Scottish Open Betting Preview
Posted on July 9, 2013 Leave a Comment
English: Golfer Ernie Els walks up the fairway at the 2008 U.S. Open (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In his last tune-up before defending his Open Championship title, Ernie Els heads up the field as the European Tour heads to Castle Stuart for the 2013 Scottish Open.
2013 Scottish Open Fact Sheet
- Course: Castle Stuart Golf Links
- Location: Inverness, Scotland
- Yardage: 7,193 yards, par 72
- Defending Champion: Jeev Milkha Singh
- Five Consensus Favourites: Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson, Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey and Thomas Bjorn
TV Schedule:
- Thursday – 6:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Friday – 6:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Saturday – 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Sunday – 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
Key Storyline This Week
Phil Mickelson has made a point of playing the week before majors for a long time now, and for him, there’s no better preparation for the Open Championship than coming over to Scotland to get a feel for similar type grounds. He’s played the Scottish Open for the last three years, and well, it hasn’t gone great for him in either this event or the Open Championship, but hey, it sounds good in theory. He’s coming off of another cut at the Greenbrier, but had two runner-up finishes prior to that, so you’d have to think that he feels like he’s in good form. Other than that, Els is looking to continue his good form that saw him finish fourth at the U.S. Open, and win his last start in Germany. This will be his last event prior to the Open Championship, where he’s not only defending champion, but also the last man to take the title at Muirfield.
Castle Stuart Golf Links
Castle Stuart is a gorgeous course with great scenery all throughout, but there are conflicting opinions on the quality of the track itself. Some people look at it as being too easy, with winning scores getting to 19 and 17 under par in the two years that the course has been used, while others are mesmerized by the landscapes and views that the course provides. It is a links golf course, and much like Mickelson, many players feel that it gives them a good bit of practice before heading to the Open Championship, and the tournament will gladly point out that both Darren Clarke and Ernie Els played here the week before their Open wins, but I’m not sure how much that really mattered considering neither of them were close to the lead at any point of the tournament in those years.
Since being built by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse in 2009, Castle Stuart has appeared inside the Top 100 courses in the world list done every year by Golf Magazine, ranking as high as number 56. What makes it an intriguing design in general are two distinct features that you don’t usually see in North America: rumple and natural bunkers. Rumple is basically another word for uneven, and their rumpled fairways are certainly something to behold. They provide players with tons of different lies all over the course and will challenge them to use every facet of their game to succeed. The natural bunkers are interesting too, as they are typically placed in spots where you’d prefer to be in one of them than be somewhere else. Usually bunkers are seen as hazards, and they still kinda are here, but they’re not as penal as usual and in most cases, actually help the players out as opposed to hurting them.
When the course was being built, a documentary was made about the process. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, I’ve embedded the video below.
Castle Stuart Ethos – Full Version from Castle Stuart Golf on Vimeo.
Thoughts On The Favourites
- Ernie Els: We talked about Els a little at the top, and he really is in fine form and he should be rested after taking a few weeks off, but I don’t think he’s going to be overly focused on the tournament this week with his title defense happening next week. He’s going to be preparing for what he thinks will help him win at Muirfield, which is fine, but doesn’t do much for his chances this week. In two previous appearances at Castle Stuart, he’s finished T25 and T52.
- Henrik Stenson: Stenson’s been close to winning a few times this season on both the European and PGA Tour, and his T8 last year shows that he’s got a good enough track record at the relatively new course. He’s probably the best player in the field from tee-to-green, but the putter usually causes him some trouble.
- Phil Mickelson: Mickelson is making his first trip overseas of 2013, and he showed last year that much like everywhere else, he has the ability to go low at Castle Stuart. The problem is that his second and third rounds of 64 and 65 were book-ended by rounds of 73 and 74. For a player of his talent, it’s difficult to imagine that he’s only been under par in four of his seven rounds at Castle Stuart.
- Paul Casey: It’s amazing what a win will do for a guy, as Casey’s first win in over two years has officially put him back on the radar of those who bet on golf. I couldn’t tell you the last time Casey was considered a favourite, and to be honest, he probably shouldn’t be. I don’t think his victory was a fluke by any means, but it’s pretty difficult to believe that he’ll win again so soon. His missed cut here last year doesn’t provide much inspiration either, even though that admittedly came when he was recovering from injury.
