Tag: Golf

Strong Field for AT & T at Pebble Beach

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The field for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, this week’s PGA Tour stop will be thanking their lucky stars that Hideke Matsuyama isn’t lining up alongside them. The red-hot Japanese pro won again in Phoenix last week to underline his credentials as the form player on Tour. His absence gives the host of big names a chance to claim some silverware and valuable FedEx Cup points, but it won’t be easy given the quality of golfers on display.

Take a look at the players in the field to watch and our tip for the winner in this week’s PGA Tour preview of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am:

The Course

The Pro Am features a slightly unusual format with a third round cut line. Each player plays Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course, before those who progress enjoy the splendid Pebble beach for a second time.

The course is one of immaculate beauty. It’s ranked the number one public course in the US because of its spectacular views of the coastline, cliffs and ocean. Pebble Beach has hosted the US Open on multiple occasions and is best known for its tiny greens.

While none of the courses play long, they will provide an ample challenge in conditions where the ball won’t carry as far. Keep in mind, that with less carry, longer hitters might prevail, doubly so for those with great short games too as it will be impossible to maintain a high GIR percentage this week.

The Defending Champion

Vaughn Taylor shocked everyone last year by recording his first win in 11 years; defeating third-round leader Phil Mickelson, a guy that plays unbelievably well at Pebble Beach. Taylor posted a final round 65 before watching Phil miss a very makable five-footer for birdie on the last. At one stage Taylor was six shots off Mickelson’s lead.

Two Swedes’, Jones Blixt and Freddie Jacobson finished 3rd and 4th respectively to close out last year’s top four.

The Contenders*

Phil Mickelson $23

Four-time winner of the tournament and one that has featured (rightly so) in a number of our contender lists over the last month. Runner-up last year (as above) and in decent form – definitely worth considering.

Jason Day $13

A little bit of doubt surrounds his body as he looks to bounce back from a missed cut at Torrey Pines in his last start. Hopefully, his poor last outing can be put down to Tiger’s presence/funk and he brings the game that has seen him record three top 10s here in the past.

Justin Rose $15

Rose was tied 6th here last year and has been hanging around the leaderboard in his two starts this year (2nd in Hawaii and 4th in the Farmers Insurance Open. A great look if his back is healthy.

Dustin Johnson $9

Also looking to bounce back after playing with Tiger a fortnight ago. Johnson has a curious record in the AT&T; two wins and another four top 10s scattered amongst 3 missed cuts. A course that will certainly suit his length.

Jordan Spieth $10

Quietly putting together a nice start to the season ahead of April’s trip to Augusta. Spieth has had four top tens in his last four events and has never missed a cut here.

Jon Rahm $23

The young Spaniard continues to play a full calendar despite enjoying a breakthrough win only a couple of weeks ago. Rahm hasn’t played in the tournament before, but if he can close out a tournament with a 60ft eagle putt he can pretty much do anything.

If nothing takes your fancy above, consider Patrick Reed ($29), J.B. Holmes ($41) or J.J Spaun ($67) as the next best options.

*Odds from Sportsbet.

The Winner

Phil’s form and history will likely lead to the left-hander being the favourite in most circles. For that reason, we’ll include him here with a strong feeling that Spaun could do something great too.

Spieth Faces Scott Challenge in Australian Open

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The Triple Crown is a big deal in Australian golf. A trio of tournaments so difficult to win individually, and nigh on impossible to own all at the same time. The first leg is the Australian Open. Hosted this year by the Royal Sydney Golf Club.

Take a look at our preview of the course, the contenders and the odds below:

The Course

Royal Sydney Golf Club – The Championship Course at Royal Sydney is a traditional golf course without tricks or gimmicks. Heavily bunkering and undulating fairways make it a tricky prospect, especially in strong winds. The set-up favours ball strikers, where fairways and greens are the order of the day. The course doesn’t play overly long, as evidenced by past wins from Tim Clark and John Senden, but the greens will make up for the length and provide an appropriate challenge (having in 2003 undergone an extensive rebuilding phase).

The Defending Champion

Last year, Matt Jones snuck into the clubhouse ahead of the fast finishing Adam Scott and heavily backed favourite Jordan Spieth. Spieth was defending his 2014 title and was poised to go back-to-back before a disappointing even-par final round curtailed his chances. Jones will not defend his title, opting to concentrate on his PGA Tour commitments at the RSM Classic. Jones has actually shown some nice form in the States this year – a tie for 15th at the Shriners giving him much needed early FedEx Cup points – so it’s a shame he won’t defend here.

