Fuyrk is the Trump card
So I didn't have a bet last week at the Honda Classic, and I’m
glad I didn’t. I would have been on McIlroy and would have gone to work even
more depressed than usual on Monday. It's hard to believe he hasn't won a couple
of stroke play events this year, but he's got to be pleased with the way this
season has started. The problem is, we all assume when he gets the lead, he'll
kick for home and no one will catch him; like he's done a few times in the
past. But half way from home last week he was cantering all over the top of the
chasing pack only to find wanting down the stretch. To be honest, I thought he
was hard done by a little with the plugged lie in the bunker on Sunday (yes he
shouldn't of hit it there blah blah blah) and from the coverage I saw he didn't
really hole his fair share of putts either.
I actually didn't see the end of golf on Sunday and only got to
see McIlroy’s 5 wood into 18 on Monday night. All I'm saying is; Tiger would of
holed that, fist pumped across the green, high five'd Feherty and ploughed his
way through every second girl on his way to Doral. Rory didn't, but that
ruthlessness will come in spades soon. Before I finish my rant on last week I
need to give a shout out to Ben Coley of Bettingzone fame (@BenColeyGolf) who
tipped up Russell Henley at 300/1 in his article. That's how you get some
points on the board folks! Well done, Ben.
On to this week and with all the new changes at Doral it's
expected course form won't be a big a factor as usual. Well that's what I'm
telling myself anyway so I don't have to look through past results. Lazy. To be
honest I've two picks and I was backing one regardless of course form and the
other because the price jumped out at me when I went onto Oddschecker. The
course itself has been changed massively with seemingly the only untouched hole
being the infamous 18th. New bunkers, sand capped fairways (for drainage) and
new trees. From what I've read the course itself is more wide open, but fairway
bunkers have been added (e.g. landing area on 1st fairway) and the greens have
been made bigger with more thought required with approaches; wrong tiers and
you're scrambling for your par. The green at the Par 3 15th has been tripled in
size and is now surrounded by water on three sides.
My first pick is Jim Furyk. I
can never seem to get this fella right and he's cost me a few times, but his
price this week is what attracts me. He's only teed it up a few times this
season but has bettered his finish with every event and I think is on the
upward curve going into an event where he has had success at in the past. I
know a few people think that Jim's nerves have gone a little and he can't
finish events off, but I'm not so sure. He did shoot a 59 last year! He knows
how to plot himself around a golf course and although it's a lot more open this
year his approaches to the flags is what will serve him well this week on these
much bigger greens. He had Top 3 finishes here a few years ago ('08, '09) and
it will be interesting to look back at the result on Sunday and see how the
players with the previous course form faired.
My second pick this week is Rickie Fowler. I can't help but like the kid, I know
he looks a bit like the wee fella out of High School Musical (I've heard, I've
never seen it) and his outfits make Poulter's look bland, but he has talent.
The Yanks were screaming and shouting about him when he was younger, playing in
Walker Cups etc but he's never really fulfilled his potential on the pro ranks,
yet. He took a while to get his first win, and when he won the Wells Fargo in a
play off (which included McIlroy) I thought that would be the start. But he
went off the boil and other than a fight back in the Sunday singles at the
Ryder Cup I don't remember him doing much else. He's now with Butch Harmon and
all the vibes appear to be good; he seems to be attacking the course again. A
third place finish in the WGC Match Play was the first real sign that he had
found his form again and after watching that I fancied he could go well at a
course like this. I like his iron play and with similar approaches to the ones
faced at Dove Mountain, I think this could be the event that he can throw his
hat into the Ryder Cup ring.
My Selections:
Rickie Fowler each way at 66/1
with WillHill (1 pt each way- 5 places)
Jim Furyk each way at 60/1
with Paddy Power (1 pt each way – 5 places
Be Lucky!