- Thomas Bjorn: Bjorn is on a great run, with five consecutive top-20 finishes, so he has to be considered a threat this week, especially when you consider the tough greens at Castle Stuart and how good of a putter Bjorn is. His track record isn’t great though, missing both cuts here in the last two years.
Suggested Plays
Phil Mickelson (Best Odds 21-1 at BETDAQ)
We talked about Mickelson already, and I’ll tell you this: he’s either in the thick of it on Sunday this week, or he misses the cut. I’m taking a chance on him on the basis that the low scores are out there for him, and he’s playing well despite the missed cut at the Greenbrier. It’s also not often that you can get someone of his skill level at 21-1 in a field that isn’t exactly long on high-end talent.
Shane Lowry (Best Odds 35-1 at Unibet)
Lowry’s played well here in the past, finishing inside the top-15 in both appearances at Castle Stuart, and he’s coming off of two good tournaments in Germany and Ireland, with the Irish Open yielding a top-5 finish. He’s been on record as saying that he likes links golf, which makes sense considering the way he usually plays on them.
Richard Sterne (Best Odds 35-1 at Spreadex)
He’s never played at Castle Stuart before, but he’s coming off of a runner-up finish to Graeme McDowell last week in France and his record indicates that like most golfers, he usually goes through hot and cold runs. After his last runner-up in Dubai, he did go on to win the following week in South Africa, which I’m well aware doesn’t mean that he’s going to do the same thing here, but it is a good omen for him this week.
Stephen Gallacher (Best Odds 66-1 at Paddy Power)
Gallacher is one of many Scottish born players in the field this week, and he actually already got some good news. With John Daly pulling out of the Open Championship next week due to elbow surgery, Gallacher is already in the third major of the year. On one hand, that might mean he has less to play for this week, but his track record in his home country is worth taking a chance on. He tied for 24th here last year, and has eleven top-25 finishes in Scotland since 2008.
Soren Kjeldsen (Best Odds 70-1 at Betfair)
Kjeldsen has been trending upwards for the last few weeks, ending with a solid T8 last week in France and his T5 at Castle Stuart last year shows that on some level, he enjoys the course. He’s a tremendously short hitter from the tee, but when everything else is going well, like it has been for the last couple of weeks, he’s a threat.
Robert Rock (Best Odds 142-1 at BETDAQ)
Yes, he missed the cut last week in France, but he was the runner-up two weeks ago in Ireland, so I’m hoping that there’s still some form left over here. Fired a 65 and 66 in his last two rounds here in 2011. You can do a lot worse than him at 142-1.
Golf GIF Roundup: July 8th
Posted on July 8, 2013 1 Comment
Graeme McDowell says hello.
There weren’t a whole lot of GIFable moments this week in the golf world, mostly because the Greenbrier on the PGA Tour was about as boring as humanly possible. Still though, we’ve got some stuff to take a look at from Graeme McDowell’s win in France, and Jonas Blixt’s triumph in West Virginia.
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Jonas Blixt wins the Greenbrier
Posted on July 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
Image courtesy Golf365
Jonas Blixt overcame a four-shot deficit on a rain-filled Sunday at the Old White TPC to claim the 2013 Greenbrier Classic.
What Happened
Play was delayed on Sunday for three hours, with the last pairing of Johnson Wagner and Jimmy Walker not getting a chance to tee off before the rain halted play. Wagner held a two-shot lead over Walker when the two went to the back-nine, but three bogeys on the back side by Wagner opened the door for others, including Steven Bowditch, Matt Jones and Blixt. A birdie on 16 by Blixt put him two shots clear of the final group, and that’s where he would stay, winning by two shots for his first win of 2013.
Final Leaderboard
- 1. Jonas Blixt -13
- T2. Steven Bowditch -11
- T2. Matt Jones -11
- T2. Johnson Wagner -11
- T2. Jimmy Walker -11
What The Win Means For Blixt
In his post-tournament interview with David Feherty, Blixt was extremely emotional, talking about how it’s been a tough year for him performance wise and how he was happy that he was going to be able to go home and see his family. We talk a lot about players like Tiger Woods and Graeme McDowell, who won today in France, but wins like this for Blixt, much like for Ted Potter Jr last year, are huge difference makers in their careers.
