Category: Golf

Thomas Aims to Join Golf’s Elite in Hawaii

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With a win in Hawaii last week Justin Thomas made it crystal clear he intends to start being included in the most important golf conversations with Spieth, Day, McIlroy and Johnson. The former college teammate of Jordan Spieth picked up his fourth professional win in the elite field event, and in the process compounded Hideki Matsuyama to just his second loss in four months (also to Thomas).

It’s only a matter of time before Thomas joins the echelon, and it could be sooner rather than later if he can pick up another Hawaiian win this week.

The Course

Waialae Country Club in Hawaii is nicely positioned between a spectacular mountain range on the north and the vast Pacific Ocean on the south. Built in 1920, it’s a spectacular combination of scenery and strategic golf. The golf course has improved out of sight over the last few years – coinciding with the PGA Tour setting up the Sony Open here in 1999. The course now tests PGA Tour players with sharply tailored greens and protected fairways, while television viewers are simply treated to exquisite sunset views.

The Defending Champion

Fabian Gomez won for the second time on the PGA TOUR here in 2016. The Argentine started the final round four shots adrift but closed strongly with seven straight birdies midway through his final round. His 20-under total of 260 was too good for nearest challengers Brandt Snedeker and Zac Blair. Bookies aren’t giving him much chance to repeat, though. He’s at $81 to go back to back.

The Contenders*

Justin Thomas $13

Fresh off a win last week, Thomas is the form golfer in the world right now (along with Hideki Matsuyama. Thomas is the only player to beat Matsuyama over the last four months). His win last week could be the start of something incredible as he looks to challenge the other names at the top of world golf more regularly. Two wins and a fourth from his last four starts. Should go close.

Hideki Matsuyama $8

Last six starts have been four wins and two seconds. The guy is in serious form. And despite having a less than stellar record at Waialae, his imported putting should still see him feature on the leaderboard come Sunday.

Jordan Spieth $7

The tournament favourite based on a strong history in Hawaii and some promising form last week. Spieth’s final round last week was the best in the field and showed his game is heading in the right direction. If he can eliminate the mistakes (he had triples and doubles last week) he’ll be tricky to beat even though he missed the cut at his last start here.

Jimmy Walker $21

Two-time winner here and last week’s first round leader. Walker won by nine here in 2015 and followed it up with a top 15 last year. Seriously comfortable on Hawaiian courses as evidenced by his 66 scoring average. Consider.

Paul Casey $21

Hasn’t played a bunch of late, but before a summer off had four consecutive top 4s. Casey opened last year’s event with a 62, which remains his career lowest round on the PGA Tour. It will be interesting to see if he’s still got the belief from last year’s incredible effort.

*Odds from Sportsbet.

The Winner

Thomas looks sensible money for an outright market or for a finish inside the top 5/10. Outside of the contenders above Gary Woodland is good money at $36. Those two are where I’d be looking.

2016 PGA Tour Winners Meet To Find Champion of Champions

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Golf in 2017 is an exciting prospect. With the likes of Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy all beginning to embrace the rivalry amongst each other, and the return of Tiger Woods to a full season of play, golf fans have lots to look forward to.

The first taste of golf in 2017 is the Tournament of Champions, open to winners from last year’s PGA Tour season. The elitist nature of the tournament means we’re in for a highly competitive field and top-notch golf. Let’s take a look at the course and the players that are likely to be there or thereabouts on Sunday.

The Course

The Plantation course at Kapalua is the number one ranked course in Hawaii. Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore it plays 7,411 yards and is a par 73 layout. Big fairways and big greens make for easy tee to green statistics, but undulating greens may make up for it. The course features massive changes in elevation offering plenty of downhill tee shots; tailor made for the big hitting pros.

The Defending Champion

Jordan Spieth was a comfortable winner last year over Patrick Reed (2nd), Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka (T3). It was, at a time when Spieth was winning everything though (Majors, Hero World Challenge) so it came as no surprise. Spieth’s 30-under total showed just how manageable the Kapalua course is if the wind doesn’t blow. Spieth’s at $6.50 to go back-to-back.

The Contenders*

Bubba Watson $17

The two-time Masters champion has now won on the PGA Tour at least once in six of the last seven seasons after winning the Northern Trust Open. Desperately hard to predict but on his day an absolute showman that is tough to beat. Though, can his day last for four.

Dustin Johnson $6.50

2016 was the year of the DJ. He took out his first major, the U.S. Open at Oakmont and had two other high-profile wins, the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and the BMW Championship during the FedExCup Playoffs. Those three victories and 15 top 10s in 22 starts earned him Player of the Year honours for the first time. He should hit the ground running like he never left. Massive chance.

Jason Day $7.50

Australian Jason Day will make his 2016-17 PGA TOUR season debut at the SBS Tournament of Champions after being sidelined in the fall while rehabilitating a back injury. He’s never finished outside the top 10 here, but the injury is a major worry.

