GOLF PREVIEWS/PLAYS
......... with OTP's golf guru
Updated 5:31 PM AEST, Wednesday 1 October
EUROPEAN TOUR - DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER - PADRAIG HARRINGTON
1 at 14.00
-1
The like-able Irishman is playing on courses
that are tailor-made for his game this week. His form at this tournament is
ominous for his main rivals, being a 2-time winner in 06' and 02' as well as
a having a T8th in 07' and a T3rd in 05'. His recent form is admittedly not
flash, but he is a class player, playing in a tournament he has openly
admitted is the one tournament he looks forward to most each year. With the
incentive of possibly shutting out his nearest competitors for the European
Tour Order of Merit with a victory here, i can see Padraig putting an
exclamation point on a stellar 08'.
PGA TOUR - TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER - CAMILLO VILLEGAS
0.5 at 16.00
+7.5
WINNER - JIM FURYK
0.5 at 12.00
-0.5
WINNER - VIJAY SINGH
1.5 at 7.00
-1.5
The much debated Tour Championship is not
exactly the finish the PGA Tour big wigs were looking for. With Vijay Singh
already assured of the 10 million dollars for the Fed Ex Cup title, the
tournament has lost its mojo somewhat, and with 2 time major winner in 08'
Padraig Harrington failing to qualify for this event, the tournament has a
weird feel to it. Throw in the highs of the U.S.A's Ryder Cup display, and
the absence of Tiger Woods, and you have enough factors to make a tournament
victory here a touch hollow. I'm thinking Camillo 'Spiderman' Villegas is
going to be hard to beat. His form this year is outstanding and career
defining. He followed up a T4th at the U.S PGA Championship with a T3rd at
the Deutsche Bank Championship and then a last start victory at the BMW
Championship in July. His only previous performance at East Lake Golf Course
was a T9th in 07'. With a few favourites due to be a touch weary from Ryder
Cup celebrations, I can see Camillo capitalising on it. Jim Furyk is one
Ryder Cup player I think can handle the let-down of emotions from last
week's U.S.A heroics. He is yet to win on tour this year, and that gives a
player like Furyk some added oomph to do well here. His form at East Lake is
noted with a T11th in 07', 2nd in 06', 13th in 05' and 8th in 03'. With some
player's motivation in question, the rock solid reliability of Furyk is a
must. Finishing off is the Fijian workhorse Vijay Singh. His back end to 08'
is Tiger-esque and he is 4 rounds away from collecting enough money to cure
polio. As long as he is not going to coast through the tournament, he should
be up to his eyeballs in this one.
Vijay Singh to beat P Mickelson (72)
2.5 at 1.85
-2.5
Not a whole lot has been mentioned about
Mickelson's singles performance in last week's Ryder Cup. Justin Rose gave
him a proverbial bubble bath, and this was when the tournament was evenly
poised at the start of the final day. The U.S.A winning has glossed over the
fact that Mickelson was not even close to his best form, with Anthony Kim
carrying him for the majority of the 2 balls and foursomes. I sense Phil has
mentally bundied off for the year, and is ready to give the card tables and
poker machines a dabble. History suggests Phil plays his best golf in the
first half of the year, and then winds things down once the last major is
done and dusted. Conversely, Vijay will not want to collect his 10 million
dollar Fed Ex Cup cheque and trophy with a poor performance at East Lake.
Thrown in the mix is Vijay's previous performances at East Lake with a T7th
in 07', a T8th in 06', a T4th in 05', 9th in 04' a T5th in 03' and a victory
in 02'. 6 top 10's in a row is almost unheard of and an underperforming
Mickelson wont handle that.
