Scottish Open. The biggest golf event to be held in the ‘home of golf’ but sadly played on a US style course, nothing like next weeks links course. The fairways are wide and the winner will be the player who can best attack the pins with his second shot, so players with good GIR stats have to be considered. It also appears that course form is important with many players repeating the good performances of previous years. 1 point e/w Tim Clark outright @ 20/1 with Ladbrokes. lost 0.5 point Clark has a great course record 3/24/5/1 and his 4th place finish last week will have set him up nicely for the defence of his title. He doesn’t win often but if he going to do it this year, Loch Lomond would be the most likely place as he hits over 70% of GIR and is averaging less than 1.73 putts per hole. He is not a big hitter but at just over 7100 yards, this is not a long course by modern standards. 5 points David Howell to beat Sergio Garcia @ 10/11 with SportingOdds. lost 5 points Howell is now ranked just 1 place behind Garcia in the world rankings and it is only a matter of time before he overtakes the struggling Spaniard. Garcia is playing this event for the first time since 2001 and the fact that he is now struggling to keep his place on the Ryder Cup team is probably the main reason. He injured his back the week before the US Open and aggravated at Wined Foot. He than withdrew from the Booze Allen to seek treatment, so there are still fitness doubts and if this was not the week before The Open Championship, I have to wonder would he be playing? Garcia’s putting is horrible and his great iron play is not nearly as good as in 2005. Howell on the other hand is very much on the up, believes that he is a great golfer and while still prone to a bad round, he doesn’t give up. He was second here in 1998, 14th in 2003 and 3rd in 2004 so clearly likes the course and he is a much better player these days. 5 points Tim Clark to beat Retief Goosen @ evens with Sunderlands. Won 5 points Like Garcia, Goosen is having a difficult year and struggling for form having done little since 3rd in the Masters. Clark won here last year and has a great course record and has finished ahead of Goosen on the 3 occasions when they have both played. Clark was 4th last week and will come to one of his favourite events full of confidence while Goosen, being a ‘big name’ is likely to be tinkering with next weeks Major in mind. Goosen won here back in 2001 but Clarks course record is nearly a full shot per round lower. 5 points Anthony Wall to beat Kenneth Ferrie @ 1.92 with Centrebet (tie no bet) lost 5 points Ferrie has had great few weeks, out in the final pairing at the US Open and followed that with 9th at Gleneagles, but it is Wall who leads Ferrie 9-2 on H2H’s this season. Ferrie has the better course record but I suspect he will be getting a bit tried after so much golf recently. Wall will be in a good frame of mind after finishing 2nd last week which means he qualifies for the Open next week, so no pressure on him. |
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