The Contenders*

Jordan Spieth $4 – The winner of the Australian Open in 2014, and along with the man below, one of the overwhelming favourites for this year’s tournament. Despite a minor lull in his output ever since the Masters meltdown, Spieth is still an unbelievably good golfer and one of the best mid-range putters in the game. He’s a certainty to be near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday even though he hasn’t played since the Ryder Cup.

Adam Scott $4.5 – The best ball striker in the business is expected to do well on a course well suited to pure ball strikers. A winner here in 2009, just down the road at the NSW Golf Club and runner-up last year. Scott performed well on the PGA Tour in 2015, putting together a season that featured: two wins, two seconds and a fourth place finish in the FedEx Cup. The odds on a Scott win look very attractive.

John Senden $23 – Sendo’s been grinding for the past few years, but should still be competitive back on home soil. A previous winner of the tournament – Royal Sydney in 2006 – Senden’s strengths include a creative short game and an accurate long game. While on paper that sounds ideal this week, there are question marks over his ability to close out a tournament, given he hasn’t competed in tournaments for some time.

Geoff Ogilvy $26 – The evergreen Ogilvy is possibly the nicest man in golf. Humble, intelligent and spiritual too. Having enjoyed success the world over, including major titles, Ogilvy still has the drive to succeed. Matching that drive is a game that’s holding up to the younger generation too; Ogilvy finished tied for 4th at the recent Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. A former champion, Ogilvy is a good chance this week.

Cameron Smith $26 – The young Australian has made an excellent start to the 2016/17 PGA Tour season. After four events, he’s ranked 37th in the FedEx Cup, with a scoring average of 70.

Curtis Luck $41 – An outsider, but one with real promise. The US Amateur Champion and recent Eisenhower Trophy winner with the Australian team makes his Australian Open debut at Royal Sydney.

Adam Blyth $67 – The Queenslander won the recent NSW Open despite a horrible stumble midway through his round that featured six dropped shots in six holes. If form is an indication as to success in Sydney, Blyth’s an attractive prospect.

*Odds from Bet365

The Winner

There’s a lot of talent in the list above, and we didn’t even get to recent PGA Tour winner Rod Pampling. Picking one is like choosing what to watch on Netflix – far too hard to narrow. However, we like Adam Scott. The course suits him, and he’ll have fond memories of his 62 (achieved in 2014).

European Tour: BMW PGA Championship Preview

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The European Tour’s biggest event (on English soil) gets underway this week on the prestigious and famed Wentworth West Course.  The BMW PGA Championship always attracts a quality field and 2015 is no different.  Plenty of Race to Dubai points on offer, plenty of money, and plenty of peer adulation if players can get a win here.  Especially with Rory in the field.

The Course

Opened in 1926, the Harry Colt designed Wentworth West Course is a 7302 yard, par 73 classic. Set in healthy woodland it is one of the most beautiful natural settings of a golf course, mixing pine; oak and birch to create an attractive and tricky course in all seasons.

Despite being modernised by Ernie Eels in 2005 and 2012 the course has give up two course record 62s in recent times.  Robert Karlsson achieved the feat in the 3rd round of the BMW PGA Championship in 2010, and Thomas Bjorn went equally low in the first round last year.

The Sound Bites

“I practiced a lot in February and March, just to prepare for the Masters, and I probably did a little too much” – A novel excuse from Martin Kaymer to explain his disappointing recent form.

“This would be very special for me to add this one – call it a bucket-list tournament. Outside of the Major Championships, I can’t think of a tournament I’d like to win more than this one” – Justin Rose is putting a wee bit of pressure on himself to win this week.

The Defending Champion

Rory McIlroy stunned the field last year with a final round 66 to win by a single stroke from friend Shane Lowry.  Rory’s 14-under par total was particularly surprising not because of his standing in world golf, but because of his emotional standing after splitting from finance Caroline Wozniaki just days before the tournament.

McIlroy removed any doubts with his final round comeback win, in easily his best performance on the Wentworth West course.

The Contenders*

Rory McIlroy – Hasn’t finished outside the top ten in any Race to Dubai qualifying events this year.  Won last week with a devastating performance at Quail Hollow.  Oh, and he’s the defending champion – $4.00

Justin Rose – Enjoys a solid ranking in the Race to Dubai (currently 3rd) on the back of his tie for 2nd in the Masters.  Consistent ball striker who minimises mistakes and learns golf courses quicker than most.  Almost always in contention – $9.00

Martin Kaymer – 24th in Race to Dubai.  Two top fives in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi HSBS Golf Championship on the European Tour this season.  A little shaky of late bit could come good –   $26.00

Jaime Donaldson – Only 49th in Race to Dubai but tied for 8th in his last start at The Players Championship.  The big Welshman could surprise – $26.00

Brooks Koepka – Koepka’s an interesting case.  Very few Americans split their schedule between the tours but a measure of his determination to improve his game sees him regularly compete in Europe to increase his exposure to new courses and conditions.  He’s 39th in Race to Dubai on the back of a win in the Turkish Airlines Open in November, which he then backed up with a win on American soil at the Waste Management Phoenix Open – $51.00

*Odds taken from Betstar

The Winner

It seems foolish to tip against Rory, but he hasn’t always played this course well and is due a week off from the winners circle.   We haven’t included him in our contenders but we like the look of Danny Willet and Brooks Koepka.