EUROPEAN TOUR - BRITISH MASTERS
WINNER - LEE WESTWOOD
0.5 at 14.00
-0.5
Defending champion Lee Westwood will no doubt
have the blues after last week's Ryder Cup, but he comes back to a familiar
course that he lives about an hour away from at the prestigious Belfry Golf
Course. The Brits have a fantastic record in the 2 years this tournament has
been played on The Belfry layout. In both 07' and 06' the Brits had 7
players in the top 11, which is quite an endorsement. Westwood won well in
07' by 5 shots from fellow countryman Ian Poulter.
Darren Clarke to bt P McGinley (72)
2 at 1.85
-2
Clarke must have felt helpless watching his
former Ryder Cup team mates get a touch up from the U.S.A, considering he
has contributed so much to Europe's dominance over previous years. His form
is back to the Clarke of old this year with 2 tournament victories and
numerous solid performances. He has a top 10 finish at The Belfry so he
obviously can perform on this course. McGinley is one of those Nick O'Hern
type of players who rarely wins out of turn. If Clarke is right to go he has
far too much class for the Irish battler.
RYDER CUP
Europe to beat USA
3 at 2.00
-3
The more I study this week’s Ryder Cup, the
cockier I get about Europe’s superiority. Usually these team events are not
so much about how your team looks on paper, but how the team gels in such a
unique environment for golfers. In lemans terms, Ryder Cup is not all that
different to Rugby League’s State Of Origin back in the 80’s and 90’s.
Europe is just like Queensland of that era – On paper, they don’t look as
strong as their opponents, but have a tremendous team spirit that overrides
their lack of big names. The U.S.A is a version of NSW – seemingly with the
better team, more talent, yet somehow don’t show the same intensity as their
opponents. Just like State of Origin over the last few years, Europe now has
the dominant side on paper. Weak links are hard to find, and the opposition
is searching for answers. Looking at Europe’s line up, I would suggest it is
one of the best teams they have ever assembled. The only possible flaw I
could find was debutant Oliver Wilson. He only scraped into the line up to
begin with, and he must feel a touch guilty with Ryder Cup stalwart and 2
time winner on tour this season Darren Clarke watching from the sidelines.
The U.S.A on the other hand, has players that look way out of their depth.
No Woods this time, so it’s up to Mickelson and Furyk to carry the new
recruits into battle. I just see too many new faces of average golfers, to
see them threaten such a fierce team like Europe. Chad Campbell burst onto
the scene a few years ago, but has done very little for a long time now. His
selection shows just how shallow the U.S.A talent pool is. Boo Weekly and
J.B Holmes are also average players at best, although both have
personalities that would suggest they would be suited to this format.
Considering the discrepancy in prices are so minimal, I suggest betting up
with supreme confidence. I would have been happy with 1.65, so Europe’s
current price of 2.00 looks sexier than a Krystal Forscutt front cover on
Zoo Weekly Magazine.
EUROPEAN TOUR - MERCEDES-BENZ CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER - RETIEF GOOSEN
0.5 at 17.00
-0.5
With the season winding down and Ryder Cup
just a week away, there are pitfalls aplenty on both tours. It’s difficult
to gauge the mindsets of the best players, but I’m hoping a freshen up for
Retief will result in a win first up from a spell. Goosen has nice form at
this German course, with a T21st in 07’, a victory in 05’, a T16th in 04’, a
T23rd in 03’ and a T10th in 01’. He is easily the class player of the field,
and if he is switched on from the get-go, I expect him to go close. Other
dangers all have mini question marks hanging over them, which make me keen
to skip them this week. Miguel Angel Jimenez, Soren Hansen, Robert Karlsson
and Graeme McDowell all have Ryder Cup duties next week, so I can see them
using this tournament as a form of fine-tuning their games for next week, as
opposed to getting all fired up for victory at the Gut Larchenhof course in
Cologne, Germany. Other big names in the market, Stuart Appleby, is
venturing to the German Course for the very first time and Darren Clarke
must still be gutted to miss selection for Ryder Cup after his successful
record for Europe over the years. Let’s hope the distractions for Retief’s
main rivals, leave him to play near his best and get us the chocolates.