Yes, he won the Frys.com Open last year in the Fall Series, but this is slightly bigger for him. The win gets him into the Masters for the first time, he’ll be off to the Open Championship in two weeks at Muirfield, and the win should get him enough FedEx Cup points to get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Not to mention the just over $1 million in prize money isn’t too bad for him either.
Weather Delays and Broadcasts
As mentioned above, inclement weather delayed action today for about three hours, which if you’ve been following the PGA Tour this season, you know that this has become a prominent theme all year. To go along with that, the PGA Tour has in most cases decided to risk it and not move up the schedule or go off of split tees, mostly in an attempt to keep the TV schedule in place for a regular Sunday 3-6 PM ET slot on either CBS or NBC. The problem with that is when tournaments get delayed like they did today, you end up potentially having a Monday finish, which puts the players in a really tough spot, especially those who have Monday qualifiers or other commitments to get to.
Apparently Greenbrier owner and tournament chairman Jim Justice may have stepped in and demanded that they stick to the schedule, even after the PGA Tour suggested moving up the times due to the threat of bad weather. If that’s the case, it seems kind of ridiculous that the PGA Tour would be forced to do something that they didn’t want to do, especially when this isn’t exactly the Masters or even a non-major that most players take seriously. The quality of the field, despite what CBS will try and push on you, was pretty awful, with Louis Oosthuizen being the only name within a sniff of the lead that had any kind of professional pedigree. You don’t want to piss off the tournament organizers, but nobody wins when events end up going this way, especially the players and the PGA Tour.
Tom Watson
Tom Watson is 63 years old, and by all logical thinking, he should not be making cuts anymore on the PGA Tour. He’s supposed to be a novelty item these days, a guy that CBS shows a couple of times on the broadcast just because of his name value, but this week he showed that every now and then, he can still compete. He finished tied for 38th after a final round of 3-under par 67, and as Tony Jacklin said on Sky Sports this morning, he really is the game’s best example at the moment of a living legend. He’s going to be playing at the Open Championship at Muirfield in a few weeks, and will also be heading to Oak Hill for the PGA, in preparation for his Ryder Cup captaincy next year.
Other Notes
- Notables to miss the cut: Chris DiMarco, Sean O’Hair, Ryo Ishikawa, Scott Piercy, Charles Howell III, Brian Gay, Lucas Glover, Phil Mickelson, Ricky Barnes, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, Boo Weekley, Kyle Stanley, Bud Cauley and Jesper Parnevik.
- Notable finishes: Ted Potter Jr (T6), Davis Love III (T9), Louis Oosthuizen (T17), K.J. Choi, Scott Stallings, Nick Watney and Jordan Spieth (T23), John Senden, Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel, Graham DeLaet, Russell Henley (T30), Michael Kim (T38), Kenny Perry and Webb Simpson (T41).
- Two WD’s this week: Peter Hanson pulled out during the rain delay on Sunday, which prompted some to suggest that he was doing it because he didn’t want to come back on Monday, but he also pulled out on Saturday from the John Deere, so something’s definitely up with him. He’s still hoping to play at Muirfield in a couple of weeks. John Daly was the other WD with an elbow injury, and he tweeted after the round that he was going in for surgery and it’ll keep him out of action for the next 3-4 months. That means no Open or PGA for Daly, who is still exempt for those two majors based on his wins at Crooked Stick (1991 PGA) and St. Andrews (1995 Open).
- Your latest example of golf making no sense: Coming into this tournament, Johnson Wagner had seven starts on the PGA Tour in 2013. His results? Six missed cuts and a WD.
- I’m sure that CBS was thrilled to have their broadcast crew working and commentating on a Golf Channel/NBC production.
- Three (reported) appearance fees paid by Justice to Phil Mickelson have led to three missed cuts by Lefty. Not exactly getting the most out of your investment there.
McDowell gets third win of 2013 in France
Posted on July 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
English: Graeme McDowell at the The Heritage Pro-Am in Hilton Head, SC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Graeme McDowell’s final round 67 at the Alstom Open de France was more than enough as the rest of the field crumbled in front of him.
What Happened
McDowell entered the final round paired with South Africa’s Richard Sterne, tied at the top at 5-under par. McDowell started hot, birdieing the first hole, and was two-under par on the front nine, while Sterne birdied three holes to take a one shot lead as they headed to the back nine. Sterne just couldn’t keep up the hot play, with bogeys on 12, 16, and 17, and after making his second birdie on the back nine at the par-4 17th, McDowell gave himself a four-shot lead heading to the iconic 18th at Le Golf National. It was all over at that point, and McDowell had his third victory of the season.
