good not to be playing well and I have a gut feeling that we could see Robert in the winners enclosure come Sunday.
Others to go well:
Brian Gay(24s Betfair)The 2009 champ has 3 top 15's here in the last 4 years.
Brandt Snedeker(34s Betfair)T5th here in 07,5 top 10's in 14 starts this season.
Players for trading purposes only:
Camillo 'bejasus' Villegas(95s Betfair)
Feddie Jacobson(75s Betfair)
Bob Estes(360 Betfair)
Tim Herron(280 Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Memorial Tournament at Jack's Place
Another week on The PGA Tour and this week were at Dublin,Ohio for The Memorial Tournament played at Muirfield Village Golf Club,also known as ''Jacks Place''as the tournament is hosted by non other than Jack Nicklaus.As long as Jack host's this tournament you can expect a stellar field with Tiger Woods(injured) and US Open winner Graham McDowell(defending at Celtic Manor)the only major absentee's.
The course itself is a beaut-designed by Jack Nicklaus himself its a par 72 at over 7265 yards long with four par 5s.Alot of bunkers and water on 13 of the 18 holes means accuracy is at a premium here.As its a Nicklaus designed course,expect players to have some margin for error off the tee but with some of the smallest greens on tour a player with great GIR and scrambling stats are what we are looking for.Also a rookie has never won this event so somewhere between experienced to grizzled vet fits our bill.
Prices as usual are given by Bet365 and Betfair as these are the best prices around for golf.To avail of your FREE GOLF BETS just click on the links at the top of this page and set up an account.It's pretty easy and we all love free bets!!
So who's on the tee this week!!!
KJ CHOI(29s Bet365)
The Players champ is having one of his best ever years on tour and I think it's going to get a whole lot better.Already a winner at Sawgrass he also has an 8th at The Masters,7th at Northern Trust,6th at Bay Hill and a 3rd at The Zurich.Out of the 11 times he's played here at Muirfield he has finished in the top 15 5 times winning once in 07.Choi has been vocal about the fact he feels confident as ever with his golf swing which is what you want to hear before you put your cash down!8th on tour for scrambling and with the form he's showing he has to be on my team.
RYAN MOORE(44s Betfair)
Ryan is a guy who is showing signs that a win is not too far away.Out of 10 events played this year he has only missed the cut once with two top 10 finishes.But it's his course form here that catches my eye 31-2-10-cut-5(last year)that's 3 top 10's in 5 attempts and when I dug a little deeper I found that Ryan had this to say about the event ''It's my favourite tournament all year as far as our PGA Tour events are concerned.I always look forward to it so much that I have a good attitude when I'm out there and play hard and have fun''encouraging!!!On a course that suits ball strikers that can putt,Ryan is 39th in total driving and 6th in total putting....I'm expecting a big week from him this week!!
BO VAN PELT(55s Betfair)
Been keeping my eye on BVP lately and backed him at odds of 80to1 when 3rd at Colonial two weeks ago(see colonial write up)A guy who blows hot and cold but when he's hot you have to stick with him.7 times he's tee'd it up here and has two top 10's to his name finishing 3rd last year...impressive!A great driver of the ball(13th total driving)but also he's 36th in GIR percentage which has him at 18th on tour for ball striking...that's also pretty impressive!!And with a putter thats starting to heat up over recent weeks BVP could be MVP!!
STEWART CINK(44s Betfair)
Stewart drives me mad sometimes as he tends to get off to a great start and then fades away mid tournament.But there is signs that his new swing changes are coming to fruition as 12th 9th and 16th in his last 3 tournaments show.So I'm going to stick with Stewart this week as his course form here is super impressive.Out of 15 events played here he has finished in the top ten 6 times and his form line since 2001 reads 4-9-6-40-45-12-5-30-8-8 how good is that!!!Out of 13 events played this year he has made the cut 11 times with 6 top 25s and if this major winner is to win this year then ''Jacks Place'' might just hold his best chance!
Other players to go well:
Luke Donald(11s betfair)Not much to say here,world no1 and could win anywhere,odds to short!!
Matt Kucher(20s betfair)Having a great season,3 top 10s out of 6 tries here...finds it hard to win!!
Players for trading purposes:
Spencer Levin(150s betfair)
Vaughn Taylor(240s betfair)
Mark Wilson(140s betfair)
Kevin Streelman(250s betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!!
The course itself is a beaut-designed by Jack Nicklaus himself its a par 72 at over 7265 yards long with four par 5s.Alot of bunkers and water on 13 of the 18 holes means accuracy is at a premium here.As its a Nicklaus designed course,expect players to have some margin for error off the tee but with some of the smallest greens on tour a player with great GIR and scrambling stats are what we are looking for.Also a rookie has never won this event so somewhere between experienced to grizzled vet fits our bill.
Prices as usual are given by Bet365 and Betfair as these are the best prices around for golf.To avail of your FREE GOLF BETS just click on the links at the top of this page and set up an account.It's pretty easy and we all love free bets!!
So who's on the tee this week!!!
KJ CHOI(29s Bet365)
The Players champ is having one of his best ever years on tour and I think it's going to get a whole lot better.Already a winner at Sawgrass he also has an 8th at The Masters,7th at Northern Trust,6th at Bay Hill and a 3rd at The Zurich.Out of the 11 times he's played here at Muirfield he has finished in the top 15 5 times winning once in 07.Choi has been vocal about the fact he feels confident as ever with his golf swing which is what you want to hear before you put your cash down!8th on tour for scrambling and with the form he's showing he has to be on my team.
RYAN MOORE(44s Betfair)
Ryan is a guy who is showing signs that a win is not too far away.Out of 10 events played this year he has only missed the cut once with two top 10 finishes.But it's his course form here that catches my eye 31-2-10-cut-5(last year)that's 3 top 10's in 5 attempts and when I dug a little deeper I found that Ryan had this to say about the event ''It's my favourite tournament all year as far as our PGA Tour events are concerned.I always look forward to it so much that I have a good attitude when I'm out there and play hard and have fun''encouraging!!!On a course that suits ball strikers that can putt,Ryan is 39th in total driving and 6th in total putting....I'm expecting a big week from him this week!!
BO VAN PELT(55s Betfair)
Been keeping my eye on BVP lately and backed him at odds of 80to1 when 3rd at Colonial two weeks ago(see colonial write up)A guy who blows hot and cold but when he's hot you have to stick with him.7 times he's tee'd it up here and has two top 10's to his name finishing 3rd last year...impressive!A great driver of the ball(13th total driving)but also he's 36th in GIR percentage which has him at 18th on tour for ball striking...that's also pretty impressive!!And with a putter thats starting to heat up over recent weeks BVP could be MVP!!
STEWART CINK(44s Betfair)
Stewart drives me mad sometimes as he tends to get off to a great start and then fades away mid tournament.But there is signs that his new swing changes are coming to fruition as 12th 9th and 16th in his last 3 tournaments show.So I'm going to stick with Stewart this week as his course form here is super impressive.Out of 15 events played here he has finished in the top ten 6 times and his form line since 2001 reads 4-9-6-40-45-12-5-30-8-8 how good is that!!!Out of 13 events played this year he has made the cut 11 times with 6 top 25s and if this major winner is to win this year then ''Jacks Place'' might just hold his best chance!
Other players to go well:
Luke Donald(11s betfair)Not much to say here,world no1 and could win anywhere,odds to short!!
Matt Kucher(20s betfair)Having a great season,3 top 10s out of 6 tries here...finds it hard to win!!
Players for trading purposes:
Spencer Levin(150s betfair)
Vaughn Taylor(240s betfair)
Mark Wilson(140s betfair)
Kevin Streelman(250s betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Crown Plaza Invitational
What a weekend of golf we just had.The Players started off badly with Tiger Woods pulling out after after nine holes ahem...ahem!!But well done to his good friend KJ Choi in what surely is his finest moment in golf.We did'ent do to badly ourselves with a fourth place finish for Luke Donald and some nice trades with Jason Dufner and Chris Stroud making us a nice profit!
Onwards and upwards and on to this weeks tournament-The Crown Plaza Invitational at The Colonial CC,Fort Worth,Texas.The course is a par 70 with two par 5's and measures in at 7204 yards long.One of the easiest courses on tour(41st out of 52 in difficulty last year)Zach Johnson won this last year with a record score of -21.Forcast for the week is thunderstorms and high winds so maybe wont play as easy as it did last year.All prices are taken from Bet365 and Betfair as these have some of the best prices around.You can set up an online account with both firms by clicking the links above right and collect your FREE GOLF BETS.....Why not take them??
And so who's on the tee this week-
STEWART CINK(42 Betfair)
I'm really liking the chances of the golfing king of twitter Stewart Cink this week.A great wind player(open champ 09)who has a great record here.Out of 13 appearances he has never missed the cut,this includes finishes of 2nd and 4th.Came 22nd here last year when his game was out of sync(excuse me!!)but since The Masters his swing changes have started to come to fruition with a 9th at Quail Hollow and 19th last week at The Players.Great putter,great wind player,great record = Great chance...Top tip!!
ZACH JOHNSON(21 Bet365)
Have to tip up last years champ Zach Johnson.5 appearances here read 1-9-30-26-14 what a great record.The course is a perfect match for Zach-short course with narrow tree lined fairways which puts driving accuracy to the fore(6th on tour)T6th at Quail Hollow two weeks back and T12th at The Players last week with a closing round of 66 show that Zach is brimming with confidence right now.Can he retain his title...Why not?
BO VAN PELT(80 Betfair)
Bit of a risky tip here as this guy is hard to catch right,but has been showing signs lately that a big tournament is not far away.An 8th place finish at The Masters was the first signs of life from BVP and he then followed that with a top 30 at Quail Hollow.It's his record here though that catches my eye.Out of 7 starts here he has 2 top tens also a 12th and 17th place finish with no missed cuts.For a guy coming into form and playing on a course that he obviously has a good feeling for gets me excited about a big payday...watch this space!
JASON DAY(20 Betfair)
I don't like backing favourites but Jason might just be the most inform golfer on the planet.2nd on his Masters debut was some feat and he would have been forgiven for reasting on his laurels but the week after he tied for 9th at The Heritage.T6th last week at The Players shows that Jason means business this year.Won his first PGA Tour event just up the road at the Byron Nelson in Texas last year.A tie for 4th here at Colonial 2 years ago show that he has a liking for both Texas and this course.Oh and have I forgot to mention that he's actually a member here...enough said!
Other players to go well this week:
Ben Crane(26 Bet365):Two top 5's in three years here,seven top 25's already in 2011.
Martin Laird(44 Betfair):Having a great year so far with 5 top 10's including a win.Tied 10th here last year.
Players for trading purposes:
Greg Chalmers(170 Betfair)
Hunter Hass(360 Betfair)
Kenny Perry(180 Betfair)
Jarrod Lyle(710 Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!
Onwards and upwards and on to this weeks tournament-The Crown Plaza Invitational at The Colonial CC,Fort Worth,Texas.The course is a par 70 with two par 5's and measures in at 7204 yards long.One of the easiest courses on tour(41st out of 52 in difficulty last year)Zach Johnson won this last year with a record score of -21.Forcast for the week is thunderstorms and high winds so maybe wont play as easy as it did last year.All prices are taken from Bet365 and Betfair as these have some of the best prices around.You can set up an online account with both firms by clicking the links above right and collect your FREE GOLF BETS.....Why not take them??
And so who's on the tee this week-
STEWART CINK(42 Betfair)
I'm really liking the chances of the golfing king of twitter Stewart Cink this week.A great wind player(open champ 09)who has a great record here.Out of 13 appearances he has never missed the cut,this includes finishes of 2nd and 4th.Came 22nd here last year when his game was out of sync(excuse me!!)but since The Masters his swing changes have started to come to fruition with a 9th at Quail Hollow and 19th last week at The Players.Great putter,great wind player,great record = Great chance...Top tip!!