TOP 10 - NICLAS FASTH
1 at 3.75
-1
A poor year by Fasth’s standards. The Swede is
currently 86th on the European Tour Order of Merit, which is woeful compared
to Fasth’s 15th in 06’ and 5th in 07’. He has looked like threatening in his
last 2 tournaments with a T20th at the SAS Masters and a T23rd at the Omega
European Masters, which means he might be close to finding some form. His
performances in this tournament are solid with a T11th in 07’, a T12th in
05’ and a T3rd in 03’. With the big guns focusing on next week, and a
relatively smallish field, the Swede could sneak into the mix here.
ROUND 1 3-BALL
SOREN KJELDSEN to bt Gregory Havret and Jean-Francois Lucquin
1.5 at 2.55
-1.5
This selection is more to do with the 2
Frenchmen due to dip in their form as opposed to anything suggesting
Kjeldsen will fire. Kjeldsen’s best performance at this course was last year
when he finished in a T6th which is better than anything Havret or Lucquin
have offered here. With Havret winning the Johnnie Walker Championship a
fortnight back and Lucquin winning his first professional tournament last
week, I can smell some reality checks for both of them over the next few
weeks. For the most part, average players usually struggle after a victory
to get up mentally. The big pay out that gives them that safety net, can
make their hunger just drop off a touch, and in a brutal game like golf, you
only need to be 5% off your game and you are in all sorts of trouble.
PGA TOUR - BMW CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER - JIM FURYK
0.5 at 21.00
-0.5
Formerly known as the Western Open, this
week's BMW Championship is all about precision...and Jim Furyk is the
captain and president of the "ball-strikers" team on the PGA Tour. He may
have a repugnant golf swing, but Furyk is revered for his consistency and
his ability to handle difficult conditions. This tournament is one that many
of the elite players used to skip as the PGA Tour wound down, but now with
the lure of $10 million for the Fed Ex Cup, players are not surprisingly
eager to tee it up. Furyk is one of the few big guns to have consistently
played this tournament, and with great success. His record on this track is
enviable, with his last 5 starts being a T14th in 07', a T4th in 06', a
victory in 05', a T7th in 04' and a T3rd in 03'. He comes into this week in
solid form with a T12th at The Barclays a fortnight ago, and a T7th at last
week's Deutsche Bank Championship. Furyk is not the kind of player that can
blow a field away, but he's never too far away either. I'm hoping Vijay
Singh and Sergio Garcia both read the 'logic' script and have their form
taper off...Vijay winning 3 of his last 5 tournaments is enough already and
Sergio has consecutive top 5's coming out of his ying-yang. Garcia's only
performance here finished with a T9th so I am a little scared...surely he
can’t keep this up!
TOP 10 - STEWART CINK
1 at 4.00
-1
Although he does not have history on this
course like Furyk, his 2 starts at this course gave him a T7th in 07' and a
T4th in 06'. His form this year has been above average, with great results
including a 2nd at the Accenture Matchplay Championships in February, a T2nd
at the PODS Championship in March, a T3rd at the U.S Masters in April and a
victory at the Travellers Championship in June. His last few starts have not
been mind blowing, but he was looking sharp in the opening round last week
when 5 under through his first 9 holes. Cink is definitely in good enough
nick to be thereabouts.
TOP 10 - TIM CLARK
1 at 5.00
+4
Similar to Cink, Tim Clark has had 2 starts on
this course for a T5th in 07' and a T4th in 06'. He rarely wins out of turn,
but his eyes must light up coming to a course that negates the power of the
Bubba Watson's of the tour. Clark was looking impressive last week at the
Deutsche Bank Championship, opening up with rounds of 66 and 62, before
fading slightly to a T15th. Tim is currently sitting on 28th in the Fed Ex
Cup standings, and with the cut being made to the tours top 30 after this
tournament, the South African will be trying to climb up to within striking
distance of the big dollars.