Final Leaderboard
- 1. Graeme McDowell -9
- 2. Richard Sterne -5
- T3. Eduardo de la Riva -4
- T3. Graeme Storm -4
- 5. Simon Dyson -3
What The Win Means For McDowell
After winning the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour earlier this year, his first stroke play win in almost three years, and picking up the Volvo Match Play, McDowell now has more wins worldwide than anyone not named Tiger Woods in 2013. No offense to whoever comes out on top this week in West Virginia, but this tournament with this field on this course means a lot more than winning the Greenbrier, which right now has very few players at the top of the leaderboard with more wins than me.
For McDowell, he’ll jump higher in the Official World Golf Rankings, and even though he was already thought of this way in the first place, he’ll be one of the favourites heading into the Open Championship in a couple of weeks at Muirfield.
Other Notes
- Notables to miss the cut: Chris Wood, Thongchai Jaidee, Edoardo Molinari, David Lynn, Raphael Jacquelin, Robert Rock, Alex Noren, Alvaro Quiros, Peter Uihlein, Thorbjorn Olesen, Marcel Siem, Paul McGinley, Gregory Havret, Thomas Levet, Jose Maria Olazabal and Pablo Larrazabal.
- Notable finishes: Jamie Donaldson (T6), Thomas Bjorn (T8), Martin Kaymer (T13), Francesco Molinari (T18), Matteo Manassero and Ian Poulter (T25), Rafa Cabrera Bello (T29), Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (T38), Luke Donald (T42), Matt Kuchar (T49), Miguel Angel Jimenez (58).
- Olesen has now missed the cut in each of his last six stroke play events.
- Le Golf National is going to be a tremendous host for the Ryder Cup in 2018.
Alstom Open de France Betting Preview
Posted on July 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
The gorgeous Le Golf National in Paris will host the European Tour and many Ryder Cup stars this week for the Alstom Open de France.
2013 Alstom Open de France Fact Sheet
- Course: Le Golf National
- Location: Paris, France
- Yardage: 7,347 yards, par 71
- Defending Champion: Marcel Siem
- Five Consensus Favourites: Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, Matteo Manassero and Ian Poulter
TV Schedule:
- Thursday – 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Friday – 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Saturday – 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Sunday – 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
Key Storyline This Week
There isn’t a whole lot to talk about in terms of storyline this week, with the exception being that we’re in the run-up to the Open Championship in a couple of weeks, and the European Tour is contesting their national opens. As you can see from the five favourites listed above, the field is strong this week, at least at the top end, and there’s definitely more star power in France than there is in West Virginia for the PGA Tour’s stop at the Greenbrier. There’s a ton of history associated with this event, which started in 1906, making it the oldest national open contested in Europe. That certainly helps the appeal for the players, but the main reason why the event garners a lot of interest is the course.
Le Golf National
Le Golf National is a stunning layout, and one of the best used on any tour, even if the average golf fan knows little about it. Hubert Chesneau took three years to build the stadium design, which can comfortably house at least 70,000 fans daily. Since opening in 1991, the course has played host to France’s national open in all but two years, and will be used for the 2018 Ryder Cup in five years time. Narrow fairways, thick rough and tons of water are present on the layout, with many thinking that it is the toughest course in all of France, which is usually reflected in the winning score. The course record is 62, set by Eduardo Romero and matched by Martin Kaymer just a few years ago, but the winning score hasn’t been lower than 15-under par in the last decade. The final four holes, their own Amen Corner if you will, are truly a sight and will likely be the determining factor in the outcome on Sunday. The video embedded below takes a look at the course, and why it’s so beloved by the players who set foot on the layout each year.
Thoughts On The Favourites
- Martin Kaymer: Not only does Kaymer have the course record here with a 62, his track record suggests that he’s a really big fan of the place. Four top-10 finishes here including his win in 2009, but he did finish near the bottom of the board last year with a tie for 70th.
- Luke Donald: Donald has only been here once in his career, finishing tied for 11th back in 2010. It’s been a weird year for Donald, who prides himself on his consistency both in his performance and his results. His 8th place finish at the U.S. Open a few weeks ago was only his third top-10 of the year. At this point, I’m not sure what to make of his chance this week.