ZACH JOHNSON(21 Bet365)
Have to tip up last years champ Zach Johnson.5 appearances here read 1-9-30-26-14 what a great record.The course is a perfect match for Zach-short course with narrow tree lined fairways which puts driving accuracy to the fore(6th on tour)T6th at Quail Hollow two weeks back and T12th at The Players last week with a closing round of 66 show that Zach is brimming with confidence right now.Can he retain his title...Why not?
BO VAN PELT(80 Betfair)
Bit of a risky tip here as this guy is hard to catch right,but has been showing signs lately that a big tournament is not far away.An 8th place finish at The Masters was the first signs of life from BVP and he then followed that with a top 30 at Quail Hollow.It's his record here though that catches my eye.Out of 7 starts here he has 2 top tens also a 12th and 17th place finish with no missed cuts.For a guy coming into form and playing on a course that he obviously has a good feeling for gets me excited about a big payday...watch this space!
JASON DAY(20 Betfair)
I don't like backing favourites but Jason might just be the most inform golfer on the planet.2nd on his Masters debut was some feat and he would have been forgiven for reasting on his laurels but the week after he tied for 9th at The Heritage.T6th last week at The Players shows that Jason means business this year.Won his first PGA Tour event just up the road at the Byron Nelson in Texas last year.A tie for 4th here at Colonial 2 years ago show that he has a liking for both Texas and this course.Oh and have I forgot to mention that he's actually a member here...enough said!
Other players to go well this week:
Ben Crane(26 Bet365):Two top 5's in three years here,seven top 25's already in 2011.
Martin Laird(44 Betfair):Having a great year so far with 5 top 10's including a win.Tied 10th here last year.
Players for trading purposes:
Greg Chalmers(170 Betfair)
Hunter Hass(360 Betfair)
Kenny Perry(180 Betfair)
Jarrod Lyle(710 Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Players
Oh yes!!!I love this tournament.The Players Championship ''The fifth major''.Played at TPC Sawgrass,Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida.The course is a par 72 with four par 5's and is just over 7200 yards which is not that long.World No1 Lee Westwood or world No6 Rory McIlroy will not be here as both have politely declined to play this week!But apart from that it's a stellar field.
Last years winner Tim Clark won with a -16 score with the course playing very easy.The rough measured 2 inches last year but this year it will be 3 inches taller meaning a premium on accuracy.The grass around the greens have also been allowed to grow so hitting greens in regulation and scrambling will also be important.
Looking back on previous winners,experienced players seem to do quite well here.Also players who have done well one year,miss the cut the next so it's a difficult tournament to try and find a winner.
But whatever happens this week we know that there will be drama as the closing holes on this course are the most exciting holes found anywhere.The easiest hole on the course(16th)offers plenty of eagle and birdie chances,the hardest hole on the course(18th)offers plenty of bogey and double bogey chances and sandwiched in between is probably the most famous hole in golf-the 17th where almost anything can happen.....I can't wait!!
All prices given are from Betfair and Bet365 as they have some of the biggest prices around.Don't forget to grab your FREE GOLF BETS by clicking the links above right,you would be stupid not too!!O.K so,on the tee!!!
LUKE DONALD(17 Bet365)
Out of the top 3 in the market(Luke,Woods,Micko)Luke seems to have the most realistic chance of winning.Accurate off the tee and this year has really impressed me with his scambling skills.Came close to winning here in 2005 when he came 2nd and has finished inside the top 30 3 times since then which is very consistent on this course.If Luke wins here this week he will become world No1 and make Westwoods decision not to be here a foolish one.
MATT KUCHAR(36 Betfair)
This guy has six top 10 finishes so far this season and has finished no worse than 27th which is some golf.T14th here in 2009 and 13th last year so some consistency and with the form he's showed so far this year has to enter calculations.His 17th in driving accuracy looks good here too and if this Florida native is in the mood this week....Start counting your winnings!!
IAN POULTER(70 Betfair)
I follow ''Poults'' on twitter which can be a great place for finding nuggets of information and according to him he's hitting the ball the best he's ever hit it and is really looking forward to playing this week.Also Rory McIlroy has been ironing his trousers which is'ent much good to us but it made me laugh all the same.Poulter has played here 7 times with 5 finishes inside the top 30(2nd in 2009 his best)29th in driving accuracy and 21st in scrambling are good stats to have here and if Poults wins this week expect poor auld Rory to have some champagne glasses to wash also!!
SCOTT VERPLANK(150 Betfair)
As I said earlier,experience counts around here and none are more experienced than Verplank.16 times he's played here,8 times he's finished inside the top 30 with his best finishes 11th-8th-2nd and 13th last year.Playing some great golf this year with a 2nd in Houston and a 9th at The Heritage two weeks ago.Took last week off so comes here fresh.One of the most accurate drivers on tour(6th) with an all around ranking of 15th makes Scott a standout bet for me this week and with the monster odds on offer I have to make him my top tip,so come on Scotty......Make me some money!!!!
Other players to go well:
Sergio Garcia(65s Betfair)Previous winner here,great record,would be emotional after mentor Seve's death.
Ben Crane(38s Betfair)Top ten's last 3 years,very accurate and great putter=great chance.
Players at bigger odds for trading purposes:
Jason Dufner(150 Betfair)
Jerry Kelly(470 Betfair)
Chris Stroud(640 Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!!
Last years winner Tim Clark won with a -16 score with the course playing very easy.The rough measured 2 inches last year but this year it will be 3 inches taller meaning a premium on accuracy.The grass around the greens have also been allowed to grow so hitting greens in regulation and scrambling will also be important.
Looking back on previous winners,experienced players seem to do quite well here.Also players who have done well one year,miss the cut the next so it's a difficult tournament to try and find a winner.
But whatever happens this week we know that there will be drama as the closing holes on this course are the most exciting holes found anywhere.The easiest hole on the course(16th)offers plenty of eagle and birdie chances,the hardest hole on the course(18th)offers plenty of bogey and double bogey chances and sandwiched in between is probably the most famous hole in golf-the 17th where almost anything can happen.....I can't wait!!
All prices given are from Betfair and Bet365 as they have some of the biggest prices around.Don't forget to grab your FREE GOLF BETS by clicking the links above right,you would be stupid not too!!O.K so,on the tee!!!
LUKE DONALD(17 Bet365)
Out of the top 3 in the market(Luke,Woods,Micko)Luke seems to have the most realistic chance of winning.Accurate off the tee and this year has really impressed me with his scambling skills.Came close to winning here in 2005 when he came 2nd and has finished inside the top 30 3 times since then which is very consistent on this course.If Luke wins here this week he will become world No1 and make Westwoods decision not to be here a foolish one.
MATT KUCHAR(36 Betfair)
This guy has six top 10 finishes so far this season and has finished no worse than 27th which is some golf.T14th here in 2009 and 13th last year so some consistency and with the form he's showed so far this year has to enter calculations.His 17th in driving accuracy looks good here too and if this Florida native is in the mood this week....Start counting your winnings!!
IAN POULTER(70 Betfair)
I follow ''Poults'' on twitter which can be a great place for finding nuggets of information and according to him he's hitting the ball the best he's ever hit it and is really looking forward to playing this week.Also Rory McIlroy has been ironing his trousers which is'ent much good to us but it made me laugh all the same.Poulter has played here 7 times with 5 finishes inside the top 30(2nd in 2009 his best)29th in driving accuracy and 21st in scrambling are good stats to have here and if Poults wins this week expect poor auld Rory to have some champagne glasses to wash also!!
SCOTT VERPLANK(150 Betfair)
As I said earlier,experience counts around here and none are more experienced than Verplank.16 times he's played here,8 times he's finished inside the top 30 with his best finishes 11th-8th-2nd and 13th last year.Playing some great golf this year with a 2nd in Houston and a 9th at The Heritage two weeks ago.Took last week off so comes here fresh.One of the most accurate drivers on tour(6th) with an all around ranking of 15th makes Scott a standout bet for me this week and with the monster odds on offer I have to make him my top tip,so come on Scotty......Make me some money!!!!
Other players to go well:
Sergio Garcia(65s Betfair)Previous winner here,great record,would be emotional after mentor Seve's death.
Ben Crane(38s Betfair)Top ten's last 3 years,very accurate and great putter=great chance.
Players at bigger odds for trading purposes:
Jason Dufner(150 Betfair)
Jerry Kelly(470 Betfair)
Chris Stroud(640 Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow
The PGA Tour moves on to Charlotte,North Carolina at Quail Hollow.The course may ring a bell with some as its the scene of Rory McIlroys first PGA Tour win as he came from the cut line to shoot 66-62 over the weekend and cruise to victory.
The course itself measures in at 7442 yards long-a par 72 with four par 5s(all reachable in two).Its one of the toughest tracks on the PGA Tour by any standard and is set to host a major-The 2017 US PGA Championship.
The PGA Tour reports that officials are working on plans to present a faster track this week.The rough is being trimmed back and the greens made faster and firmer using their sub air system,so players who played well at The Houston Open and The Masters should do well as setup's are similar.
As usual the G.I.R stats and putting stats are important here in finding a winner but driving the ball well on this course seems important too and long hitters have a big advantage also.
Last years winner Rory McIlroy and second place Phil Mickelson head the market but their prices are to short for me and as always will try and dig out some value.
Don't forget to collect your FREE GOLF BETS by clicking the Betfair and Bet365 links above right...take them while you can!!!
Right so,let's see who we've got on the tee this week!!
NICK WATNEY(21s BET365)
Was disappointed with Nick at The Masters,he made the cut but could never get close enough to land a blow.Maybe his billing as one of the favourites did'ent sit to well with him,but showed last week in Louisiana that The Masters was just a blip with a top 20 finish.One win and five top 10s in 8 starts this year show this guys a class act.Has finished inside the top 25 in 5 of 6 starts here and the way he has played this year shows me that his second win this season could come at Quail Hollow.4th in total driving and 1st in all around ranking make Nick a must pick.
GARRY WOODLAND(85s BETFAIR)
Has to be the most improved player of 2011 and he seems to be getting better and better.Missed out on the Bob Hope in a playoff with Jonny Vegas but has left that disappointment behind him and has gone on to capture his first PGA Tour event at Copperhead in March.Other players who have won at Copperhead-O'Hair,Singh,Furyk have gone on to win at Quail Hollow....interesting!!Inside the top 50 in the world rankings he has 4 top 10 finishes this year,came 13th in Houston and a very impressive debut 24th at The Masters.Hits the ball a country mile and I feel this course is right up his street.
DUSTIN JOHNSON(23s BET365)
With the course being over 7400 yards long were looking for some big hitters and they don't come much bigger than DJ.Like Watney disappointed at The Masters(38th)but before that had come 2nd at Doral and last weeks 4th at The Balintines in S.Korea show Dustin could be hitting some form.Last year was 4th here going into the final round after shooting a superb 65 only to let it slip away(something he seems prone to but maybe the new caddie on his bag might sort this out??)This is like a home game for DJ as he resides in S.Carolina and here's hoping for a big week.
RICKY FOWLER(40s BETFAIR)
Ricky could make me look great for tipping him or a fool for tipping him here this week but he's so talented and I feel he's so close to his first PGA Tour win.Played great at The Masters(38th)on his debut and was in the top 15 at the halfway stage.Came 6th here last year and if he can drive it a little straighter he has a great chance to emulate what Rory achieved 12 months ago.
Players worth following for trading purposes:
Brendan De Jong:Charlotte resident,has played this course 100's of times,4th here last year and could get off to a quick start(70s Betfair)
Robert Garrigus: Biggest hitter on tour,should eat up the par5s,his play has been a little indifferent this year but has course form here and is a little overpriced(220s Betfair)
Kyle Stanley:Huge hitter also and if he can start holing some putts might surprise a few this week(480sBetfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!