Jim Furyk to bt E Els (72 H-H)
2 at 2.00
+2
After being burnt by Els last week, I'm
looking to get that money back. We won’t have Adam Scott rolling over again,
this time we have the rock aka Jim Furyk leading us into battle. Apart from
last week, Els has done diddly squat all year, and on a course that rewards
finesse over power, we should be box seating. The only thing to fear is that
Els has more golfing talent in his little finger than Furyk, but on this
course, at this point in time, Furyk is our man.
EUROPEAN TOUR - OMEGA MASTERS
WINNER - BRADLEY DREDGE
0.5 at 17.00
-0.5
It's quite surprising to see a player whom is
not one of the big guns of the European Tour, have such an imposing record
at a particular course. For those looking to make a case for the 'horses for
courses' mentality, Dredge can be used as 'Exhibit A'. The Swiss Alps have
provided the backdrop for Dredge to rack up a 3rd place in 07', a victory in
06', a T15th in 05', a T20th in 04' and a T4th in 02'. He is also coming
into this tournament with a last start T7th at the Johnnie Walker
Championship. Dredge also has the advantage of numerous big guns missing
this tournament to prepare for their Ryder Cup duties. You know it's a weak
field when Michael Campbell is 3rd favourite...Dredge must be cocky with his
chances.
TOP 25 - PHILLIP ARCHER
1 at 3.00
-1
Make no mistake, Archer's form is absolutely
abominable. His best performance in his last 12 starts is a T48th. I'm
trying my best to block that all out and focus on his only 2 performances at
this course, a 2nd place to Brett Rumford last year, and a T12th in 06'.
With a field that is weaker than my bowling arm, Archer must be itching to
get back to a course that is yet to beat him up and spit him out. It's quite
hard to be overly confident with a player of the ilk of Archer, but I'm
gambling on him being mentally 'up' for this one.
M Campbell to bt G Havret (72 H-H)
1.5 at 1.92
+1.38
I can’t believe I'm backing a golfer who is
officially a shadow of his former self. Campbell has not played at this
course over the last few years, but his form here going back as far as 2000
is of interest. In 2000 he had a T10th, in 02' he again had a T10th and in
03' he finished in a T2nd. Obviously these results are back in the day when
Campbell could actually threaten to win a tournament, but his last 2 starts
are much like the Campbell of old. His last fortnight has yielded a T8th at
the KLM Open and a T10th at last week's Johnnie Walker Championship. Havret,
on the other hand, defied some woeful form to win last week's tournament,
which is his 2nd victory in Scotland. I have my fingers crossed the
Frenchman had a few too many beverages in his celebrations last week and he
resumes to his usual standards.
J Edfors to bt Schwartzel (72 H-H)
1.5 at 1.90
-1.5
The stylishly dressed Edfors is a bit of an
enigma. He can play remarkably well in strong fields, and play woefully in
weak ones. 2006 was easily his best year to date with 3 victories and a 10th
place in the European order of merit. He then backed up that stellar year
with a dreadful one with a T5th at the Mallorca Classic his best performance
in 07'. Nevertheless he has a T20th in Switzerland in 07' and a T12th in
06'. He also got back a little bit of form with a T19th at last week's
Johnnie Walker Championship, so I'm sensing he could be thereabouts this
week. Schwartzel has had a lengthy break since the U.S PGA Championship, so
I'm banking on a bit of rust for the South African. He is probably a touch
better player than Edfors, but he is known to rack up a score, so hopefully
he has not been training too vigorously for a first up assault.
PGA TOUR - DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER - PHIL MICKELSON
0.5 at 10.00
-0.5
Phil, Vijay, Sergio or Adam. All of the big
name players have form around this course in Boston, Massachusetts, which
makes singling out one player to have a crack at all the more difficult.