- Matt Kuchar: I make a point of not usually picking players who haven’t seen a course before, and that’s the issue with Kuchar here this week, who is heading to Le Golf National for the first time in his career. He’s been in good form, so obviously you can’t be surprised if he comes away with the win, but at the prices I’m seeing, it’s not worth it at the moment.
- Matteo Manassero: In his three appearances at the course, Manassero hasn’t had any dreadful results, with his tie for 30th in 2011 being his worst finish. He also hasn’t had anything great either, never finishing better than 17th, mostly because he’s had one bad round be the cause of his demise in all three appearances.
- Ian Poulter: It’s hard to believe, but Poulter is making his 11th appearance at Le Golf National this week, and he’s had good success here, never missing a cut with four top-10 finishes, but it’s hard to put much faith in him based on his current performance. His lone top-10 finish this year worldwide was his first event of the year at Kapalua back in January, so I’ll be staying away. Knowing him though, this will be the week he breaks out and confuses everyone.
Suggested Plays
Martin Kaymer (Best Odds 14-1 at bet365)
I usually don’t recommend taking the favourite in the field simply because golf is way too unpredictable to go down that route, but Kaymer’s track record is too good to ignore, plus his 70th place finish last year came at a time when his game was in complete disarray. He’s finished inside the top-5 in two of his last four events, including his last start at the BMW International Open. He’s starting to look better on the course each week, and I think it’s likely that he gets his first win since November of 2011 this week in France.
Matteo Manassero (Best Odds 28-1 at Coral)
I think the price on Manassero is a little high at the moment, especially when you consider his recent run of form which has seen him place inside the top-25 in three of his last four events, with the exception of the U.S. Open. Remember, the putter always keeps him in an event, and if he can avoid the big number that we talked about already, he should have a good chance to get his second win in little over a month.
Francesco Molinari (Best Odds 28-1 at Sky Bet)
Molinari’s up and down season is cause for concern, but his pair of runner-up finishes here in the past makes him an intriguing play. His inconsistent play is pretty standard for him, but considering he’s had a couple of down weeks, he should be ready to contend again, and there might not be a better place for that with his track record here.
Alexander Noren (Best Odds 35-1 at 888 Sport)
Back-to-back 4th place finishes has Noren on my radar again, as his putter seems to be back in working order. He’s one of the more consistent players on the European Tour, and even though his track record at Le Golf National isn’t great, he did post his best finish here last year with a 15th, so he might be getting used to the layout. In his seventh appearance this year, I like his chances.
Thorbjorn Olesen (Best Odds 55-1 at bet365)
Since finishing 6th at the Masters back in April, Olesen has missed his last five stroke play cuts, which explains why you can get him at 55-1. I’m not sure how much of this can be blamed on his car crash from a few months ago, or if he’s just on a run of bad form, which happens frequently for players at his age. Considering his talent level and the fact that he was a runner-up here two years ago, I’ll take my chances on him at this kind of a number.
Alvaro Quiros (Best Odds 92-1 at BETDAQ)
Taking Quiros here solely on his fifth place finish last week at the Irish Open. Before having wrist surgery late last year, he was thought to be a breakout star based on tremendous length from the tee and a pretty decent short game. It’s been a struggle for him in his comeback, but last week could be an indicator that a good run of form is on the horizon.
The Greenbrier Betting Preview
Posted on July 2, 2013 1 Comment
Having taken a few weeks off from his most recent U.S. Open collapse, Phil Mickelson makes his third consecutive appearance at The Old White TPC for the 2013 Greenbrier Classic.
2013 Greenbrier Fact Sheet
- Course: The Old White TPC
- Location: White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
- Yardage: 7,274 yards, par 70
- Defending Champion: Ted Potter Jr.
- Five Consensus Favourites: Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson, Bubba Watson, Bill Haas and Graham DeLaet
TV Schedule:
- Thursday – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Friday – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
- Saturday – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET (Golf Channel) & 3:00 PM ET to 6:00 PM ET (CBS)
- Sunday – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET (Golf Channel) & 3:00 PM ET to 6:00 PM ET (CBS)
Key Storyline This Week
It was a big deal last year when Jim Justice, tournament chairman and owner of the Greenbrier, reportedly paid $2.5 million in apperance fees for Tiger Woods ($1.5 million) and Mickelson ($1 million). Technically, this isn’t allowed on the PGA Tour, which has led to situations where the European Tour, which does allow appearance fees, to get bigger names to appear at their events. Justice did it under the table and got burned when his two marquee attractions both missed the cut. Now, we don’t know if Mickelson got the appearance fee again to show up, but he is the focus regardless this week because without Woods in the field this year, he is the headliner. The PGA Tour really wants to see him contend this week, or frankly, any of the five guys above because the last thing they want is a repeat of last year when Ted Potter Jr. defeated Troy Kelly in a playoff.