The course itself measures in at 7442 yards long-a par 72 with four par 5s(all reachable in two).Its one of the toughest tracks on the PGA Tour by any standard and is set to host a major-The 2017 US PGA Championship.
The PGA Tour reports that officials are working on plans to present a faster track this week.The rough is being trimmed back and the greens made faster and firmer using their sub air system,so players who played well at The Houston Open and The Masters should do well as setup's are similar.
As usual the G.I.R stats and putting stats are important here in finding a winner but driving the ball well on this course seems important too and long hitters have a big advantage also.
Last years winner Rory McIlroy and second place Phil Mickelson head the market but their prices are to short for me and as always will try and dig out some value.
Don't forget to collect your FREE GOLF BETS by clicking the Betfair and Bet365 links above right...take them while you can!!!
Right so,let's see who we've got on the tee this week!!
NICK WATNEY(21s BET365)
Was disappointed with Nick at The Masters,he made the cut but could never get close enough to land a blow.Maybe his billing as one of the favourites did'ent sit to well with him,but showed last week in Louisiana that The Masters was just a blip with a top 20 finish.One win and five top 10s in 8 starts this year show this guys a class act.Has finished inside the top 25 in 5 of 6 starts here and the way he has played this year shows me that his second win this season could come at Quail Hollow.4th in total driving and 1st in all around ranking make Nick a must pick.
GARRY WOODLAND(85s BETFAIR)
Has to be the most improved player of 2011 and he seems to be getting better and better.Missed out on the Bob Hope in a playoff with Jonny Vegas but has left that disappointment behind him and has gone on to capture his first PGA Tour event at Copperhead in March.Other players who have won at Copperhead-O'Hair,Singh,Furyk have gone on to win at Quail Hollow....interesting!!Inside the top 50 in the world rankings he has 4 top 10 finishes this year,came 13th in Houston and a very impressive debut 24th at The Masters.Hits the ball a country mile and I feel this course is right up his street.
DUSTIN JOHNSON(23s BET365)
With the course being over 7400 yards long were looking for some big hitters and they don't come much bigger than DJ.Like Watney disappointed at The Masters(38th)but before that had come 2nd at Doral and last weeks 4th at The Balintines in S.Korea show Dustin could be hitting some form.Last year was 4th here going into the final round after shooting a superb 65 only to let it slip away(something he seems prone to but maybe the new caddie on his bag might sort this out??)This is like a home game for DJ as he resides in S.Carolina and here's hoping for a big week.
RICKY FOWLER(40s BETFAIR)
Ricky could make me look great for tipping him or a fool for tipping him here this week but he's so talented and I feel he's so close to his first PGA Tour win.Played great at The Masters(38th)on his debut and was in the top 15 at the halfway stage.Came 6th here last year and if he can drive it a little straighter he has a great chance to emulate what Rory achieved 12 months ago.
Players worth following for trading purposes:
Brendan De Jong:Charlotte resident,has played this course 100's of times,4th here last year and could get off to a quick start(70s Betfair)
Robert Garrigus: Biggest hitter on tour,should eat up the par5s,his play has been a little indifferent this year but has course form here and is a little overpriced(220s Betfair)
Kyle Stanley:Huge hitter also and if he can start holing some putts might surprise a few this week(480sBetfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links
Well after last weeks 300/1 winner Brendan Steel at the Texas open,everyone is finding it hard to get a winner on the P.G.A Tour.That's the third rookie so far this season to pick up a trophy!!But I'm feeling good this week and think a winner is close as my palms have been itching which my mother tells me is a sign of money!!
The P.G.A Tour continues with The Heritage which takes place at the most picturesque course on tour(in my opinion)Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island,South Carolina.
It's an incredibly tight par 70 measuring 6973 yards.Tight tree lined fairways with small domed shaped bermuda greens make this a course for accurate players.Good scamblers do well here also as it is difficult to hit the greens in regulation.''The golf course is a shot makers course,which requires precision off the tee to avoid live oaks,pine trees and strategically placed bunkers.Getting your ball to the hole is also quite a challenge with subtle breaks in the small well guarded greens.''source:-Golf Course Superintendants Association of America.
Previous winners here include S.Cink(2000&2004) A.Baddley(2006) B.Weekley(2007&2008) B.Gay(2009) J.Furyk(2010) This week the prices I'm showing are from Betfair and Bet365.Both are giving FREE golf bets which you would be stupid not to take.To avail of these FREE bets just click on the Betfair or Bet365 links above and set up an account,place some money in your new account,bet with it and receive your free bets in time for next week...easy!!
So let's try find this weeks winner!
BRIAN GAY(38's Betfair)
I like Brian Gay as a golfer.Hits his drives straight down the middle,hits his irons on the green and sinks his putts...simple!Has the perfect game for Hilton Head and bermuda par70 courses in general.1st in driving accuracy on tour and 4th in scoring average.Won here in 2009 by 10 shots(the easiest win I ever had)Brian's game is hot so far in 2011 with only 1 missed cut and two top 5's and like S.Cink and B.Weekly before think he can land his second Heritage title.TOP TIP!!
LUKE DONALD(9/1 Bet365)
Again a pretty similar game to Brian Gay,straight off the tee,not many mistakes with his irons but also what I'm noticing now about Luke's game is his scrambling.The guy can get up and down from anywhere!!In great form this year winning The WGC Matchplay and more recently 4th at The Masters.Record here is even more impressive-T2nd 2009 and T3rd 2010 make Luke a must pick.I very rarely back favourites but Luke is a worthy one this week and I can't leave him out.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI(35/1 Bet365)
When I think of Francesco I think of accuracy and although this is his first start at Hilton Head I expect the course to be right up his street.Doing well in America this year with a third place finish at The WGC at Doral(a course that should not have really suited his game)Has specifically picked out this course as one which he thinks he can contend.Has been putting alot better this year due to the Corza Ghost Putter he's been using and hopefully fellow countryman Matteo Manassero's European Tour win last week can give him a big boost.
JERRY KELLY(140's Betfair)
I feel like I need to put a bit of a longshot in as that's what seem's to be winning recently and this is a bit of a punt,but hey! I think Jerry has got a great chance this week.Like the previous three he's a very accurate player which is what we are looking for.4th in driving accuracy this season and doing well on the greens also as 29th putting average shows.Had a though time last year with injury and a change of golf equipment but has said that he's over the injury,that he's never felt fitter due to a new fitness regime and that he's hitting the ball better than he's ever hit it-3rd at The Honda Classic,9th at The Sony Open and 13th at The Bob Hope show this to be true.Has two top ten finishes here at Hilton Head in the Past,so don't be surprised if my crazy punt Jerry comes home with the bacon...I won't!!!
OTHER PLAYERS TO GO WELL THIS WEEK.
The next few players are all accurate golfers and course should suit so keep an eye out come Saturday for these if they are up the leaderboard.
IAN POULTER (40/1 Bet365)
BRIAN DAVIS (80/1 Bet365)
JASON DUFNER (200's Betfair)
JARROD LYLE (500's!!!! Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!
The P.G.A Tour continues with The Heritage which takes place at the most picturesque course on tour(in my opinion)Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island,South Carolina.
It's an incredibly tight par 70 measuring 6973 yards.Tight tree lined fairways with small domed shaped bermuda greens make this a course for accurate players.Good scamblers do well here also as it is difficult to hit the greens in regulation.''The golf course is a shot makers course,which requires precision off the tee to avoid live oaks,pine trees and strategically placed bunkers.Getting your ball to the hole is also quite a challenge with subtle breaks in the small well guarded greens.''source:-Golf Course Superintendants Association of America.
Previous winners here include S.Cink(2000&2004) A.Baddley(2006) B.Weekley(2007&2008) B.Gay(2009) J.Furyk(2010) This week the prices I'm showing are from Betfair and Bet365.Both are giving FREE golf bets which you would be stupid not to take.To avail of these FREE bets just click on the Betfair or Bet365 links above and set up an account,place some money in your new account,bet with it and receive your free bets in time for next week...easy!!
So let's try find this weeks winner!
BRIAN GAY(38's Betfair)
I like Brian Gay as a golfer.Hits his drives straight down the middle,hits his irons on the green and sinks his putts...simple!Has the perfect game for Hilton Head and bermuda par70 courses in general.1st in driving accuracy on tour and 4th in scoring average.Won here in 2009 by 10 shots(the easiest win I ever had)Brian's game is hot so far in 2011 with only 1 missed cut and two top 5's and like S.Cink and B.Weekly before think he can land his second Heritage title.TOP TIP!!
LUKE DONALD(9/1 Bet365)
Again a pretty similar game to Brian Gay,straight off the tee,not many mistakes with his irons but also what I'm noticing now about Luke's game is his scrambling.The guy can get up and down from anywhere!!In great form this year winning The WGC Matchplay and more recently 4th at The Masters.Record here is even more impressive-T2nd 2009 and T3rd 2010 make Luke a must pick.I very rarely back favourites but Luke is a worthy one this week and I can't leave him out.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI(35/1 Bet365)
When I think of Francesco I think of accuracy and although this is his first start at Hilton Head I expect the course to be right up his street.Doing well in America this year with a third place finish at The WGC at Doral(a course that should not have really suited his game)Has specifically picked out this course as one which he thinks he can contend.Has been putting alot better this year due to the Corza Ghost Putter he's been using and hopefully fellow countryman Matteo Manassero's European Tour win last week can give him a big boost.
JERRY KELLY(140's Betfair)
I feel like I need to put a bit of a longshot in as that's what seem's to be winning recently and this is a bit of a punt,but hey! I think Jerry has got a great chance this week.Like the previous three he's a very accurate player which is what we are looking for.4th in driving accuracy this season and doing well on the greens also as 29th putting average shows.Had a though time last year with injury and a change of golf equipment but has said that he's over the injury,that he's never felt fitter due to a new fitness regime and that he's hitting the ball better than he's ever hit it-3rd at The Honda Classic,9th at The Sony Open and 13th at The Bob Hope show this to be true.Has two top ten finishes here at Hilton Head in the Past,so don't be surprised if my crazy punt Jerry comes home with the bacon...I won't!!!
OTHER PLAYERS TO GO WELL THIS WEEK.
The next few players are all accurate golfers and course should suit so keep an eye out come Saturday for these if they are up the leaderboard.
IAN POULTER (40/1 Bet365)
BRIAN DAVIS (80/1 Bet365)
JASON DUFNER (200's Betfair)
JARROD LYLE (500's!!!! Betfair)
BEST OF LUCK!!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Valero Texas Open
Wow!!What a weekend of golf that was.The Masters did not disappoint .Charl Schwartzel burning up the course on the final days play to become Masters champion 2011.Poor old Rory has a round the world trip to play in the Malaysian Open this week to ponder on where it all went wrong.But he will be back and hopefully stronger for the experience.
And so onto this week and back to the bread and butter of the of the P.G.A TOUR with the Valero Texas Open.Played at the Oaks Course in San Antonio,which has only hosted it once here before back in May 2010,so not alot of course form to go by!
It's a par 72 and is over 7500 yards with 4 par 5's.G.I.R again is going to be a critical stat this week as the course was 7th most challenging in the green hit stat last year.And really a full tee to green game is needed here as it was also ranked 6th hardest in fairways hit.The Texas winds will play a big factor this week too so expect scores to be fairly high.
The top two in the market are Geoff Ogilvy and last years champion Adam Scott.I'm going to skip both as firstly their price is to short but also due to their finish at The Masters(4th&2nd)think they might be mentally drained...hope so anyway!!So lets see who we got on the tee!!