Mickelson is probably my first selection, although his driving of late is a
cause for concern. He is currently ranked 189th in driving accuracy, which
makes his recent solid performances all the more remarkable. He is the
current defending champion of this event so if he does get his driving in
order he should be the one to beat. His last 3 starts include a T4th at the
Bridgestone Invitational, a T7th at the U.S PGA Championship and a T19th at
last week’s Barclays tournament. Vijay had his turn for victory last week,
Sergio must be on the verge of a mental breakdown with his string of second
place finishes and Adam Scott has been playing woefully of late. Ok Phil it
is, start driving straight!
Singh to bt Harrington (72 H-H)
2.5 at 1.91
+2.27
Harrington openly admitted to the media that
he was as ‘flat as a pancake’ heading into The Barclays last week, hence his
poor showing. I’m not sure one week will fix those feelings for Padraig. He
missed the cut at this tournament last year and with Ryder Cup on its way,
there is enough ‘mental baggage’ to suggest he may struggle. Singh on the
other hand, looks to have found his putting mojo. Singh also has an enviable
record at this tournament with a win in Boston in 04’ thrown in with his 2
victories on tour this August. As long as Singh does not have a hangover
from last week’s heroics, he should be around the mark.
Scott to bt Els (72 H-H)
1.5 at 1.90
-1.5
These 2 players, by their standards, are in
horrific form. Els won this year’s Honda Classic, but the rest of his
results are littered with missed cuts, which is not the real Ernie.
Unfortunately for Els, his form since his knee surgery shows no real signs
of improvement. He had a T7th at this year’s British Open and a T6th at The
Players Championship, but that’s about it. Amazingly, apart from his 6 under
score for his tournament victory at the Honda Classic, his next best
tournament score this year is a 1 over. That stat right there must make Els
mind boggle. Speaking of the mind boggling, what’s doing with Adam Scott? In
his last 6 starts, his best tournament score is 5 over. Adams short putting
has always been deplorable, but now the rest of his game is out of whack.
Nevertheless, he has outstanding form at this tournament with a win in
Boston in 03’ and a T2nd in 04’ so I’m hoping and praying he has warm and
fuzzy feelings going back to Boston where he has played well previously, and
finds his A-game quick smart.
EUROPEAN TOUR - JONNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER - SOREN HANSEN
0.5 at 23.00
-0.5
Hansen has almost every box ticked for
potential success this week. He has found form with a T6th at last week’s
KLM Open, he has the motivation to maintain his current position in pecking
order for the Ryder Cup, and his only 2 starts at Glen Eagles provided a
T3rd in 07’ and a T2nd in 06.
S Hansen to bt D Clarke (72 H-H)
2.5 at 2.00
+2.5
I’m hoping Clarke comes out of the blocks a
little slow this week. He already has 2 victories this year, winning the BMW
Asian Open, as well as last week’s KLM Open, so he has already filled his
quota so to speak. This is in complete contrast to Hansen, who is yet to win
on tour this year, despite numerous close calls including a 3rd at Open De
Espana, a 3rd at Open De France, a 5th at the European Open and a T6th at
last week’s KLM Open. Just in case Hansen doesn’t get us the chocolates with
a tournament victory, we need to get a little something out of him.
Montgomerie to bt Dredge (72 H-H)
1.5 at 1.90
-1.5
I’m sticking with the hometown grump here.
Monty has had some time off since the U.S PGA Championship, probably soul
searching after some really poor form in the middle part of this year. He
has chosen his mini-comeback at one of his favourite courses, in front of
his home fans. He should be nice and fresh to play on a course that he has
had a T9th in 07’ and a T4th in 06’. Dredge on the other hand missed the cut
in last week’s KLM Open and his form this year is not his best. Dredge does
have a T2nd at this venue from 05’ but he also has a heap of missed cuts at
Glen Eagles as well, which cancels out that one off good showing.