The Old White TPC
The Old White is one of the newer courses on the PGA Tour schedule, but it isn’t a new track, having been designed 100 years ago by the legendary C.B. MacDonald. There isn’t much to the course, with massive fairways that are pretty easy to hit, but the greens can be a nuisance, making up for the lack of difficulty from the tees. Stuart Appleby famously won the inaugural Greenbrier Classic back in 2010 with a final round 59, becoming only the fifth player in PGA Tour history to record the number, so low scores are definitely out there if you can find the fairway. The course is a bit of an oddity in that both par-5’s appear on the back nine, and the finale is a relatively short par-3, playing to a maximum of 175 yards. Always hate the ending of a course on a par-3.
Thoughts On The Favourites
- Phil Mickelson: Lefty’s last four tournaments include two runner-ups, a third and a missed cut, which is pretty common for him when you look back at his career, and I’m a little surprised that he hasn’t had more success on the course considering how open it is. He’s picked up a pair of missed cuts in his two appearances, never breaking par in his four rounds played.
- Bubba Watson: Is Bubba ready to break out from his season long funk? His fourth place finish at the Travelers a couple of weeks ago was the first top-10 he’s posted in six months, and he probably should have won the tournament if it wasn’t for a miscommunication with his caddie on the last few holes. It’s his first appearance on the course though, so always keep that in mind when considering a bet.
- Webb Simpson: Much like Watson, Simpson finished well at the Travelers, but it’s been an inconsistent season for him, as he’s followed up good finishes with bad ones all year. Still though, he’s coming to a place of comfort at the Greenbrier, with two top-10’s in three tries.
- Bill Haas: Picking a player to finish well the week after a win is always a risky proposition, and that’s what we’re looking at right now with Haas. He was solid all week at Congressional, finishing with a final round 66 that was probably his best round of the year. He was the runner-up here two years ago, losing to Scott Stallings in a playoff, but I’ll be looking elsewhere this week.
- Graham DeLaet: I’ve been saying for weeks that DeLaet was going to win a tournament this year, and he’s been really close for the last month or so. With the streak he’s been on, he’ll be part of my suggested plays.
Suggested Plays
Graham DeLaet (Best Odds 29-1 at BETDAQ)
As mentioned above, DeLaet is close to breaking through, and the oddsmakers are realizing this, listing him inside the top-5 for a tournament on the PGA Tour for the first time in his career. His big issue is still the putter, but until he gets off of this hot streak (five consecutive top-25’s, with three top-10’s), he needs to be considered a threat. Finished tied for 12th here last year in his second time at the Greenbrier.
Jordan Spieth (Best Odds 40-1 at bet365)
The 19-year old Spieth is making waves on the PGA Tour faster than expected, putting himself in a position to win going into a weekend for the second time in the last month at Congressional. His third round 74 derailed those chances, but his game is in a good place right now. With a lesser quality field, his talent makes him a steal at 40-1, and it’s definitely possible that he follows the trend of players winning their first PGA Tour events at the Greenbrier.
Brendon de Jonge (Best Odds 55-1 at 888 Sport)
de Jonge’s trademark consistency has been absent this year, with just three top-10 finishes in 22 events this season, and none coming since the Heritage over two months ago. He didn’t have the best finish here last year, but he does have a solo third and a T-4 in his first two trips, so an each-way bet at these numbers seems like a solid play.
Jimmy Walker (Best Odds 61-1 at Betfair)
Walker’s run has cooled significantly since the start of the season, but when he’s going well, he’s got the exact game that wins here. His lack of accuracy isn’t as painful here since the fairways are so wide, and he drives the ball as far as anyone, plus he’s a good putter. It probably explains why he’s finished tied for fourth here twice.