European Tour Golf: Open de España Preview

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The European Tour is the often overlooked cousin of the lucrative PGA Tour.  However, the Tour still boasts some quality players and a lucrative race for honours of its own.  The Race to Dubai is the FedEx Cup equivalent, and although currently being led by world number one, Rory McIlroy, has a number of quality players with a realistic chance of taking it out.

This week’s tournament has a million Race to Dubai points on offer (like every tournament), with a handy 1,666,600 for the winner (seriously who came up with this point system).

Check out our preview of the Open de España.

The Course

The Real Club Golf el Prat is affectionately known as “El Prat”.  However, unlike the juvenile arragonace behind its nickname, the course is actually refreshing beautiful / honest.  El Prat is a Greg Norman design – his first in continental Europe – and brilliantly combines landscape with playability.  The course is open to the public throughout the year and is a favourite of travelling hackers.  Just check TripAdvisor for some of the reviews from the tourists that have stopped by the Real Club Golf el Prat course.  Of note, is the 470-yard par four 16th, which offers plenty of challenges to the players.  The length is the obvious one, but the green is also guarded by water on the right.  Expect most players to gladly accept four here and move on.

The course plays par 72.  7326 yards.  The greens are likely to pose the biggest threat to low scores.

The Sound Bites

“The greens are certainly the toughest part of this golf course. They’re very tricky, which adds to the importance of putting your approaches on the right part of the greens.” – Hometown hero Pablo Larrazábal spoke to European Tour reporters about the difficulty of the greens.

“I played a lot of great golf – I didn’t putt particularly great until Sunday, but even like that I still had a great chance of winning which is very positive.” – Sergio commenting on his Players Championship performance and his chances here.

The Defending Champion

Cigar puffing fan favourite Miguel Angel Jiménez took the honours last year, delivering the home fans a Spanish winner for the first time since 2010.  With the win Jiménez sealed his first national open win (at the 27th time of trying) and became the first player over 50 to win on the European Tour.  The win came the hard way, defeating Richard Green and Thomas Pieters in a play-off at the PGA Catalunya Resort.

He’s paying $41.00 to defend his title this week.

The Contenders*

Sergio Garcia – The best player in the field is also in some handy form after tying for second last week at Sawgrass.  Garcia was an excellent chance to win last week before Rickie Fowler forced a playoff and beat him and Kevin Kisner in four holes.  Garcia has won five times in Spain making him a great bet this week – $6.00

Victor Dubisson – Most people loved Dubisson’s story of dropping out of school at 12 years of age to become a golfing superstar.  However, the golfing stardom has eluded him in 2015.  After a missed cut at the Masters and failing to make it past the qualifications round in the matchplay it’s a wonder he’s even on this list.  But with a weakfish field we expect the Frenchman to Frenchman to be one of the contenders – $26.00.

Tommy Fleetwood – Currently sitting 11th in the Race to Dubai, and enters the tournament on the back of making the quarterfinals of the WGC Matchplay event in San Francisco recently.  Playing with Nicolas Colsaerts and Jiménez is also sure to motivate him – $26.00.

Richie Ramsay –  The Scotsman sits 26th in the Race to Dubai, but his recent form indicates he could move even higher.  Ramsay was a winner only weeks ago at the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco and looks attractive money at these odds – $31.00

Thorbjørn Olesen – Led last week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open pretty much the whole tournament before losing in a playoff to George Coetzee.  Seems to be hitting the ball a lot better after a troublesome wrist injury – $34.00

*Open de España odds available at Sportsbet.

The Winner

Smart money is on Sergio.  For a little outsider flirt try Pablo Larrazábal ($29).

PGA Tour: Valero Texas Open Preview

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Just two stops to go on the Texas Swing before the world stopping Masters at Augusta, therefore just two more opportunities for those who haven’t qualified already to do so.  Marc Warren and Harris English are two players on the bubble who will be worth a watch this week as they attempt to break into the Top 50.