Ryan Palmer(28/1 Paddypower)
Born in Amarillo,Texas this is like a home game for Ryan.A great 10th last week at The Masters shows his game is in great shape.Ranked 35th in total driving and 56th in G.I.R is pretty respectable.Can play in the wind as his win at the Sony Open in Hawaii suggests and a T9th here last year when his game was'ent in such good nick shows that The Oaks Course suits.In with a great chance this week.
J.J.Henry(50/1 Brucebetting)
Former Ryder Cup star J.J is a player I have been keeping my eye on in recent weeks.Finishing inside the top 20 on his last three starts including in nearby Houston last time out suggest J.J is finding a bit of form.Looking back on his finishes in The Texas Open reads four top six finishes in ten starts but worryingly missed the cut here last year.But looking at this seasons stats perks me up a bit and makes me post up J.J as one of my picks-21st in total driving and 13th in G.I.R-just whats needed here.
Jimmy Walker(33/1 Paddypower)
Hard to ignore Jimmy here as has six top 25 finishes in 9 events already this year,his best being 4th at The Sony Open(windy) 4th at The Northern Trust and 9th at The AT&T Pebble Beach(windy)A big crowd favourite as he's a San Antonio native-he's 6th in scoring average but his T3rd here last year is standing out like a sore thumb.Has to be on the tee box for me this week.
Martin Laird(16/1 Paddypower)
Have to pick scotsman Martin Laird.If ever there was a current form horse in golf here he is.T10th WGC,T5th at Transitions Championship,T3rd Waste Management,1st at Bay Hill and T20th at The Masters(played alongside Tiger on final Day)No course form to go on but 7th in driving distance,12th in total driving and 7th in all around ranking will do me.Could easily win his second tournament this season here in what looks a depleted field.
Marc Leisman(28/1 Brucebetting)
Marc has been on alot of leaderboards this season most recently a T3rd at The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.Playing some great golf and has only missed one cut so far this year.T30th here last year when he was'ent playing half aswell as he's playing this year and has to be picked due to the weakness of this weeks field.
BEST OF LUCK!!
And so onto this week and back to the bread and butter of the of the P.G.A TOUR with the Valero Texas Open.Played at the Oaks Course in San Antonio,which has only hosted it once here before back in May 2010,so not alot of course form to go by!
It's a par 72 and is over 7500 yards with 4 par 5's.G.I.R again is going to be a critical stat this week as the course was 7th most challenging in the green hit stat last year.And really a full tee to green game is needed here as it was also ranked 6th hardest in fairways hit.The Texas winds will play a big factor this week too so expect scores to be fairly high.
The top two in the market are Geoff Ogilvy and last years champion Adam Scott.I'm going to skip both as firstly their price is to short but also due to their finish at The Masters(4th&2nd)think they might be mentally drained...hope so anyway!!So lets see who we got on the tee!!
Ryan Palmer(28/1 Paddypower)
Born in Amarillo,Texas this is like a home game for Ryan.A great 10th last week at The Masters shows his game is in great shape.Ranked 35th in total driving and 56th in G.I.R is pretty respectable.Can play in the wind as his win at the Sony Open in Hawaii suggests and a T9th here last year when his game was'ent in such good nick shows that The Oaks Course suits.In with a great chance this week.
J.J.Henry(50/1 Brucebetting)
Former Ryder Cup star J.J is a player I have been keeping my eye on in recent weeks.Finishing inside the top 20 on his last three starts including in nearby Houston last time out suggest J.J is finding a bit of form.Looking back on his finishes in The Texas Open reads four top six finishes in ten starts but worryingly missed the cut here last year.But looking at this seasons stats perks me up a bit and makes me post up J.J as one of my picks-21st in total driving and 13th in G.I.R-just whats needed here.
Jimmy Walker(33/1 Paddypower)
Hard to ignore Jimmy here as has six top 25 finishes in 9 events already this year,his best being 4th at The Sony Open(windy) 4th at The Northern Trust and 9th at The AT&T Pebble Beach(windy)A big crowd favourite as he's a San Antonio native-he's 6th in scoring average but his T3rd here last year is standing out like a sore thumb.Has to be on the tee box for me this week.
Martin Laird(16/1 Paddypower)
Have to pick scotsman Martin Laird.If ever there was a current form horse in golf here he is.T10th WGC,T5th at Transitions Championship,T3rd Waste Management,1st at Bay Hill and T20th at The Masters(played alongside Tiger on final Day)No course form to go on but 7th in driving distance,12th in total driving and 7th in all around ranking will do me.Could easily win his second tournament this season here in what looks a depleted field.
Marc Leisman(28/1 Brucebetting)
Marc has been on alot of leaderboards this season most recently a T3rd at The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.Playing some great golf and has only missed one cut so far this year.T30th here last year when he was'ent playing half aswell as he's playing this year and has to be picked due to the weakness of this weeks field.
BEST OF LUCK!!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Masters
Well here we are,a week I look forward to every year,a sporting and golf occasion like no other....The Masters.Played at Augusta National in Georgia,it's the only major to be played at the same venue every year.Owning a green jacket and becoming Masters champion is the ultimate prize in golf and i've been watching this happen since I was a young lad and remember my mam and dad letting me stay up late on Sunday evening to see the leaders play the back nine.This is where most people say the Masters really starts!!
For me i truly love The Masters.Everything about it is so iconic.From the drive down Magnolia lane,to the club house with the crow's nest on top where the amateur players will stay for the week.The caddie's with their white jumpsuits and green caps-every hole on the course being named after one of the many trees and shrubs that grow there-Amen corner-Rays creek-The butler cabin-The green jacket-All so iconic and still the same since I was watching...well I wont say all those years ago as i'm only thirty but 25 years ago anyway!!
The course itself is a par 72 and 7435 yards long.There have again been some small adjustments to certain holes this year which have added a slight emphasis on accurate driving.You used to be able to spray a few of your drives but they have tightened up one or two of the holes by moving tees or letting some of the trees grow.A very undulating course and you don't need to be a long hitter to win here.A premium is on a good short game though as good approaches can often end up off the green.You need to have alot of imagination to get your chips close as the greens are so fast with plenty of borrow and swales.
So who's going to win?
Well looking at a couple of interesting stats i've read recently tells you that home grown talent dominates at the Masters.Angel Cabreras win in 2009 was amazing.At 150/1 it was a massive shock.Only 3 non American residents have finished in the top 3 since 2004-Olazabal in 2006 and Lee Westwood 2nd last year.
Also if you take the top 3 finishers from 2004 to 2010 19 of 26 players were residents in the southern United States,split by state this is Florida 12players,Texas 4,Georgia 2,Kentucky and Tennesse 1.
World no1 has'ent done so well here in recent years either-Tiger woods the last world no1 to win back in 2004,current world no1 Martin Kaymer has'ent made the weekend in 3 attemps!!
Augusta National has ranked second most difficult of all courses on tour in par 4 scoring in four of the last six years-this means a premium on course management and putting-which means nothing is more important than experience here in terms of knowing where to leave it off the tee and understanding the greens.A debutante has not won at The Masters since Fuzzy Zoeller back in 1979 so i think we can scratch all debutante's off the list of fancied winners.
Finally in the last ten years Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have both won this tournament six times between them so really we should just back them both,but with Woods not playing to the highs he's played at before(has not won a golf tournament in 18months) and Phil as short as 6to1 now after his win last week i've decided to leave both out....of course it would not surprise me to see these locking horns come Sunday but there is better value out there and i feel that we could be looking at a new Masters champion come the end of the week and hopefully it will be one of my picks!!!!
NICK WATNEY(18/1 Brucebetting)
For me Nick has been the stand out player of 2011.The best of the young American players in my opinion.Won at the Blue Monster course at Doral 3weeks ago(had him tipped up here!!)in what could be argued as a stronger field than this week.Just take a look at nick's stats this year-18th driving distance....35th gir....2nd putting.....1st birdies....1st scoring......1st par breakers....3rd putts per round....5th par3 scoring....4th par4 scoring.....4th scrambling....1st all around ranking.Out of six starts this year he's had 5 top 10 finishes with 1 win...Quite simply stunning form!!But can he do it at Augusta??I believe he can.He led going into the final day of the fourth major last year ''The PGA Championship''only to implode on his final 18 but is sure to have taken some positives out of that due to his form this year.Held himself together well on the final 9 at doral holing some huge par putts and never looked like losing.Form at Augusta reads well too-11th-19th-7th.Has never won on bent grass greens but this stat does not really matter to the top top players and i believe come Sunday evening that the green jacket will look sweet on Nick.TOP TIP!!!
BUBBA WATSON(40/1 Paddypower)
A few years back Bubba was the golfer who had the funny name and could hit it miles.He still has a funny name and he still hits it miles but there is so much more to his game now.Not only is he long off the tee,he's accurate now too ranking 9th in total driving.G.I.R....yeah he's good here too(2nd)Left handers have done well recently with mickelson winning three times and Weir winning once.Left handers natural shot is a right to left shot so suits Augusta perfectly.Was beaten in a playoff by Martin Kymer in the last major ''The PGA Championship'' so has major game,and if he can get the putter working this week,well it could be a walk in the park.
PAUL CASEY(35/1 Brucebetting)
Casey I believe is a major player.Got to 5th in the world rankings last year and looked like he was going to win everything only to suffer a rib injury,but has seemed to have fully recovered winning the Volvo Golf Champions back in January.With an 18th-17th-12th already this year on the PGA Tour think he might be peaking just at the right time.Long off the tee but where casey excels is putting from ten feet in which will serve him well this week.Has definitely got the game to win The Masters and his recent performances here(6th-10th-11th)show that Paul's first major could be just around the corner.
IAN POULTER(50/1 Paddypower)
Handing over $300 to practise partner Graeme McDowell on Monday did not make it the best of starts to Masters week for Poulter but it can certainly end a whole lot better!!Led the tournament last year after 36 holes but fell backwards over the weekend with rounds of 74 and 73 to finish 10th.But this shows that Poulter can play the course and from reading his recent tweets he thinks he's starting to play some great golf and maybe peaking at the right time.A gritty and dogged golfer,great iron player and fearless putter all stand Ian in good stead this week.If he can just forget about what he's going to wear on Sunday and concentrate more on winning he might have a big shout.And if he's in with a chance coming down the back nine on Sunday evening...LOOK OUT!!!
RYAN MOORE(66/1 Boylesports)
Had Ryan marked down as a future winner here after his impressive finish as an amateur back in 2005(13th)His only other start at The Masters was last year with a T14th so clearly has a liking for the course.Already has 6 top 25's finishes to his name this year,a very accurate driver of the ball and at tasty odds think he can surprise a few this year.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON(40/1 Paddypower)
Well anyone who knows me knows that Paddy is my favourite player and was terrible to see the slump he went through after winning his third major,but I believe the fire is burning again and the Paddy of old is not far away.His 8th place finish at Houston last week followed a 10th at Doral in mid March.3 top 10 finishes in 11 appearances at Augusta National shows that Paddy can play here.He's long enough off the tee to cope with the extended layout and if his improved G.I.R numbers from Houston remain this week his short game will dictate that he goes extremly close.Was only 16/1 last year and playing much better this year so great value.Would love to see Paddy don the green jacket come sunday!!
LONGSHOTS THAT COULD GO WELL:
B.Snedeker:3rd here in 2008,playing great golf this year,huge odds 125/1
F.Molinari:Came close to being in my final pick but because its his first time here i had to omit.Great ball striker,very accurate and for me a future winner of The Masters-80/1
BEST OF LUCK!!!
For me i truly love The Masters.Everything about it is so iconic.From the drive down Magnolia lane,to the club house with the crow's nest on top where the amateur players will stay for the week.The caddie's with their white jumpsuits and green caps-every hole on the course being named after one of the many trees and shrubs that grow there-Amen corner-Rays creek-The butler cabin-The green jacket-All so iconic and still the same since I was watching...well I wont say all those years ago as i'm only thirty but 25 years ago anyway!!