PGA TOUR - THE BARCLAYS
WINNER
NO PLAY
Another first time course for the PGA Tour
players, this time at Ridgewood Country Club, New Jersey. With all four
majors out of the way, and the Ryder Cup drawing near, the players focus and
commitment to these finishing events can be hard to gauge. The Fed Ex Cup
has been introduced to spark the players into maintaining their focus to the
very end of the season. It will be interesting to see how some of the bigger
names fare, and whether the lure of $10 million first prize for the Fed Ex
Cup trophy minus T Woods, will lure them into high performance. Combining a
first time course with doubts on how the players are mentally preparing for
this event, I’m prepared to sit on the fence.
TOP 10 - Anthony Kim
1 at 4.00
-1
Kim’s form has tapered off a touch in his last
2 starts, but after a week’s rest and the slight possibility of jagging a
captains pick from Paul Azinger for the Ryder Cup, id suggest he would look
to make a statement at Ridgewood. He has 6 top 10’s in his last 18 events,
and is due to threaten sooner rather than later. I see this boom youngster
being entrenched in the top 5 in the world golf rankings in the next couple
of years so $4.00 with Woods missing for top 10 means we need to have a
nibble at those odds.
TOP 10 - Paul Casey
1 at 5.00
+4
Casey has had a rock solid last month or so
with his last 4 starts being a T7th at the British Open, a T8th at the
Bridgestone Invitational, T15th at the U.S PGA Championship and a T26th at
last week’s Wyndham Championship. With Casey still not locked in for a berth
in the Ryder Cup, he should be looking to show European captain Nick Faldo
that his game is on song and ready for the pressure that the Ryder Cup
provides.
EUROPEAN TOUR - KLM OPEN
WINNER
NO PLAY
The Kennemer Golf and Country Club will play
host to The KLM Open for the third time. The favourites in Justin Rose and
Henrik Stenson are without doubt the class players of the field, but with
Ryder Cup around the corner for both players, I’m a fraction wary of their
levels of intensity this week. Some players handle these things differently,
so I’m happy to kick back and watch how they go without wagering. It was
great to see both Nick Dougherty (T2nd) and Martin Kaymer (T14th) perform
well last week, with the pressure right on to sneak into the back end of
Europe’s Ryder Cup team. Both players are teeing off in The KLM Open, and I
would suggest they both won’t be too far away.
D Lynn to bt O Fischer (72 H-H)
2.5 at 1.80
+2
David Lynn has consistently performed in
Holland, tracing back to the last 6 years. His 2 performances on the
Kennemer Golf Course yielded a T12th in 07’ and a T7th in 06’. Throw in his
4 previous starts in Holland, a T9th in 05’, His maiden Victory on tour in
04’, a T18th in 03’ and a T23 in 02’ and Stevie Wonder can see his affinity
with playing in this region. Oliver Fischer is actually in decent form, with
a T8th at last week’s SAS Masters, but he has no real form lines on this
course so I’m prepared to take a chance and back Lynn’s course knowledge.
M Brier to bt A Forsyth (72 H-H)
2.5 at 1.95
-2.5
Similar to David Lynn, Markus Brier has been
unbelievably consistent over the years in Holland. His 2 performances at
this course gave him a T8th in 07’ and a T7th in 06’. The 3 years proceeding
included a T4th in 05’ and back to back T18th’s in 04’-03’. I’m assuming the
discrepancy in price is due to Forsyth’s last start T9th at the U.S PGA
Championship. That’s fair enough but before that he has had a pretty poor
few months, with a T24th at the BMW International his best performance in an
11 event stretch. With that in mind I can see Brier getting the chocolates.
TOP 25 - Simon Dyson
1 at 3.00
+2
Dyson’s form is dreadful. 4 consecutive missed
cuts, and currently sitting a lowly 78th on the European Tour Order of
Merit. Nevertheless I’m prepared to roll the dice on Dyson to show some kind
of spark on a course he has performed on in the past. He won the KLM Open in
06’ and finished T27th last year. He has had some great results in past
years with a T6th at the U.S PGA Championship in 07’ easily his best
performance in a major, so we know he can be thereabouts in a field like
this, when at his best.