Additionally, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker and Dustin Johnson head a field featuring 13 of the world’s top 30 ranked golfers.  Plenty of reasons to watch live golf and flick through our Valero Texas Open Preview below:

The Course

The unlikely pair of Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia got together to design the TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks) course situated in Texas Hill Country, and crafted a 7,435 yards, par 72 test of driving ability.  Narrow fairways, deep bunkers and unplayable vegetation areas make the course incredibly challenging (Kevin Na once made a 16 on the 9th), and that looks set to continue during the 2015 edition.

Plenty of locals get the chance to play on familiar surrounds.  Ryan Palmer, Jimmy Walker and Jordan Spieth are all born and bred nearby and should be factors in home soil.

The Sound Bites

“This week off does also have the benefit of allowing me to stay up late and watch South Africa in the Cricket World Cup tonight, taking place in New Zealand. Not everyone will understand the allure of cricket but those who do will understand how exciting this game will be” – Ernie Eels talks about an event we’ve featured heavily on Betcirca.

“Given how I’ve been playing, I guess if you go on form, then probably no” – Rory McIlroy gave a frank assessment of his Masters chances.  In 10 rounds over three tournaments in the US in 2015, he’s only had one sub-70 score.

The Defending Champion

Unheralded Australian Steven Bowditch was the benefactor of a difficult scoring week last year when he hoisted the Valero Texas Open trophy.  Opening rounds of 69-67-68 were enough to atone for a disappointing closing 76; Bowditch winning by a solitary shot with the worst final round in a win since 2004.  Will MacKenzie and Daniel Summerhays were tied for second.

The Contenders*

Jordan Spieth – $9.00

Dustin Johnson – $11.00

Matt Kuchar – $23.00

Ryan Palmer– $31.00

Harris English – $41.00

Charley Hoffman – $51.00

*Valero Texas Open odds available at Sportsbet.

The Winner

Spieth has five top-10 finishes (including two wins) in his last seven events and he ranks first in putts per round, he’s so tough to look past; Palmer has six top 25s this season and is an excellent driver of the ball which is key around TPC San Antonio; Hoffman has made all six of his cuts here with a worst result of T13; Johnson was in sublime form before a two week break winning the WGC Cadillac and recording two other top 5’s; Kuch makes the grade after tying for 4th here last year.  Even with Spieths pull we’re going Harris English – he’s just outside automatic Masters qualification at 52nd in the World Golf Rankings so we’re tipping him to make a play for the top 50 and win in Texas.

Golf: Northern Trust Open Preview

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A bunker in the middle of the green!  Courses are getting pretty freaky to contend with technology these days – although the 6th at Riviera has been around since 1927.  The 6th is one of the many challenges at Riviera, along with tight fairways and steep catchment areas on the wrong side of greens, that will stop players going Pebble Beach low at the Northern Trust Open this week.

Let’s look at the tournament in more detail:

The Course

“Hogan’s Alley”, or the Riviera Country Club as it’s more widely known is a 7,349 yard par 71 course just out of Los Angeles.  Nicknamed after Ben Hogan after he won three times in an 18 month span, the course is home to the unusual site of a bunker nestled in the middle of the green on the par 3 6th.  It’s also home to very drivable number 10th hole.  A par 4 that is sure to see some birdies at this weeks Northern Trust Open.

The Sound Bites

“I’m just so excited about what’s next,” – Brandt Snedeker said after winning at Pebble Beach.  Many are predicting big things for Sneds after the impressive win.  He’s at $23.00 to go back to back.

“Right now it doesn’t matter what I shoot, doesn’t matter if I win the tournament this week or if I lose it with a three-putt, whatever it is. It’s fun. I’m playing golf for a living. It’s fun. And my kids, my wife are more important” – Bubba Watson doesn’t see any pressure coming in as defending champion.

The Defending Champion

Bubba Watson provided one of the best close outs in recent times last year when he shot 64-64 over the weekend to win by two.  The quirky left hander came from four back with a blistering finish that showed off his creative short game and unflappable steel down the stretch.  It broke a torrid drought without a win and set him up on his way to Masters glory.  Dustin Johnson finished second.

The Contenders*

Jimmy Walker – $17.00

Bubba Watson – $13.00

Sergio Garcia – $31.00

Jordan Spieth – $13.00

Dustin Johnson – $13.00

Charlie Beljan – $81.00

Nick Watney – $31.00

*AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am odds courtesy of Bet365 Australia.

The Winner

We’ve gone with the regular guys again this week but also added a couple of well placed smokeys.  Dustin Johnson looks to be shaking off the rust and finding some decent from, and buoyed by last years finish here might do okay.  But we like the look of Beljan; third last week and a good record at Riviera, and Watney; coming into some nice form and having got a good view of Snedeker’s finish last week.  We like Watney.