Peter Hanson (Best Odds 66-1 at BETDAQ)
Hanson only has one top-10 in stroke play events on the PGA Tour this year, which is incredibly shocking to me given his skill set. I’m taking the Spieth approach here and finding some value with an immensely talented individual, the only difference being that Hanson is one of the best putters in the world. First appearance at the course is happening this week, but I’m not too concerned about that. I think he grabs that second top-10 this week, and maybe more.
David Hearn (Best Odds 94-1 at Betfair)
Hearn has a pair of top-20’s in his two appearances at the Greenbrier, and he’s had a decent run of form in the last few weeks. He doesn’t hit the ball a ton, but he’s usually solid with fairways and greens. I like him as my dartboard pick this week.
Golf GIF Roundup: July 1st
Posted on July 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
Pablo Larrazabal fights the rain in Ireland.
It wasn’t the best week for big name players, as many either missed the cut (McIlroy, McDowell, Mahan), couldn’t contend (Scott, Day, Watney), or just couldn’t play due to injury (Woods), but a couple of name-brand players were able to come away victorious on both the PGA and European Tours, including one who desperately needed to get back in the winner’s circle. Here are the best moments of the week in the Golf GIF Roundup.
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Bill Haas gets fifth PGA Tour win at Congressional
Posted on June 30, 2013 Leave a Comment
Bill Haas (Photo credit: Keith Allison)
Bill Haas was able to outlast the field and the weather on Sunday at Congressional, posting a final round 66 to get to 12-under par and win the AT&T National by three shots over Roberto Castro.
What Happened
Due to the threat of nasty weather again in a final round, the PGA Tour decided to move up tee times on Sunday, causing Golf Channel and CBS to show tape delayed coverage of the final day. Haas was part of three-way tie for the lead going into Sunday, as he was paired with James Driscoll and Roberto Castro, and outside of a bogey on the par-4 5th, Haas was far and away the best player of the three. D.H. Lee, he of the middle finger throwing on Saturday, was the only player on Sunday who posted a lower number on Sunday. After a birdie on the par-5 16th, Haas had a three shot lead on Castro with two to play, and it was all over at that point. Haas picks up his fifth career PGA Tour win, and the first since last February at the Northern Trust Open.
Final Leaderboard
- 1. Bill Haas -12
- 2. Roberto Castro -9
- T3. D.H. Lee -8
- T3. Jason Kokrak -8
- 5. Stewart Cink -7
What The Win Means For Haas
With the win, it gives Haas at least one victory in each of the last four seasons, which puts him in some impressive company, as he joins Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose as the only players to do that on the PGA Tour since 2010. The next step will be for him to contend regularly in major championships, which is an area that he has struggled with to this point in his career. His best finish in 15 career major championships was a tie for 11th last year at the PGA Championship, so it’s really about him taking the next step in his development as a PGA Tour player. He’s made it pretty clear that he isn’t going to be disappearing from the PGA Tour anytime soon, but he’s quickly climbing that list of best players in the world without a major championship victory.
The PGA Tour Doesn’t Know What Year It Is
It’s the year 2013, and unless you were watching an illegal stream like I was this morning and afternoon, there was no way to watch the event live. I understand there are logistical roadblocks with both Golf Channel and CBS wanting some piece of the action, but at some point, the PGA Tour needs to realize that the only people that are losing out when weather gets in the way like this are the people who actually want to watch their product. Granted, with players like Haas, Driscoll and Castro at the top of the leaderboard this week, it seems like a moot point, but keep in mind that this would have happened even if it was Tiger and Rory battling in the final group. For a sport and league that struggles to maintain relevancy these days, the PGA Tour should be working a little harder and smarter to get their content out to the people who want to see it.
Other Notes
- Notables to miss the cut: Aaron Baddeley, Marc Leishman, Freddie Jacobson, K.J. Choi, Ryo Ishikawa, Hunter Mahan, Ben Crane, Sang-moon Bae, Ben Curtis, Scott Stallings, Charles Howell III, Seung-yul Noh, Bo Van Pelt
- Other notable finishes: Jordan Spieth (6th), Graham DeLaet and Brandt Snedeker (T8), Angel Cabrera (T13), Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Nicolas Colsaerts (T21), Russell Henley, Vijay Singh, Ryan Palmer and Harris English (T34), Jim Furyk (T44), Ken Duke (T52), Adam Scott (T57), Nick Watney and Billy Horschel (T61).
