To the first of the 'World Golf Championships', the Accenture WGC held not as previously, (La Costa, Carlsbad, CA), but at The Gallery, Dove Mt, AZ, over FIVE days.
As we all know, the real World Golf Championship Matchplay event is held at Wentworth's West course, later in the year, but this tournament does look quite interesting...
Woods is obviously the hot favourite at around 7-2 against, is well rested having mssed the Nissan Open, and is effectively going for his EIGHTH tour win on the bounce - absolutely incredible. He has a fine WGC record, but literally anything can happen in Matchplay format, and usually does.
Because this years event is staged at a new venue, in the desert, if your putter is hot, you'll win, so predicting a winner is somewhat difficult.
The draw has a lot to do with picking a winner also, and the top 3 in anybody's book (Woods, Mickleson and Els) are all in one side of the draw, giving the field a somewhat lopsided look.
Other names to consider are Jim Furyk, who has started the season magnificently and is the current world number 2; Retief Goosen, who has received a "nice draw" but played badly last week, and any number of Europeans, who seem to prefer the Matchplay format more than the Americans do. No European is quoted at less than 28-1, strange, in my opinion!
The WGC really does seem to be a wee bit of a lottery, but there is one man who possibly stands out from the crowd. Step forward Paul Casey at 40-1. Already a winner this year at Abu Dhabi, a winner of the 'real' world matchplay at Wentworth last year, an ex- Scottsdale resident and desert specialist AND a fancier of this new venue, having been on two 'recons' recently. I think he fancies his chances and represents great value at 40s.
(Although value is often 'over-rated' - look at last weeks selections!)
Phil Mickleson is another desert specialist, and has two wins at this course already. He also seems very, very confident with his driver at present.
John Rollins is an outsider on a hot streak at the moment, so he's another outsider (why not in a lottery?) included in the selections.
Finally, Aaron Baddeley, (nickname "Dress Badly" on tour, thanks to his outrageous shirts and dress 'sense'), another winner this year and another 'desert fox' makes up the list...
Field:64
Current balance: £461.50p
SELECTIONS:
CASEY £2 e/w 40-1
MICKLESON £1 to win 14-1
BADDELEY 50p to win 80-1
ROLLINS 50 to win 80-1
Total Stake: £6
Balance after stake (pre-tournament): £455.50p
RESULT: Paul Casey NEARLY made "26" a profit this week, and looked very good until the Quarter Final. If he HAD beaten Geoff Ogilvy (last years winner) in the QF, "26" would have made AT LEAST a £22 (and possibly a £100) return off a £6 stake. Unfortunately for us, he was beaten 5&4 and the interest (as far as "26" was concerned) ended there.
Henrik Stenson, who has already won a big tournament this year, (in the Dubai Desert Classic - remember?), won the this tournament, by beating Geoff Ogilvy in the 36hole final. Trevor Immelman came 3rd, after beating Chad Campbell.
This means the last FOUR events in the European Tour have been won by Scandanavians - Henson, Hedblom, Ilonen and now Stenson again. At this rate, the long, straight-hitting Stenson will have th Order of Merit Title sewn up before Wentworth in May, for he is simply having the season of his life at the moment. What price Stenson for the Masters? Very short probably, and deservedly so...
WINNINGS: £0
PROFIT/LOSS: -£6
BALANCE AFTER TOURNAMENT: £455.50p
COMMENT: At first glance, it might be tempting to bet (for real) on this tournament, as the field is only 64 strong (instead of the normal 120 or so) and the bookies still pay out 1/4 the odds on places 1-4, (1-5 for a "normal" tournament).
Don't be fooled by this though. 18 hole matchplay golf is a different game to 72 hole strokeplay golf, and more of a short sprint. Anything can happen on any one particular day (it invariably does), mistakes are magnified because of the shortened nature of the format and there is no real time to recover from any mistakes. It was a shame that Casey couldn't win his QF match Vs Ogilvy and make "26" some profit, but no great surprise.
"26" seems to be forming a pattern here, some good runs for our "money" but very little return as yet!
It will come.... we just need to be patient!
The next tournament for the EPGA and "26" will mean a return to Asia; Phuket, Thailand to be precise, and "The Johnnie Walker Classic".
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