Hideki Matsuyama $6

Matsuyama leads the FedExCup standings on the strength of a second place finish at the CIMB Classic and a win at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. He also won the HERO World Challenge just to further underpin his potential to win here. Seriously consider for the win or each way.

Patrick Reed $12

Reed won this event in 2015 and finished second here last year so if you use course form as your guide, he’s as good a tip as you’ll find. Caution though could be exercised on his recent form – a pretty poor showing at the HERO World Challenge.

Brandt Snedeker $21

2012 FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker qualified to play in his fifth SBS Tournament of Champions with a brilliant final round at the Farmers Insurance Open, which saw some of the worst weather – and worst scoring – of the year. Performed well here last year – as he does in almost every single tournament he plays in.

*Odds from Bet365

The Winner

A strong field is always tricky to predict, so we’ll bank on course history and recent form to suggest Reed or Matsuyama will prevail in Hawaii.

Scott the Overwhelming PGA Favourite Despite Being “Just Average”

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Tournament number two in Australia’s prestigious Triple Crown is upon us this week and hosted on the Gold Coast again for the fourth straight year.

Let’s take a look at the course, the contenders and the odds for the Australian PGA Championship starting Thursday:

The Course

RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast is home to tight fairways, undulating greens and immaculately manicured swales. 27 holes mean the course can be played in three different ways, with all of them having its own distinctive challenges. It will play longish at 6,690 metres, with six par 4s that measure more than 400 metres, four par 5s that are over 500 metres long, and a 201-metre par 3. And will be covered in bunkers (which won’t be new to those that played on the Melbourne sandbelt).

The Defending Champion

Nathan Holman defied the odds to win last year. In doing so, he secured a European Tour card but really struggled to find his footing in the competitive tour. His recent form doesn’t bode that well for a successful defence. In fact, he withdrew from the recent Nedbank Golf Challenge with a bad back. Holman’s at $51 to go back to back.

The Contenders*

Adam Scott $4.50 – The World number 7 is the obvious drawcard for the second premier event of the Australian season, and the clear favourite with the bookies to take out the lion’s share of the $1.5 million purse. Scott’s in okay form; he described himself as “just average” recently. A T14th at the Australian Open was followed up with some decent golf with Marc Leishman in the World Cup of Gold teams format tournament.

Ian Poulter $34 – The Englishman is probably better known for his Twitter exploits than his golf game these days, but could still surprise in a relatively lean field. Once the European’s team clutch man on the greens during Ryder Cups, Poulter has been without a win since 2012.

Marc Leishman $15 – The other half of Australia’s World Cup team, Leishman hits the ball long and could really light up the Royal Ones lay out if at his best. However, he’s probably not near it at the moment and probably has one eye on a break. The PGA will be his last tournament before a long break.

Cameron Smith $15 – The young Australian lost the Australian Open in a playoff to Jordan Spieth. He rocketed into contention with a final round 66. At the same time illustrating the type of form that’s seen him compete regularly in the States in 2016. He’ll contend again here this week and looks at nice odds.

Harold Varner III $34 – Varner’s a little powerhouse. Relatively small but hits it a mile. The Ohio-born 26-year-old hasn’t enjoyed the best of starts in 2016/17 but enjoyed three top tens last season on the PGA Tour. One thing is a certainty, though; he’ll thrive with the boisterous Aussie crowds.

Danny Lee $23 – New Zealand’s number one golfer is making his Australian PGA Championship debut this week. The PGA Tour winner and current world number 58 is backing up after combining with Ryan Fox to finish T11 in the IPSA Hands World Cup of Golf last week. He looks a good prospect because of a previous win in Australia in the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic, achieved as an amateur.

Ryan Fox $23 – The Kiwi’s built more like a rugby player than a golfer – it’s likely due to his genes (his dad Grant played for the All Blacks for a long time). But, he’s still got an incredible touch around the greens and could really challenge here after a good few weeks in Australia. He’ll be better for his experience in the final groups challenging for the Stonehaven and by being surrounded by the quality golfers at the World Cup.

*Odds from Sportsbet.

The Winner

Although I labelled the group above, “contenders” I don’t actually think many of them will challenge for the title. Some of them are just famous names in the field, who are likely to struggle. I like Lee and Smith.

Tiger Returns to Competitive Golf With Question Marks Over Mind

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Tiger Woods’s withdraw from the Safeway Open and the Turkish Open were curious decisions, if not unsurprising. Unsurprising, because we’ve got used to Tiger missing golf tournaments over the last four years, but curious because Tiger pulled out because of doubts over the mental aspect of his game.

He admitted he was healthy. He admitted his game (read mind) wasn’t.