PGA TOUR - WYNDAM CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER - David Toms
0.5 at 31.00
-0.5
For the second week in a row, The U.S PGA Tour
is being played on a course that virtually no current players have played
on. The Sedgefield Country Club course is reportedly one that is best suited
to players with pin-point accuracy, as water hazards come into play on 7 of
the holes. With that being said, I’ll stick with Toms. He is actually the
only player to play this course. Toms has recently been involved in golf
course designs, and was asked to take a look at recent restorations to the
course. His casual round yielded a 1 under par. Throw in his last start
T15th at the U.S PGA Championship last week, and a relatively average field,
id suggest Toms won’t be too far away.
TOP 10 - Brandt Snedeker
1 at 4.00
-1
Snedeker is slowly getting back to some decent
form, with a T24th at last week’s U.S PGA Championship. Combine that with
his other U.S major performances this year, with a T3rd at The Masters and a
T9th at the U.S Open, and he obviously handles tough conditions well. He is
the defending champion of this tournament, despite the new course, and it's
the first time he will ever defend a tournament on the PGA Tour, which
should give him a lot of excitement and motivation to play well.
TOP 10 - Ken Duke
1 at 4.00
-1
This relative new-comer to the PGA Tour is in
career best form. His form at the start of this year was diabolical missing
5 of his first 6 cuts, but his last 4 starts have included a T18th at the
John Deere Classic, a 2nd at the U.S Bank Championship, a T11th at the
Canadian Open, and a T13th at last week’s U.S PGA Championship. After a few
months of top quality golf, Duke should feel comfortable playing in a field
with no big guns around.
EUROPEAN TOUR - SAS MASTERS
WINNER - Robert Karlsson
1 at 9.00
-1
With the European Tour heading to Sweden for
the Scandinavian Masters, local favourite Robert Karlsson heads the local
contingent, in what looks like a relatively weak field. The Arlandastad Golf
Course is being played in its 2nd year, so last year’s results have a
greater input than previous performances at this tournament from other
courses. Karlsson was absent for last year’s tournament, so I'm going for
him off his stellar performances this year. His form over the last few
months in particular is white hot, with his last 6 starts being his T20th at
the U.S PGA, T20th at the Bridgestone Invitational, T7th at the British
Open, T6th at the European Open, T13th at Open De France and a T4th at the
U.S Open. Karlsson also had a runner up finish in the Scandinavian Masters
in 06' and a T3rd in 03'. If he brings his 'A' game, the others have their
work cut out.
TOP 10 - Martin Kaymer
1 at 3.30
-1
Kaymer is having his best season to date with
multiple wins on tour, at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and the BMW
International Open. In between those wins he has been a bit hit and miss and
his last 4 performances since his last victory have been ordinary, including
a missed cut at the U.S PGA Championship. I'm prepared to ignore this shaky
month of golf, due to the fact he played this course last year finishing
T2nd to Mikko Ilonen. Those happy memories, combined with Kaymer's need for
a strong performance to force his way into Europe's Ryder Cup team, should
have him motivated to perform well.
TOP 10 - Nick Dougherty
0.5 at 5.25
+2.12
\Again I'm taking a risk on a player in poor
form. Dougherty's best performance in 6 starts is a meek T53rd at Open De
France. Nevertheless, he is a class player on the European Tour, and this
field is not exactly stacked with form players. Dougherty's 07' was his
finest, with a T7th at the U.S Open, along with a win at the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championships, and more importantly, a T2nd at this course. Like
Kaymer, he also needs to impress Europe Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo to
squeeze into the European team, so he should be amped to get back to his
best.