- WD’s this week: Justin Hicks (back), Vaughn Taylor (back), Davis Love III (hip), Charlie Beljan (elbow) and Rory Sabbatini (back).
Paul Casey finally gets another win
Posted on June 30, 2013 Leave a Comment
English: Paul Casey winner of the PGA Championship at Wentworth (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Paul Casey fired a final round 67 at Carton House to get his first win in two and a half years at the 2013 Irish Open.
What Happened
Joost Luiten and Pablo Larrazabal entered Sunday’s round in the final group, with Luiten one shot ahead of Larrazabal at 13-under par. Both players struggled with 1-over par 37’s on the front nine, while Casey was able to birdie the 8th and 9th to get to 11-under par and only one behind the lead of Luiten, who was also joined by recent European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal. Olazabal, who hasn’t won a tournament since 2005, had strung together three birdies on the front nine and picked up another one at 10, before bogeying the next two and falling out of contention. Casey’s hot run continued through the difficult stretch on the first few holes of the back nine, playing 10-13 in three under par, but bogeys would come on 15 and 16, while playing partner Robert Rock joined the fray at 11-under par. Casey had a one-shot lead as they approached the par-5 18th, where he would make an eagle to get to 14-under par and pick up the win.
Final Leaderboard
- 1. Paul Casey -14
- T2. Robert Rock -11
- T2. Joost Luiten -11
- T2. Pablo Larrazabal -11
What The Win Means For Casey
We talked last week about Ken Duke being a journeyman and how his win at the Travelers was a big deal because it gave him job security for the next few years, and while Casey wasn’t in that dire of a situation, he wasn’t that far off. Casey’s last win came in January of 2011 at the Volvo Golf Champions, and since then he’s dealt with a myriad of injuries and inconsistent play. I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that if Casey continued to have poor performances, that not only would his exemptions run out, there’s a good chance that Nike would have dropped him from their athlete roster. It’s amazing to me that we’re talking about Casey in these terms considering his talent level, and where he was in the golf world just a couple of years ago. He got to number three in the Official World Golf Ranking in May of 2009 after winning the BMW PGA and stayed inside the top ten until June of 2011. Coming into this week, he had fallen to 169th in the world, his lowest rank since August of 2001.
There were signs of improvement towards the end of last year and into 2013, with six consecutive top-25 finishes from October to January, and he did finish tied for 8th in China last month, but this is obviously the best sign that he could be close to getting it all back again. For a player who was thought to be one of the most consistent players in the world, his fall from grace was very unexpected, but it appears that Paul Casey is back on the radar as a player to watch in 2013.
Rory McIlroy misses the cut
Another week goes by where the golf media is predicting doom and gloom for Rory McIlroy. McIlroy picked up his second MC of the year and everyone is lining up and attempting to figure out what’s wrong with the Northern Irishman. I probably keep sounding like a broken record, but the golf world would probably be a lot better off if the expectation wasn’t that this guy was going to be the next Tiger Woods. He’s an exceedingly talented player who seems to battle with consistency issues. If he turns out to be more Mickelson and less Woods, I’d say he’s had a hell of a career, but obviously some people don’t see it that way, preferring to take him down as many pegs as they can. One thing to keep in mind everyone: he’s 24 years old. Not everyone figures it all out right away.
Other Notes
- Notables to miss the cut: Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Scott Jamieson and Darren Clarke.
- Notable finishes: Olazabal, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Shane Lowry and Alvaro Quiros (T5), Jamie Donaldson (T10), Thomas Bjorn (T18), Ross Fisher (T22), Francesco Molinari and Peter Uihlein (T32), and Paul Lawrie (T47).
- Always great to see Olazabal near the top of the leaderboard, but had to think that it was all going to come to an end at some point. His short game can keep him in it, but the putter looked a little leaky towards the end on Sunday.
- Thought it was interesting that Colin Montgomerie chose to play on the Champions Tour this week instead of at Carton House. Considering that he designed the course, you’d think he’d want to make an appearance.
VIDEO: Rory versus the Robot
Posted on June 27, 2013 Leave a Comment
Rory McIlroy (Photo credit: Ed (supergolfdude))
The European Tour is known for producing some high quality, viral video, but there latest one tops them all. It features Rory McIlroy taking on a robot, who needles him about everything from Tiger Woods to his new Nike contract while they try to hit golf balls into washing machines. It’s definitely worth your time, so check it out below.
AdamSarson.com 