The course itself is a par 72 and 7435 yards long.There have again been some small adjustments to certain holes this year which have added a slight emphasis on accurate driving.You used to be able to spray a few of your drives but they have tightened up one or two of the holes by moving tees or letting some of the trees grow.A very undulating course and you don't need to be a long hitter to win here.A premium is on a good short game though as good approaches can often end up off the green.You need to have alot of imagination to get your chips close as the greens are so fast with plenty of borrow and swales.
So who's going to win?
Well looking at a couple of interesting stats i've read recently tells you that home grown talent dominates at the Masters.Angel Cabreras win in 2009 was amazing.At 150/1 it was a massive shock.Only 3 non American residents have finished in the top 3 since 2004-Olazabal in 2006 and Lee Westwood 2nd last year.
Also if you take the top 3 finishers from 2004 to 2010 19 of 26 players were residents in the southern United States,split by state this is Florida 12players,Texas 4,Georgia 2,Kentucky and Tennesse 1.
World no1 has'ent done so well here in recent years either-Tiger woods the last world no1 to win back in 2004,current world no1 Martin Kaymer has'ent made the weekend in 3 attemps!!
Augusta National has ranked second most difficult of all courses on tour in par 4 scoring in four of the last six years-this means a premium on course management and putting-which means nothing is more important than experience here in terms of knowing where to leave it off the tee and understanding the greens.A debutante has not won at The Masters since Fuzzy Zoeller back in 1979 so i think we can scratch all debutante's off the list of fancied winners.
Finally in the last ten years Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have both won this tournament six times between them so really we should just back them both,but with Woods not playing to the highs he's played at before(has not won a golf tournament in 18months) and Phil as short as 6to1 now after his win last week i've decided to leave both out....of course it would not surprise me to see these locking horns come Sunday but there is better value out there and i feel that we could be looking at a new Masters champion come the end of the week and hopefully it will be one of my picks!!!!
NICK WATNEY(18/1 Brucebetting)
For me Nick has been the stand out player of 2011.The best of the young American players in my opinion.Won at the Blue Monster course at Doral 3weeks ago(had him tipped up here!!)in what could be argued as a stronger field than this week.Just take a look at nick's stats this year-18th driving distance....35th gir....2nd putting.....1st birdies....1st scoring......1st par breakers....3rd putts per round....5th par3 scoring....4th par4 scoring.....4th scrambling....1st all around ranking.Out of six starts this year he's had 5 top 10 finishes with 1 win...Quite simply stunning form!!But can he do it at Augusta??I believe he can.He led going into the final day of the fourth major last year ''The PGA Championship''only to implode on his final 18 but is sure to have taken some positives out of that due to his form this year.Held himself together well on the final 9 at doral holing some huge par putts and never looked like losing.Form at Augusta reads well too-11th-19th-7th.Has never won on bent grass greens but this stat does not really matter to the top top players and i believe come Sunday evening that the green jacket will look sweet on Nick.TOP TIP!!!
BUBBA WATSON(40/1 Paddypower)
A few years back Bubba was the golfer who had the funny name and could hit it miles.He still has a funny name and he still hits it miles but there is so much more to his game now.Not only is he long off the tee,he's accurate now too ranking 9th in total driving.G.I.R....yeah he's good here too(2nd)Left handers have done well recently with mickelson winning three times and Weir winning once.Left handers natural shot is a right to left shot so suits Augusta perfectly.Was beaten in a playoff by Martin Kymer in the last major ''The PGA Championship'' so has major game,and if he can get the putter working this week,well it could be a walk in the park.
PAUL CASEY(35/1 Brucebetting)
Casey I believe is a major player.Got to 5th in the world rankings last year and looked like he was going to win everything only to suffer a rib injury,but has seemed to have fully recovered winning the Volvo Golf Champions back in January.With an 18th-17th-12th already this year on the PGA Tour think he might be peaking just at the right time.Long off the tee but where casey excels is putting from ten feet in which will serve him well this week.Has definitely got the game to win The Masters and his recent performances here(6th-10th-11th)show that Paul's first major could be just around the corner.
IAN POULTER(50/1 Paddypower)
Handing over $300 to practise partner Graeme McDowell on Monday did not make it the best of starts to Masters week for Poulter but it can certainly end a whole lot better!!Led the tournament last year after 36 holes but fell backwards over the weekend with rounds of 74 and 73 to finish 10th.But this shows that Poulter can play the course and from reading his recent tweets he thinks he's starting to play some great golf and maybe peaking at the right time.A gritty and dogged golfer,great iron player and fearless putter all stand Ian in good stead this week.If he can just forget about what he's going to wear on Sunday and concentrate more on winning he might have a big shout.And if he's in with a chance coming down the back nine on Sunday evening...LOOK OUT!!!
RYAN MOORE(66/1 Boylesports)
Had Ryan marked down as a future winner here after his impressive finish as an amateur back in 2005(13th)His only other start at The Masters was last year with a T14th so clearly has a liking for the course.Already has 6 top 25's finishes to his name this year,a very accurate driver of the ball and at tasty odds think he can surprise a few this year.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON(40/1 Paddypower)
Well anyone who knows me knows that Paddy is my favourite player and was terrible to see the slump he went through after winning his third major,but I believe the fire is burning again and the Paddy of old is not far away.His 8th place finish at Houston last week followed a 10th at Doral in mid March.3 top 10 finishes in 11 appearances at Augusta National shows that Paddy can play here.He's long enough off the tee to cope with the extended layout and if his improved G.I.R numbers from Houston remain this week his short game will dictate that he goes extremly close.Was only 16/1 last year and playing much better this year so great value.Would love to see Paddy don the green jacket come sunday!!
LONGSHOTS THAT COULD GO WELL:
B.Snedeker:3rd here in 2008,playing great golf this year,huge odds 125/1
F.Molinari:Came close to being in my final pick but because its his first time here i had to omit.Great ball striker,very accurate and for me a future winner of The Masters-80/1
BEST OF LUCK!!!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Shell Houston Open
The tour heads west this week for the Shell Houston Open in Humble Texas.For me one eye will be on the first major of the season "The Masters" played next week at Augusta Georgia.But first this week!!!
The Redstone Golf Club tournament course has hosted this event since 2006 and it is fairly long at 7457 yards and is a par 72 with four par5's.The course has been deliberatly set up to try and make conditions similar to those at Augusta(fast greens reading 13 on stimpmeter etc)There is a fair amount of water hazards and bunkers and the course has not played that easily in the last couple of years but its main defence-"The Texan winds" are not forcast this week.
The course seems to suit big hitters and driving accuracy is not to important.Also alot of the top players may be here just to test their game for next weeks major challenge and would probably be happy with a midfield finish and go to Augusta under the radar.On the flipside there are some players who know that this is their last chance to drive up Magnolia lane next week and need a win here or a big place finish.It's these types of player that i'm looking at this week,not betting to big and eachway on all.Hopefully can get a place or even a winner and look forward to the greatest show on earth next week!!
ROBERT GARRIGUS(100/1 Brucebetting)
I'm starting off with the biggest hitter on the PGA tour.This guys game is built around power but has skills around the greens too.Robert was 5th here in 2007 and has a liking for the course as he has only missed the cut here once.Beaten in a playoff in the season opener at the long Kapalua course which followed his first PGA tour win at Disney.A win here gets him to the Masters next week so he knows what he has to do!!
J.B.HOLMES(33/1 Paddypower)
Can you see the trend...Big hitters!!!!Another who's game is built around power.His form so far this season reads 47-12-13-5-63 so definitely playing great golf in 2011.Has course form here too....was beaten in a playoff by Paul Casey back in 2009.J.B is the highest world ranked player(60th)not to be in the Masters and his only chance of getting there is to win or go close this week.
JASON DAY(45/1 Boylesports)
Another long hitter who has a great record when playing in Texas with an 8th place here in 2008,was 4th in the Crown Plaza in 2009 and won the Byron Nelson last year.A great putter and have a gut feeling we can see him go close if in the hunt come Sunday.
JHONATTAN VEGAS(66/1 Paddypower)
Was hoping to get a better price on rookie of the year Jonny Vegas as 66/1 looks a little skinny and anyone who plays on betfair can get him at 90's.With the exception of Paul Casey all winners here have had pretty good links with Texas-Kim lives there,J.Wagner was born there and Scott has a great record there.Jonny vegas left Venezuela to live in Houston,Texas to study and improve his game.Think he might be happy to leave the courses of Florida behind him as they did not suit his game and he will feel right at home here in Houston cheered on by family and friends.Hits the ball miles and although his putting looked suspect on the bermuda greens of Florida,is now back on his preferred bent grass greens so look out for Jonny to get his second PGA tour victory this week!!!
Best of luck!!
The Redstone Golf Club tournament course has hosted this event since 2006 and it is fairly long at 7457 yards and is a par 72 with four par5's.The course has been deliberatly set up to try and make conditions similar to those at Augusta(fast greens reading 13 on stimpmeter etc)There is a fair amount of water hazards and bunkers and the course has not played that easily in the last couple of years but its main defence-"The Texan winds" are not forcast this week.
The course seems to suit big hitters and driving accuracy is not to important.Also alot of the top players may be here just to test their game for next weeks major challenge and would probably be happy with a midfield finish and go to Augusta under the radar.On the flipside there are some players who know that this is their last chance to drive up Magnolia lane next week and need a win here or a big place finish.It's these types of player that i'm looking at this week,not betting to big and eachway on all.Hopefully can get a place or even a winner and look forward to the greatest show on earth next week!!
ROBERT GARRIGUS(100/1 Brucebetting)
I'm starting off with the biggest hitter on the PGA tour.This guys game is built around power but has skills around the greens too.Robert was 5th here in 2007 and has a liking for the course as he has only missed the cut here once.Beaten in a playoff in the season opener at the long Kapalua course which followed his first PGA tour win at Disney.A win here gets him to the Masters next week so he knows what he has to do!!
J.B.HOLMES(33/1 Paddypower)
Can you see the trend...Big hitters!!!!Another who's game is built around power.His form so far this season reads 47-12-13-5-63 so definitely playing great golf in 2011.Has course form here too....was beaten in a playoff by Paul Casey back in 2009.J.B is the highest world ranked player(60th)not to be in the Masters and his only chance of getting there is to win or go close this week.
JASON DAY(45/1 Boylesports)
Another long hitter who has a great record when playing in Texas with an 8th place here in 2008,was 4th in the Crown Plaza in 2009 and won the Byron Nelson last year.A great putter and have a gut feeling we can see him go close if in the hunt come Sunday.
JHONATTAN VEGAS(66/1 Paddypower)
Was hoping to get a better price on rookie of the year Jonny Vegas as 66/1 looks a little skinny and anyone who plays on betfair can get him at 90's.With the exception of Paul Casey all winners here have had pretty good links with Texas-Kim lives there,J.Wagner was born there and Scott has a great record there.Jonny vegas left Venezuela to live in Houston,Texas to study and improve his game.Think he might be happy to leave the courses of Florida behind him as they did not suit his game and he will feel right at home here in Houston cheered on by family and friends.Hits the ball miles and although his putting looked suspect on the bermuda greens of Florida,is now back on his preferred bent grass greens so look out for Jonny to get his second PGA tour victory this week!!!
Best of luck!!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Arnold Palmer invitational at Bay Hill
Staying in Florida again this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Orlando.Usually when this tournament comes around you think of Tiger Woods who owns this competition with six wins since 2000.
Thick rough,trees and water make this course a stiff test of golf.After some changes which toughened up the course in 2009 expect the scoring to be fairly high.Previous winners here include-Woods,Els,Singh,Pampling,Perry,Campbell and Mickelson.