PGA TOUR - 2008 US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
WINNER
NO PLAY
With Tiger sidelined, The U.S PGA Championship
is without doubt one of the toughest to find the winner. With this major
being played at Oakland Hills in Michigan, there is no real form line on
this course. The last time this course was played professionally was the 04'
Ryder Cup, and before that the 96' U.S Open. Current form, therefore,
probably means a little more than usual. If pushed to find the winner I'm
leaning towards Mickelson and Goosen, although Mickelson does look a
fraction short for mind. Both players are finding form at the right time
with top 5 finishes in last weeks Bridgestone Invitational, and both are
multiple major winners. Barring last weeks T36th, Anthony Kim has been the
form player on tour, and should also feel confident. He is also a multiple
winner on tour this year winning the Wachovia Championship and the AT&T
National, and is currently 5th on the money list. His last major performance
was a T7th at the British Open, so the big stage should hold no fears for
this 23 year old whiz kid.
TOP 5 – Phil Mickelson
1 at 3.25
-1
With no Tiger, Phil must feel confident in his
chances this week. His work with Butch Harmon is slowly showing some
results, although his driving accuracy is still a work in progress. If he
can find his fair share of fairways this week he should be right in the
thick of things come Sunday. He has reportedly left no stone unturned in his
preparation. Not only did he make his usual week-before visit to Oakland
Hills, strategizing and plotting his clubs for each shot, but he's been
poring over statistical data from short game guru and former NASA physicist
Dave Pelz in hopes of using the research to better his score.
TOP 10 – Retief Goosen
1 at 4.00
-1
Retief has been a shadow of his former self.
His last victory was in the 2007 Qatar Masters, which is unbelievable
considering his previous successes. Retief has finally found form more
recently with a T4th at last weeks Bridgestone Invitational, T14th at the
U.S Open, T13th at the BMW International and T6th at the BMW PGA
Championship. I think Retief is not far away from taking his world ranking
of 35 back to where it belongs, back in the top 10. A lot of his good
performances in the European Tour, have snuck under the radar, so if the
real Retief shows up this week those odds look rather attractive.
Jim Furyk to beat V Singh (72 H-H)
1.5 at 1.93
+1.4
Before last weeks victory, Vijay's form could
be described as scratchy at best. His putting has been atrocious, and his
constant changing of putters has been fruitless. He chose the belly putter
last week at the Bridgestone Invitational, and whilst his putting stats were
again quite poor (T31st) in putts per round, he still managed to get the
win. Unfortunately for Vijay, Oakland Hills is talked about as having
frightening greens with lightning fast, sloping contours, which makes him
vulnerable to some high scores. Looking back at his last 6 months, Vijay
seems to play well on the easier courses, but struggles on the testing
layouts. He missed the cut at the British Open, T65th at the U.S Open and
missed the cut at The Players Championship. With a brutal golfing
examination ahead, I fear Vijay could find these greens quite ghastly. Furyk
on the other hand, thrives on brutal conditions. Furyk is not in his
greatest form either, but you can feel safe in the knowledge he has the
superior short game, and that is usually paramount on these testing greens.
M-A Jimenez to beat J Rose (72 H-H)
1.5 at 1.85
-1.5
The wily Jiminez is currently sitting 2nd on
the European Tour's order of merit. His form is without question superior to
that of Rose who has taken a step back from his lofty form of 07'. Excluding
a missed cut at the British Open due to a horror second round 82, Miguel
finished last weeks Bridgestone Invitational T10th, in July had a T3rd at
the Barclays Scottish Open and in June had a T6th at the U.S Open behind
Tiger Woods. He also won the BMW PGA Championship in May. In contrast,
Rose's last 4 starts read T27th at Bridgestone, T70th British Open, T19th
Travelers Championship and a missed cut at the U.S Open. Rose has looked
down on confidence since his T3rd at Memorial in June, and considering his
immense talent, we need to cash in now before he's back to his best.
-1
+7.5
PREMIER
LEAGUE 09