He was worried he couldn’t be competitive over four rounds of golf. Most assumed the mental doubts were chipping related after former coach Hank Haney commented that he had witnesses reporting he was flubbing most chips in practice.

Whatever the cause, Woods’s admission was new territory. Woods never gave an inch. He exerted his dominance over every other player and instilled fear in anyone unlucky enough to get him in a Sunday battle down the stretch.

But now, with his own belief waning, and players no longer fearful, Tiger’s prospect is entirely different. Tiger’s teeing it up in his own tournament, the Hero World Challenge. The media aren’t waiting for him to do something superlative. They’re waiting for mistakes. Every putt, every chip will be analysed like never before. Any mistake will be jumped on, and with it will come an article writing off his chances of catching Jack Nicklaus’s major record.

Tiger last played in the tournament here in 2014 opening with a 77, and ultimately settling for a tie in last place at even par. Tiger did close with a nice 69, but his appearance will be remembered for all of the fluffed chips that are still popular on YouTube.

How he goes this year will be riveting. Sportsbet has him at $34 to win, the longest odds in the field.

Here’s my take on the tournament and the contenders.

The Course

Albany’s 18-hole links style championship golf course was designed by Ernie Els. It boasts exquisite links and desert features with windswept dunes and a handful of tactically positioned water features. The par-72 course plays 7,400-yards and has a course record of 63, shot by Bubba Watson. A score of around 25-under is probably needed again to win it.

The Defending Champion

Bubba Watson held off Patrick Reed to win by three strokes last year. His 263 total was one worse than Jordan Spieth’s tournament record achieved the year before. Bubba hasn’t played for some time, so might be short of a gallop, but he’s plenty long enough to tame Albany again.

The Contenders*

This is awfully tricky given the quality of the invitation-only 18-man field, but here goes:

Dustin Johnson $6 – The player who was unbeatable at the end of last year is the favourite in the Bahamas. Three wins last year, including the US Open, prove Johnson was at his enigmatic best. His drive-wedge-missed putt formula has turnaround recently as the putts started to drop. He’s a massive threat for the field.

Jordan Spieth $7 – Coming off a win in Australia and playing at a course he’s won at before, Spieth is rightfully liked by the bookies. His win in Australia was professional rather than dominant – he sprayed his driver everywhere but was still good enough to win. You can never discount someone that putts as well as he does from 20 feet.

Hideki Matsuyama $9 – Three wins in his last four events(not including the World Cup) Matsuyama is the hottest player on the planet. So good with an iron in his hand, if he can make putts he will push the tournament record on the Albany course. Still played pretty nicely last week in tying for 6th with partner Ryo Ishikawa.

*Odds from Sportsbet.

The Winner

I’m picking Spieth to win, but if you’re looking for other betting options, get on Reed and Fowler to finish within the top 4. The two have been consistent in the event and will be there or thereabouts this week 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).

Amazing Grace to Land the Big Money Prize

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THE European Tour comes to an end this week with the big money DP World Tour Championships from the stunning Jumeirah Golf Resort, Dubai.

The market is headed by the man who has the best record in this event, and that is the defending champion Rory McIlroy who is as short at 3.25 favourite to win his third Dubai title.

McIlory has a fantastic record at Jumeirah winning twice in the last four years, and making the top five on every occasion in that period.

The former World number one looks certain to be in the shake-up, but odds of just 3.25 in such a stellar field like this really aren’t the kind of prices that excite me.

Henrik Stenson and Danny Willett will be having their own private battle to see who finishes top of the European money lists, and of the two, The Open champion Stenson is the more likely winner.

The Swede won here in both 2013 and 2014, and with top-seven finishes in the last three years, he will be a popular choice at the general 7.00.

Willett finished fourth here last year, but despite an encouraging 11th finish last week at the Nedbank, the US Masters champion hasn’t been in the best form since winning the green jacket in April, and 46.0 odds reflect his chances of success this week.

BRANDEN GRACE looks my idea of the winner at a very tempting 23.0 with BoyleSports.

The South African is the man for the “big occasion” always playing well at the big money events, and they don’t come much bigger than in Dubai this week.

Last year the 28-year-old finished in a share of third place, which was his third top 10 finish in Dubai in the last four visits, and he arrives this time around in in good form.

At the Nedbank last week Grace finished in third place, and with a fourth finish in the last major of the season at the US PGA Championships, he looks very capable of mounting a serious title challenge this week.

For each-way backers, VICTOR DUBUISSON is worth a couple of pounds each-way at the general 51.0.

Last week at the Nedbank, the likable Frenchman bounced back to form finishing in third place along with the South African playing some fantastic golf in a final round 66, and he should be full of confidence arriving at a venue where he always plays well.

In 2014 Dubuisson was runner-up to Stenson, and in 2013 he finished in third position behind the Swede again, and in good form and at a venue he loves playing, that could be a winning combination this week.