Brandt Snedeker(55/1 Paddypower)
Love the way this guy plays golf,no messing about,stands up and hits his shots!!3 top 10's already this year- 9th at Torrey Pines,8th in Phoenix and 4th last week at the transitions.Was one of only a handful of players under par after the first round at the Honda only to withdraw from the tournament due to the birth of his first child.In Tampa last week he sounded full of confidence about his game"Yeah i feel like its the best i've hit it my whole career to be honest with you,i feel like every part of my game is alot better than it was at any point in my career"
He ranked 4th in putting last week and is 7th in all round ranking.Brandt has never finished outside the top 30 at Bay Hill with finishes from 2007 reading 22-14-17-30.At 55/1 i make him my TOP TIP!!
Tiger Woods(9/1 Paddypower)
As i have mentioned before Tiger woods owns this competition with six wins here since 2000.Glimpses of his new swing coming to fruition with a tenth last time out at Doral,closing with a 66.Has to be confident after that final round,he's going to win soon and at a course where he has such a good record i think it could start here.
Ricky Fowler(33/1 Paddypower)
With wide open fairways,Ricky should do well here.189th driving accuracy is pretty poor but 2nd in putts per round and 23rd in scoring average has given him some decent finishes this year.68-66 finish at Doral two weeks ago sets Ricky up for a big week here.Has said that he loves the course as he played here many times as a junior and i like his chances this week!!
Camillo Villegas(125/1 Brucebetting)
Mad?? Maybe....Was between him and Justin Rose for my last pick but have plumped for Spiderman!!His game is definitely in a slump but has such a good record on courses in florida and is a bermuda specialist.Signs that his putter was coming back to life at Doral and he has me dreaming of a huge payout.A champion at both the Honda classic and the Tour Championship its just a matter of time before he's back winning again and at odds of 125/1 has to be worth a small each way bet if only for the interest!!
BEST OF LUCK!!
Thick rough,trees and water make this course a stiff test of golf.After some changes which toughened up the course in 2009 expect the scoring to be fairly high.Previous winners here include-Woods,Els,Singh,Pampling,Perry,Campbell and Mickelson.
Brandt Snedeker(55/1 Paddypower)
Love the way this guy plays golf,no messing about,stands up and hits his shots!!3 top 10's already this year- 9th at Torrey Pines,8th in Phoenix and 4th last week at the transitions.Was one of only a handful of players under par after the first round at the Honda only to withdraw from the tournament due to the birth of his first child.In Tampa last week he sounded full of confidence about his game"Yeah i feel like its the best i've hit it my whole career to be honest with you,i feel like every part of my game is alot better than it was at any point in my career"
He ranked 4th in putting last week and is 7th in all round ranking.Brandt has never finished outside the top 30 at Bay Hill with finishes from 2007 reading 22-14-17-30.At 55/1 i make him my TOP TIP!!
Tiger Woods(9/1 Paddypower)
As i have mentioned before Tiger woods owns this competition with six wins here since 2000.Glimpses of his new swing coming to fruition with a tenth last time out at Doral,closing with a 66.Has to be confident after that final round,he's going to win soon and at a course where he has such a good record i think it could start here.
Ricky Fowler(33/1 Paddypower)
With wide open fairways,Ricky should do well here.189th driving accuracy is pretty poor but 2nd in putts per round and 23rd in scoring average has given him some decent finishes this year.68-66 finish at Doral two weeks ago sets Ricky up for a big week here.Has said that he loves the course as he played here many times as a junior and i like his chances this week!!
Camillo Villegas(125/1 Brucebetting)
Mad?? Maybe....Was between him and Justin Rose for my last pick but have plumped for Spiderman!!His game is definitely in a slump but has such a good record on courses in florida and is a bermuda specialist.Signs that his putter was coming back to life at Doral and he has me dreaming of a huge payout.A champion at both the Honda classic and the Tour Championship its just a matter of time before he's back winning again and at odds of 125/1 has to be worth a small each way bet if only for the interest!!
BEST OF LUCK!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Transitions Championship
The PGA tour stays in Florida for a third week with the Transitions Championship.Played at the Copperhead course,Tampa Bay.This was the 13th toughest course on the PGA tour last year.The par 71 course is 7340 yards long which is actually longer than last weeks Blue Monster course which is a par 72!!The fairways are tight and tree lined which means we need accuracy off the tee.Also the greens are small so good scramblers do well here.
The winners here over the years have all been good ball strikers and very experienced-Furyk(10) Goosen (03&09) O'hair(08) Calcavecchia(07) Choi(02&06) Petterson(05) Singh(04)
So experienced pros with good records here fits the bill.....Let's find them....
Justin Rose(33/1 Brucebetting)
Justin is a player i always look at on tough courses.Very steady player and so far in 2011 he's finished 12th,13th,25th,9th and 42nd while in his five apperance's in this event has never finished worse than 30th which was his debut.Has a 3rd and a 4th finish here also.Played recently in the Tavistock Cup and played some great stuff with Ian Poulter shooting a combined 61.Justin tweeted afterwords "Good day,plenty of birdies out there...my putter warmed up"He brings a confident putting stroke into this tournament and that will do me TOP TIP!!
Padraig Harrington(25/1 Paddypower)
Paddy looks to be finally getting his game back and hopefully this week can put another 4 good rounds together.Paddy loves tough courses and seems to like courses in florida with its bermuda greens(won first PGA tournament in Florida)Finished 10th last week and finished 8th here last year.We all know how good a scambler he is and would'ent it be great to see him win on St Patricks day weekend....COME ON PADDY!!!
Jonathon Byrd(35/1 Boylesports)
Got off to a great start this season winning the Hyundai Tournament of champions in Hawaii but has a couple of quite months since.Maybe happy to be back in Florida and finished with a pair of 68's at Doral last week to grab a top ten place.His form at Copperhead has got my attention with four top ten finishes in the last five years and with a win already under his belt this year,might be about to get his second!
Stuart Appleby(66/1 Brucebetting)
Stuart seems to be getting his game back after a bit of a slump over the last few years.Won at the end of last year and latest three results read 15-12-10.Missed the cut here last year and in 07 but in 08 and 09 he finished twice inside the top ten.Think Stuart is worth a punt this week at big odds of 66/1.
*others to go well here due to recent and current form- Jerry Kelly,Stephen Ames and KJ Choi.
Best of luck!!!!
The winners here over the years have all been good ball strikers and very experienced-Furyk(10) Goosen (03&09) O'hair(08) Calcavecchia(07) Choi(02&06) Petterson(05) Singh(04)
So experienced pros with good records here fits the bill.....Let's find them....
Justin Rose(33/1 Brucebetting)
Justin is a player i always look at on tough courses.Very steady player and so far in 2011 he's finished 12th,13th,25th,9th and 42nd while in his five apperance's in this event has never finished worse than 30th which was his debut.Has a 3rd and a 4th finish here also.Played recently in the Tavistock Cup and played some great stuff with Ian Poulter shooting a combined 61.Justin tweeted afterwords "Good day,plenty of birdies out there...my putter warmed up"He brings a confident putting stroke into this tournament and that will do me TOP TIP!!
Padraig Harrington(25/1 Paddypower)
Paddy looks to be finally getting his game back and hopefully this week can put another 4 good rounds together.Paddy loves tough courses and seems to like courses in florida with its bermuda greens(won first PGA tournament in Florida)Finished 10th last week and finished 8th here last year.We all know how good a scambler he is and would'ent it be great to see him win on St Patricks day weekend....COME ON PADDY!!!
Jonathon Byrd(35/1 Boylesports)
Got off to a great start this season winning the Hyundai Tournament of champions in Hawaii but has a couple of quite months since.Maybe happy to be back in Florida and finished with a pair of 68's at Doral last week to grab a top ten place.His form at Copperhead has got my attention with four top ten finishes in the last five years and with a win already under his belt this year,might be about to get his second!
Stuart Appleby(66/1 Brucebetting)
Stuart seems to be getting his game back after a bit of a slump over the last few years.Won at the end of last year and latest three results read 15-12-10.Missed the cut here last year and in 07 but in 08 and 09 he finished twice inside the top ten.Think Stuart is worth a punt this week at big odds of 66/1.
*others to go well here due to recent and current form- Jerry Kelly,Stephen Ames and KJ Choi.
Best of luck!!!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The Blue Monster
Another WGC event this week and the blue monster course at Doral,Miami Florida hosts the Cadillac championship.This is the 5th time this wgc event has been held at Doral(had been held at Mount Julliet in Ireland twice before) And the previous champs here have been Els,Mickelson,Ogilvy and Woods(All major winners)
The course overall ranks in the top 25% easiest courses.It's not to long either at little over 7,200 yards so no monster really!!The fairways are fairly wide with generous landing areas so big hitters tend to do well here.Also as usuall players with good GIR and putting stats end up at the business end come Sunday.
Winning total scores in the last few years have been between -15 and -20 so lots of birdies can be made.Have to say the betting looks a little crazy this week with Martin Kymer favourite at single figure 9to1,Tiger Woods at his highest price since 1997 14to1,so hopefully the bookies have got it wrong and we find some value.So first on the tee for me is:
Nick Watney(22/1 Brucebetting)
Nick might not be a major winner but he's not far off!!He's finished no worse than 6th so far this season.For me is the best of the young American players on tour.Has 3 starts on PGA tour this year and is -34 for 12 rounds of golf so far.He's also 2nd in bogey avoidence this year too.Putting all this together makes Watney a birdie machine that does not drop many shots.2nd here in 2009 so has an eye for the course and i make Watney my top tip for this week.
Geoff Ogilvy(35/1 Boylesports)
Major winner and course winner here in 2008,45th here last year,40th in 2009 and 3rd in 2007.Finished last year with a win and a 2nd in oz,has played 4 times this year,missing the cut at Pebble Beach but was 13th in Phoenix,and 21st at Riviera.Also played well at the matchplay which is a bit of a lottery.Showing signs so of getting back to his best,lovely silky smooth putter has a great chance this week at nice odds.
Tiger Woods(14/1 Paddypower)
This is a huge gamble but so is his price.Maybe i'm getting sucked in here and maybe i'm the only person in the world backing him but i cant leave him out at odds not seen on him since 1997.Woods has won this tournament 3 years in a row from 2005 to 2007(6 times in total!!).O.k has not been at his best recently but he's back playing in Florida where he lives,is playing on a course he has won on before,a course with wide fairways and a course where putting is of upmost importance.Has only another 68 guys to beat and at odds of 14/1 he has to be worth the gamble(at least you'll get to see lots of him on the t.v coverage!!!)
Jonny Vegas(250betfair 125/1 brucebetting)
My outside bet this week is for rookie of the year so far Jonny Vegas.Already a winner of a PGA tour event(Bob Hope) and nearly won the week after at Torrie Pines(T3rd)Remember that this is his first year on tour!!Has been a little quite lately which means he comes here under the radar.Reminds me of tiger when putting as he is pretty fearless.Playing this week in Miami which will be like playing back home in Venezuela as there is a large latin population here that will be cheering him on.A huge price for a kid full of confidence and who has 8 top 25 finishes already this year.So come on Jonny,if you win a trip to Vegas awaits!!
BEST OF LUCK.
WELL DONE TO NICK WATNEY FOR COMING FIRST A MAKING ME A NICE PROFIT.........ST PADDYS WEEK COMING UP........THANKS NICK!!!!
The course overall ranks in the top 25% easiest courses.It's not to long either at little over 7,200 yards so no monster really!!The fairways are fairly wide with generous landing areas so big hitters tend to do well here.Also as usuall players with good GIR and putting stats end up at the business end come Sunday.
