Byron Nelson Championship on the PGA Tour
This week’s action comes from TPC Four Seasons, no not the
hotel, the golf course. It’s a tree lined course and being in Texas there’s
sure to be a stiff breeze about over the weekend. There are a few notable holes to
look out for, no more so than the 524 yard Par 4 3rd hole, beast!
My first selection this week is my old buddy Adam Scott. As
much as he is not having the year I expected or wanted him to have he’s posted
a few good scores and hopefully will get a win soon and kick on for the rest of
the season. Scott has had three Top 15
finishes in his last three starts on the PGA Tour which includes an 8th at
the Masters (ante post pick) and 15th at the Players last week.
Stats wise he is back to the Scott of two years ago, plenty of GIR (ranked 5th
on tour) but not enough putts holed (Ranked 140th in strokes gained
through putting). Last year he appeared to have his putting woes sorted with
the broom handled putter, hence my prediction in January for a good year for
the Aussie, but the putts have dried up again, either that or I put the scud on
him, probably the latter.
Adam Scott eyeing down an approach shot
My second selection is another Aussie, Jason Day. A bit like
Scott he isn’t setting the tour alight this year but has the talent to put a
missed cut behind him from last week at the Players and post a few good numbers
at a course he clearly loves. TPC Sawgrass is a course that just doesn’t suit
some player’s eye, like McIlroy it doesn’t seem to suit Days. So I am putting a
line through last week and concentrating more on the T-9 at the Wells Fargo
Championship the week before. With only two appearances at the Byron Nelson; he
was 5th last year and won the tourney in 2010. When looking at his
stats and seeing that he is ranked 176th in Driving Accuracy this
season it doesn’t exactly fill with me confidence when the course is predominantly
tree lined but let’s hope he gets the good vibes on the go at TPC Four Seasons
and gets back to the form of last year which saw him contending in the majors.
Another selection this week stateside will be for the old
Texas Master Justin Leonard to post a Top 20 finish. He’s clearly not the force
he once was, but he can still throw in a couple of low rounds, especially
around this track. He jointly holds the course record with a 61 and has a few
other low 60’s to his name down the years. I couldn’t possibly put any money on
him to win the tourney outright as he has been having a tough year, to say the
least. However when you consider some of the numbers he can shoot round here
the 125/1 on offer for him to be First Round Leader is worth a quid of anyone’s
money.
My Selections:
Adam Scott @ 14/1 each way with Ladbrokes
Jason Day @ 20/1 each way with Paddy Power
Justin Leonard @ 125/1 First Round Leader with BetFred
Justin Leonard @ 5/1 Top 20 finish with Paddy Power
Volvo World Match Play Championship on the European Tour
With the Match Play being in Spain it gives potential Ryder
Cup-er’s a chance to show the gaffer (Jose Maria Olazabel) what they can offer
his team for September at Medinah. I think sticking to the market principals is
the logical way to find the winner here this week.
This tourney is like no other in the way the format of the
match play works. It’s a round robin with eight groups of three players who
will play against each other on Thursday and Friday. The Top 2 from the three
will then progress to the last 16 on Saturday and then the quarters. Both the
Semi’s and the Final are played on Sunday.
My first selection is the defending champ Ian Poulter. I
also had him tipped up last week and didn’t really want to be tipping the same
golfer two weeks in a row but I genuinely feel he has a great chance to defend
the title successfully for the first time since Ernie Els completed a hatrick
in 2004. Poults got off to a great start for me last week when leading after
the first round but he then threw in a couple of poor rounds to finish down the
field. He isn’t quiet when it comes to his chances and seems very bullish and
excited to play some match play in among a touch run of stroke play events.
My second selection is Graeme Mc Dowell. GMAC is a different
player when it comes to match play and like Poults will be buzzing to tee it up
on Thursday. He hasn’t really got going this year and this could be the sort
of tourney to get his season up and running with plenty of Ryder Cup points on
offer.
Like any Match Play there are sure to be a few
upsets but I’d be surprised if one of the outsiders won this week. The event is
sure to be dominated by the players that will more than likely represent Europe
in the Ryder Cup in September.
My Selections:
Ian Poulter @ 10/1 Outright with BetFred
Graeme McDowell @ 14/1 Outright with SkyBet
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