Ok. After last week in USA, we travel across the globe, to Phuket, Thailand, where this year's Johnnie Walker Classic is being held. The Blue Canyon Golf Course hasn't seen competitive action like this since 1998, so course form students have nothing recent to go on.
The field is strong though, with 156 players lining up on the first tee, a field that includes Els (6-1F), Goosen, Scott, Scott, Casey, Jaidee, Weir and Montgomerie heading the rest in the market.
It's a strong course also, with two of the best par 3s in Asia, water on ten of the holes, and a monster 600yd 11th hole. As with most Asian tournaments, humidity, electrical storms and rain delays will prove 'interesting' to the competitors, but shouldn't overly bother regulars playing the Asian tour or Asian events of the European tour.
In 2004 I made a handsome 'virtual profit' on Boonchu Ruangkit at 100-1 in this event, and doesn't "26" need a repeat of that this week?!
As for the selections- Goosen has fond memories of this course, (before he'd won his two US opens), is playing well, and did not have to knacker himself in th WGC last week, losing in the second round.
Montgomerie fits the bill for exactly the same reasons as Goosen, and enjoys playing in Asia. (Don't know why though - with his greasy man boobs, you'd think he'd find it very uncomfortable and sweat like a hog on heat).
The Asians are bound to feature, but let's stick with class and continue with Jaidee. He's yet to feature in the frame this year - so we'll give him another chance in his home country where he's a hero.
The Indian Shiv Kapur, second last time out and maybe a wee bit unlucky, has a classic swing and could go well here, so we'll include him.
Lastly, the young Wentworth improver Ross Fisher (after being told by Woods he could "go all the way" after partnering him in Dubai) may believe that, and continue his good form.
I'm ruling out Els (solid but not fantastic start to the year and no value), Casey (must be knackered after playing five rounds last week and no course form), Scott (either brilliant or awful) and Weir (a spent force these days until Augusta comes round!).
I certainly would not rule out Dyson again though, or the possibility of another Asian stalwart (but not really known over here) such as Ruangkit, to overturn the bigger stars and make off with the booty.
[NB. (short odds) 'Bet of the Week' (NOT included in the "26" balance) is probably a speculative punt on a first round 3-ball group. The one that looks most appealing is the 2-1 price you can get on Terry Pilkadaris to beat his playing partners, Paul Lawrie (6-4) and Quiros (13-8). I have no idea why Pilkadaris is the LEAST fancied in this 3 ball 18 hole bet. Lawrie and Quiros haven't been playing that well and have both missed the cut last time out. Terry Pilkadaris has been playing the Asian Tour since 2002 (he's Australian by birth), and although he possibly peaked in 2004, he's still playing well, must have course experience and is 31st at he moment in the race for the Asian Order of Merit title. This 2-1 bet looks like a banker in my eyes! I'll mention the outcome of this when the tournament is over, and I type the actual selection results...]
Current balance: £455.50p
SELECTIONS:
Montgomerie £1.50p e/w 33-1
Goosen £2 to win 9-1
Fisher £1 e/w 100-1
Jaidee 50p e/w 33-1
Shiv Kapur 50p e/w 66-1
Stake: £9
Balance after stake (pre-tournament): £446.50p
RESULT:
MONTGOMERIE - R1: 19th, R2: 11th, R3: 6th, FINAL POS’N: =6th
GOOSEN - R1: 10th, R2: 3rd, R3: 5th, FINAL POS’N: 4th
FISHER - R1: 130th, R2: 136th, m/c
JAIDEE - R1: 44th, R2: 11th, R3: 39th, FINAL POS’N: =52nd
KAPUR - R1: 73rd, R2: 32nd, R3: 58th, FINAL POS'N: =60th
WINNINGS: £0
PROFIT/LOSS: -£9
BALANCE AFTER TOURNAMENT: £446.50p
COMMENT: First things first - the (short odds) 'Bet of the Week' triumphed majestically. A "Banker" (quote) it most certainly was: Terry Pilkidaris scored -2 in his first round 3 ball. His playing partners scored +2 (Paul Lawrie) and +5(Alvaro Quiros). Thems may not have been long odds at 2-1, but a nice 'win against the bookies' as all bookies gave (the more famous (major winner) Paul Lawrie) favouritism in that 3 ball. Check out my "ADMIN" and "SPORTS BETS" posts for the location details of future 'bets of the week' - which will be mentioned separately from the main golf tips from now on...
Anyway... as that 'Bet of the Week' did NOT count as far as "26" is concerned (shame), what about the 72 hole tournament proper?
Well... the pattern continues I'm afraid! Goosen at the end of the second round was odds-on to win the tournament, having made a very solid start and being the only 'big name' at the top of the leaderboard. He actually led during the first part of the third round, then collapsed. A fightback of sorts in the final round had him finish in 4th place - just out of the moolah as far as "26" was concerned, due to a win bet, not an e/w bet. Are we learning a lesson here?
Montgomerie played solidly for all four rounds, but finished 1 stroke and 1 place out of the wonga as far as we were concerned. He finished at 8 under par, in equal 6th place - a score of 9 under par would have had him in equal 5th (with Mike Weir - who we'd written off as a 'spent force before Augusta' before the tournament), and would have made "26" a little return on a 33-1 e/w bet.
Jaidee seemed to play ok until the weekend, where scores of 74 and 75 made him slide back down the leaderboard. Shiv Kapur was up and down like a yo-yo, and looked like he was going to miss the cut midway through the second round, but managed to at least play four rounds, I suppose.
As for Ross Fisher - the least said the better - he never got going and missed the halfway cut by a country mile!
The tournament was eventually won by 20 year old Johannesburg resident Anton Haig, in a playoff versus his fellow South African Richard Sterne, and Englishman Oliver Wilson. This was Haig's first tournament win, and what with Els finishing well, in equal 6th place, the end leaderboard was full of South Africans - Haig, Sterne, Goosen and Els, all finishing in the top 6 places (or equal 6th).
I hope this pattern doesn't continue for much longer - we are getting excellent 'runs for our money', every week it seems, but little or no return.
On to the Singapore Masters next week at "The Laguna G&CC", which may be luckier for me - as at least I've been to the city in person!
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