Winning total scores in the last few years have been between -15 and -20 so lots of birdies can be made.Have to say the betting looks a little crazy this week with Martin Kymer favourite at single figure 9to1,Tiger Woods at his highest price since 1997 14to1,so hopefully the bookies have got it wrong and we find some value.So first on the tee for me is:
Nick Watney(22/1 Brucebetting)
Nick might not be a major winner but he's not far off!!He's finished no worse than 6th so far this season.For me is the best of the young American players on tour.Has 3 starts on PGA tour this year and is -34 for 12 rounds of golf so far.He's also 2nd in bogey avoidence this year too.Putting all this together makes Watney a birdie machine that does not drop many shots.2nd here in 2009 so has an eye for the course and i make Watney my top tip for this week.
Geoff Ogilvy(35/1 Boylesports)
Major winner and course winner here in 2008,45th here last year,40th in 2009 and 3rd in 2007.Finished last year with a win and a 2nd in oz,has played 4 times this year,missing the cut at Pebble Beach but was 13th in Phoenix,and 21st at Riviera.Also played well at the matchplay which is a bit of a lottery.Showing signs so of getting back to his best,lovely silky smooth putter has a great chance this week at nice odds.
Tiger Woods(14/1 Paddypower)
This is a huge gamble but so is his price.Maybe i'm getting sucked in here and maybe i'm the only person in the world backing him but i cant leave him out at odds not seen on him since 1997.Woods has won this tournament 3 years in a row from 2005 to 2007(6 times in total!!).O.k has not been at his best recently but he's back playing in Florida where he lives,is playing on a course he has won on before,a course with wide fairways and a course where putting is of upmost importance.Has only another 68 guys to beat and at odds of 14/1 he has to be worth the gamble(at least you'll get to see lots of him on the t.v coverage!!!)
Jonny Vegas(250betfair 125/1 brucebetting)
My outside bet this week is for rookie of the year so far Jonny Vegas.Already a winner of a PGA tour event(Bob Hope) and nearly won the week after at Torrie Pines(T3rd)Remember that this is his first year on tour!!Has been a little quite lately which means he comes here under the radar.Reminds me of tiger when putting as he is pretty fearless.Playing this week in Miami which will be like playing back home in Venezuela as there is a large latin population here that will be cheering him on.A huge price for a kid full of confidence and who has 8 top 25 finishes already this year.So come on Jonny,if you win a trip to Vegas awaits!!
BEST OF LUCK.
WELL DONE TO NICK WATNEY FOR COMING FIRST A MAKING ME A NICE PROFIT.........ST PADDYS WEEK COMING UP........THANKS NICK!!!!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Honda Classic
Back to normal strokeplay golf this week after last weeks WGC Accenture matchplay.A tough competition to find a winner in but well done to Luke Donald.
Anyways,the PGA tour moves on to the east coast and the start of the Florida swing.The honda classic is played at PGA national championship course - Palm Beach Gardens,Florida.The 7100 yards,par 70,Jack Nicklaus designed course is hosting the event since 2007 so we have four years of previous form to go by.
Mark Wilson(two time winner already this year!) won in a four way playoff in 2007,Ernie Els in 2008,Y.E.Yang in 2009 and Camillo Villegas in 2010...All great ball strikers!!!
The course is one of the toughest tracks on the PGA tour(usually ranked about 8th most difficult)with water on 16 holes so accuracy is of upmost importance.So lets find the winner!!
Robert Allenby(33/1 Brucebetting)
Has three top FIVE!! finishes at PGA National but missed the cut last year.Knocked out at the first hurdle at the matchplay so has had a full week off.Came forth at the Northern Trust two weeks ago,but his putting on the final day was terrible.If he can get the putter hot this week he'll be hard beat.TOP TIP!!
Fredrik Jacobson(60/1 Boylesports)
Another guy with great course form with two top ten finishes in the last two years.Has made a consistent start to the season with three top thirty finishes including T19th last week in Mexico.Tends to go really well then seems to choke a little which is a worry,but recent form and and course form means i can't leave him out this week.
Jason Dufner(80/1 Paddypower)
This guy is going to win soon and i have a gut feeling that this week could be his time to shine.Has only played five times this season with a top 25 finish,a top 10 and a second(beaten in a playoff in Phoenix)to his name already.Has good course form here also-T40th,T9th and T13th.Think his odds are way over priced (50/1 at some other firms) and worth an each way punt!!
Brian Davis(175/1 Brucebetting)
I'm a fan of Brian Davis on par 70 courses and at 175/1 it's just to tempting to me to leave alone.Has been on the first page of many leaderboards already this year only to have a nightmare hole that ruins his charge.Should have won twice on the PGA tour last year so has the game and if he can keep that treble bogey off his card can go close here.At odds of 175/1 is worth a small each way punt again!!
BEST OF LUCK.
Anyways,the PGA tour moves on to the east coast and the start of the Florida swing.The honda classic is played at PGA national championship course - Palm Beach Gardens,Florida.The 7100 yards,par 70,Jack Nicklaus designed course is hosting the event since 2007 so we have four years of previous form to go by.
Mark Wilson(two time winner already this year!) won in a four way playoff in 2007,Ernie Els in 2008,Y.E.Yang in 2009 and Camillo Villegas in 2010...All great ball strikers!!!
The course is one of the toughest tracks on the PGA tour(usually ranked about 8th most difficult)with water on 16 holes so accuracy is of upmost importance.So lets find the winner!!
Robert Allenby(33/1 Brucebetting)
Has three top FIVE!! finishes at PGA National but missed the cut last year.Knocked out at the first hurdle at the matchplay so has had a full week off.Came forth at the Northern Trust two weeks ago,but his putting on the final day was terrible.If he can get the putter hot this week he'll be hard beat.TOP TIP!!
Fredrik Jacobson(60/1 Boylesports)
Another guy with great course form with two top ten finishes in the last two years.Has made a consistent start to the season with three top thirty finishes including T19th last week in Mexico.Tends to go really well then seems to choke a little which is a worry,but recent form and and course form means i can't leave him out this week.
Jason Dufner(80/1 Paddypower)
This guy is going to win soon and i have a gut feeling that this week could be his time to shine.Has only played five times this season with a top 25 finish,a top 10 and a second(beaten in a playoff in Phoenix)to his name already.Has good course form here also-T40th,T9th and T13th.Think his odds are way over priced (50/1 at some other firms) and worth an each way punt!!
Brian Davis(175/1 Brucebetting)
I'm a fan of Brian Davis on par 70 courses and at 175/1 it's just to tempting to me to leave alone.Has been on the first page of many leaderboards already this year only to have a nightmare hole that ruins his charge.Should have won twice on the PGA tour last year so has the game and if he can keep that treble bogey off his card can go close here.At odds of 175/1 is worth a small each way punt again!!
BEST OF LUCK.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Who's the last man standing?
Off to Tuscon,Arizona this week for the first WGC event of the season.64 of the worlds top players will do battle in a head to head knockout contest over five days at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club(Jack Nicklaus design)-At 7849 yards it's the longest course used on the PGA tour.
There's four different brackets with 16 players in each.A strategy i use every year is to pick one player from each bracket,back them each way and hope for the dream result.......four semi finalists!!!This would guarantee a winner and we can all sit back and enjoy a lovely week-end!!
Another strategy would be to pick four strong players from one bracket and hope to guarantee a semi finalist but i prefer the first one.And so on with my picks....
Charl Schwartzel (Bobby Jones bracket,50/1)
The South African is playing some great golf at present.He has'ent finished outside the top ten in his last five starts,winning SA Open two starts ago.Finishes of 9/2/58/16 in his 4 WGC events to date are impressive.Defeated Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk last year before being beat on the 19th by Stewart Cink(another of my picks)I think Schwartzel can win the Bobby Jones bracket and secure us at least an each way payout:)
Rory McIlroy (Gary Player bracket,16/1)
For me the Gary Player bracket looks the easiest to get out of and thus insure Rory a nice route to the quarter finals.When he gets there he could set up a mouthwatering clash with world number two Martin Kymer.Like Schwartzel,Mcilroy has finished in the top ten in his last five starts and think this week we will see a hungry 21 year old wanting to show the world his star quality.Expect a big performance this week.
Geoff Ogilvy (Sam Sneed bracket,30/1)
Geoff has won this tournament twice including once on this course.He lives in the Tuscon area so knows this course better than most.Obviously enjoys the matchplay format.For me is coming out of the hardest bracket with a first round match against our own Padraig Harrington and potential match-up against Mr T.Woods or last years runner up Paul Casey.But for me his record here is to good to leave out,is a juicy price and if he can get out of his bracket will certainly be favourite to win.
Stewart Cink (Ben Hogan bracket,50/1)
Stewart was third here in 2009 and runner up to Tiger Woods on another course in 2008 so clearly has the ability and mental strenght for this format of golf.He has a stellar match play record(21-11)and has been a great ryder cup player for the U.S down through the years.Has to play last years champ Ian Poulter in his first match which will be though but Poulter,although a firery competitor has not been playing to well recently and i think if Stewart can beat him can go a very very long way in this competition.
Also first day 2-ball matches
Charl Schwatzel to beat Ryo Ishikawa 8/15
Rory McIlroy to beat Jonathan Byrd 4/9 €10 accum pays €78
Geoff Ogilvy to beat Padraig Harrington 4/6
Stewart Cink to beat Ian Poulter 11/10
A though competition to find a winner but best of luck!!!
FIRST DAY 2-BALL MATCHES ALL WON WHICH MEANS PROFIT MADE NO MATTER WHAT!!!
There's four different brackets with 16 players in each.A strategy i use every year is to pick one player from each bracket,back them each way and hope for the dream result.......four semi finalists!!!This would guarantee a winner and we can all sit back and enjoy a lovely week-end!!
Another strategy would be to pick four strong players from one bracket and hope to guarantee a semi finalist but i prefer the first one.And so on with my picks....
Charl Schwartzel (Bobby Jones bracket,50/1)
The South African is playing some great golf at present.He has'ent finished outside the top ten in his last five starts,winning SA Open two starts ago.Finishes of 9/2/58/16 in his 4 WGC events to date are impressive.Defeated Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk last year before being beat on the 19th by Stewart Cink(another of my picks)I think Schwartzel can win the Bobby Jones bracket and secure us at least an each way payout:)
Rory McIlroy (Gary Player bracket,16/1)
For me the Gary Player bracket looks the easiest to get out of and thus insure Rory a nice route to the quarter finals.When he gets there he could set up a mouthwatering clash with world number two Martin Kymer.Like Schwartzel,Mcilroy has finished in the top ten in his last five starts and think this week we will see a hungry 21 year old wanting to show the world his star quality.Expect a big performance this week.
Geoff Ogilvy (Sam Sneed bracket,30/1)
Geoff has won this tournament twice including once on this course.He lives in the Tuscon area so knows this course better than most.Obviously enjoys the matchplay format.For me is coming out of the hardest bracket with a first round match against our own Padraig Harrington and potential match-up against Mr T.Woods or last years runner up Paul Casey.But for me his record here is to good to leave out,is a juicy price and if he can get out of his bracket will certainly be favourite to win.
Stewart Cink (Ben Hogan bracket,50/1)
Stewart was third here in 2009 and runner up to Tiger Woods on another course in 2008 so clearly has the ability and mental strenght for this format of golf.He has a stellar match play record(21-11)and has been a great ryder cup player for the U.S down through the years.Has to play last years champ Ian Poulter in his first match which will be though but Poulter,although a firery competitor has not been playing to well recently and i think if Stewart can beat him can go a very very long way in this competition.
Also first day 2-ball matches
Charl Schwatzel to beat Ryo Ishikawa 8/15
Rory McIlroy to beat Jonathan Byrd 4/9 €10 accum pays €78
Geoff Ogilvy to beat Padraig Harrington 4/6
Stewart Cink to beat Ian Poulter 11/10
A though competition to find a winner but best of luck!!!
FIRST DAY 2-BALL MATCHES ALL WON WHICH MEANS PROFIT MADE NO MATTER WHAT!!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Stars to shine at Riviera
The PGA tour stays in Cali this week and its the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera cc,Los Angeles.It's a par 71 course over 7298 yards with three par 5's.This course does not usually play too easily and was ranked 20(out of 52)in difficulty on the PGA tour in 2010.
The course...quote"This is an old fashioned test of golf,requiring players to position their tee shots well,move the ball both ways in the air and keep out of trouble.The bentgrass greens are smaller than average and have subtle contours" Course knowledge and a few years on the clock are advantages at Riviera it seems...With rain forcast for most of the week,length from the tee might be important aswell as players who find plenty of greens in regulation.
Last year Steve Stricker scored -16 to win by two shots from Luke Donald.Phil Mickelson won this in 2008 and again in 2009 with Stricker coming 2nd so both have a liking for the course.I always have a liking for Fred Couples on this course as has a great record here also but because of forcast rain will wait till the weekend to see how he's doing!!Wont be backing the two market principles Mickelson and Stricker as their prices are to short,so my picks this week will be Dustin Johnson,Anthony Kim,Robert Karlsson and Rory Sabbatini.
Dustin Johnson(22/1 brucebetting)Had a bad week at Pebble Beach but because of that he's a huge price @22/1.Firstly,he has course form:His debut at this course was T54th,T10th in 2009 and T3rd last year,hopefully can keep progressing this year!!Just read a quote from DJ about the course after playing here last year"I just like the setup of it,its always in good shape,it really fits my eye well,the greens are really good here,its just a fun course to play"Great to read that and makes DJ my top tip for this week.
Anthony Kim(40/1 paddypower)AK is the local boy this week playing infront of his home fans.Did'ent play last week at Pebble and missed the cut at Phoenix which was a surprise but before that has a T19th,T13th,T6th.That run of form has shown that the largely talented Kim has recovered from the thumb
surgery he had last year.In the Farmers Insurance at Torrey Pines Kim led the field in putting stats and if he can get hot with the putter at Riviera i think he can contend as he did on his debut here when T9th.Has won 3 times on the PGA tour and just like DJ because of a bad tournament previous we can get overpriced odds:)
Robert Karlsson(50/1 ladbrokes)Playing on the US tour this year and funnily enough is known as a rookie!!Has played ryder cup golf and picked upthe European tour order of merit.He comes to the U.S off the back of a win in November in Dubai and a 5th and 6th place finish in Europe in January and start of Febuary.Has played in the U.S before,got beaten in a playoff last year at the St Jude Classic which is a similar course.Great ball striker and great putter,would not be a surprise to see him go well.
Rory Sabbatini(66/1 paddypower)Going to persist with Rory as had backed him last week at pebble where he finished 15th.Was a winner here at Riviera back in 2006,also great efforts in 2009(6th) 2007(9th) 2002(2nd).In great form at the moment 22nd,13th and 15th at pebble(10th in driving distance)..ranking high in the total birdie stats at the moment too so the 66/1 looks a good price!!
Another few names to throw in because of course form and recent form are JB Holmes,Luke Donald,Andres Romero.
BEST OF LUCK!!!
The course...quote"This is an old fashioned test of golf,requiring players to position their tee shots well,move the ball both ways in the air and keep out of trouble.The bentgrass greens are smaller than average and have subtle contours" Course knowledge and a few years on the clock are advantages at Riviera it seems...With rain forcast for most of the week,length from the tee might be important aswell as players who find plenty of greens in regulation.
Last year Steve Stricker scored -16 to win by two shots from Luke Donald.Phil Mickelson won this in 2008 and again in 2009 with Stricker coming 2nd so both have a liking for the course.I always have a liking for Fred Couples on this course as has a great record here also but because of forcast rain will wait till the weekend to see how he's doing!!Wont be backing the two market principles Mickelson and Stricker as their prices are to short,so my picks this week will be Dustin Johnson,Anthony Kim,Robert Karlsson and Rory Sabbatini.
Dustin Johnson(22/1 brucebetting)Had a bad week at Pebble Beach but because of that he's a huge price @22/1.Firstly,he has course form:His debut at this course was T54th,T10th in 2009 and T3rd last year,hopefully can keep progressing this year!!Just read a quote from DJ about the course after playing here last year"I just like the setup of it,its always in good shape,it really fits my eye well,the greens are really good here,its just a fun course to play"Great to read that and makes DJ my top tip for this week.
Anthony Kim(40/1 paddypower)AK is the local boy this week playing infront of his home fans.Did'ent play last week at Pebble and missed the cut at Phoenix which was a surprise but before that has a T19th,T13th,T6th.That run of form has shown that the largely talented Kim has recovered from the thumb
surgery he had last year.In the Farmers Insurance at Torrey Pines Kim led the field in putting stats and if he can get hot with the putter at Riviera i think he can contend as he did on his debut here when T9th.Has won 3 times on the PGA tour and just like DJ because of a bad tournament previous we can get overpriced odds:)
Robert Karlsson(50/1 ladbrokes)Playing on the US tour this year and funnily enough is known as a rookie!!Has played ryder cup golf and picked upthe European tour order of merit.He comes to the U.S off the back of a win in November in Dubai and a 5th and 6th place finish in Europe in January and start of Febuary.Has played in the U.S before,got beaten in a playoff last year at the St Jude Classic which is a similar course.Great ball striker and great putter,would not be a surprise to see him go well.
Rory Sabbatini(66/1 paddypower)Going to persist with Rory as had backed him last week at pebble where he finished 15th.Was a winner here at Riviera back in 2006,also great efforts in 2009(6th) 2007(9th) 2002(2nd).In great form at the moment 22nd,13th and 15th at pebble(10th in driving distance)..ranking high in the total birdie stats at the moment too so the 66/1 looks a good price!!
Another few names to throw in because of course form and recent form are JB Holmes,Luke Donald,Andres Romero.
BEST OF LUCK!!!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Take me to the beach
After five days in the arizona desert its back to cali and probably the most beautiful course in the world...Pebble beach.Its a pro-am tournament and three courses are used and they are all shorter than average
Pebble beach golf links: par 72 course yardage 6816
Monterey peninsula cc: par 70 course yardage 6838 with three par 5s
Spyglass hill gc: par72 course yardage 6858
Conditions can get windy here and Dustin Johnson is defending champ and also won it in 2009 when the tournament was reduced to 56 holes because of the weather.He almost had three in a row here when leading going into the last round of the U.S open back in June only to shoot a final round 82.I had backed him on that occasion and its safe to say that i wanted to clock him with the r9 on the side of the head!!
Phil Mickelson has won this on three occasions with his latest being 2007.Can't bet on either as their prices are to short!!
My main bets are Tim Clark,Brian Gay,Rory Sabbatini,and outsider bet on Tom Gillis
Tim Clark(16/1)Had to withdraw from the Bob hope tournament with blister problems!!!But hopefully fully recovered to give a good performance in which he finished a decent 10th last year.Seems to play well in pro-ams as has a good record at the hope and is in good recent form finishing T2nd at the Sony Open a few weeks back.
Brian Gay(33/1)Have to say that i'm a big Brian Gay fan on short courses,Suprisingly only played this tournament once being last year and finished a respectable 16th as he is not playing aswell then as he is now.Has Started the season well with a 15th, 5th and 8th.
Rory Sabbatini(66/1)Played well last week in Phoenix 22nd and has some good form in this tournament 2nd(06) 10th(03)Great wind player and if the wind blows Rory could come in at a nice price!!
Tom Gillis(80/1)Have to say that at the start of this season i did'ent know alot about Tom but has been up on alot of leaderboards this year again last week in Phoenix,decided last week that because of his form i'd check him out in future tournaments.Finished 8th here last year,really great putter but a bit shaky on the shorter ones which might not be great if he's leading on sunday!!Was No1 on birdies last year on tour so he's a bit of a mixed bag but if he clicks could be a great bet this week!!
BEST OF LUCK
Unfortunately one of my picks Tim clark has pulled out of the tournament but because he had not started you will be able to get your money back....had high hopes for him aswell:(
TOM GILLIS finished 3rd which made him a 20/1 WINNER!!!!!
Pebble beach golf links: par 72 course yardage 6816
Monterey peninsula cc: par 70 course yardage 6838 with three par 5s
Spyglass hill gc: par72 course yardage 6858
Conditions can get windy here and Dustin Johnson is defending champ and also won it in 2009 when the tournament was reduced to 56 holes because of the weather.He almost had three in a row here when leading going into the last round of the U.S open back in June only to shoot a final round 82.I had backed him on that occasion and its safe to say that i wanted to clock him with the r9 on the side of the head!!
Phil Mickelson has won this on three occasions with his latest being 2007.Can't bet on either as their prices are to short!!
My main bets are Tim Clark,Brian Gay,Rory Sabbatini,and outsider bet on Tom Gillis
Tim Clark(16/1)Had to withdraw from the Bob hope tournament with blister problems!!!But hopefully fully recovered to give a good performance in which he finished a decent 10th last year.Seems to play well in pro-ams as has a good record at the hope and is in good recent form finishing T2nd at the Sony Open a few weeks back.
Brian Gay(33/1)Have to say that i'm a big Brian Gay fan on short courses,Suprisingly only played this tournament once being last year and finished a respectable 16th as he is not playing aswell then as he is now.Has Started the season well with a 15th, 5th and 8th.
Rory Sabbatini(66/1)Played well last week in Phoenix 22nd and has some good form in this tournament 2nd(06) 10th(03)Great wind player and if the wind blows Rory could come in at a nice price!!
Tom Gillis(80/1)Have to say that at the start of this season i did'ent know alot about Tom but has been up on alot of leaderboards this year again last week in Phoenix,decided last week that because of his form i'd check him out in future tournaments.Finished 8th here last year,really great putter but a bit shaky on the shorter ones which might not be great if he's leading on sunday!!Was No1 on birdies last year on tour so he's a bit of a mixed bag but if he clicks could be a great bet this week!!
BEST OF LUCK
Unfortunately one of my picks Tim clark has pulled out of the tournament but because he had not started you will be able to get your money back....had high hopes for him aswell:(
TOM GILLIS finished 3rd which made him a 20/1 WINNER!!!!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Yes to noh in Dubai
Seung-Yul-Noh 50/1 Paddypowers
A par 72 course of 7300 yards with greens reading 11.8 on the stimpmeter(fast) but may slow down with scattered showers forecast on Thursday.Conditions should improve for the week-end.
Last year Miguel Angel Jimenez(33s) won in a play-off against Lee westwood(12s).Other winners here include Rory mcilroy(7s)09, Tiger(6s)08-06, Stenson(45s)07, last weeks winner Bjorn(55s)01, David Howell(150s) in 99.
As for my selection Seung-Yul-Noh A young lad full of talent who hits the ball miles and straight and has a silky short game,Already a winner on the european tour at the age of 20,expect great things from this lad starting at the Dubai desert classic....GET ON!!!!!
A par 72 course of 7300 yards with greens reading 11.8 on the stimpmeter(fast) but may slow down with scattered showers forecast on Thursday.Conditions should improve for the week-end.
Last year Miguel Angel Jimenez(33s) won in a play-off against Lee westwood(12s).Other winners here include Rory mcilroy(7s)09, Tiger(6s)08-06, Stenson(45s)07, last weeks winner Bjorn(55s)01, David Howell(150s) in 99.
As for my selection Seung-Yul-Noh A young lad full of talent who hits the ball miles and straight and has a silky short game,Already a winner on the european tour at the age of 20,expect great things from this lad starting at the Dubai desert classic....GET ON!!!!!
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