Outright plays (total stake per play: 1.5pts)
Stewart Cink to win 12/1 e.w. available generally
The week after a Monday finish in the unofficial fifth major and the week before the first major of the season, this is a difficult week to get anyone motivated and there is no great inspiration here either! Mickelson said that he used last year's event to practice his high fades and if that is from the market leader, there has to be some indication that the selection is treating this event seriously. That is the case here. Cink lives by the course, went to University at Georgia Tech and would dearly love to finally win this event. Motivation at Sugarloaf has never been a problem for Cink and that is clear with six top-10 finishes in the last seven years. Very short odds, but he has raised his game to new levels, winning twice on Tour last year and motivation will be key this week.
Zach Johnson to win 18/1 e.w. @ BetInternet and Victor Chandler
Motivation will not be a problem for the defending champion either and moreso this week than any other because of the scheduling of this event. As much as the course itself (particularly notable in that the Tour moves back to Bentgrass greens this week), the motivation from being defending champion leads to a strong performance in this event. In the last four years the defending champion has finished 3rd, 4th, 3rd and 6th. On the back of successive finishes of 3rd, 8th and 8th this month, Johnson should continue the fine record of defending champions in this event.
Luke Donald to win 18/1 e.w. @ Expekt
Donald may be expected to suffer from the late Monday finish more than most as he had been the leader with one round to play and only finished one shot out of a playoff, but it was his first start in a month so he should instead be fresher than most and at the age of 27, fatigue should not be a factor yet. There are plenty of positives that he can take from last week, particularly in how he played on the back nine after a very frustrating first nine holes on Monday and he is in extremely good form. In seven starts this year, he has finished inside the top-13 in all but one of them. A top-10 finish last year showed that he can master this course where putting is far more important than driving and he really is one of the best young players on the Tour at the moment.
Stewart Cink to win 12/1 e.w. available generally
The week after a Monday finish in the unofficial fifth major and the week before the first major of the season, this is a difficult week to get anyone motivated and there is no great inspiration here either! Mickelson said that he used last year's event to practice his high fades and if that is from the market leader, there has to be some indication that the selection is treating this event seriously. That is the case here. Cink lives by the course, went to University at Georgia Tech and would dearly love to finally win this event. Motivation at Sugarloaf has never been a problem for Cink and that is clear with six top-10 finishes in the last seven years. Very short odds, but he has raised his game to new levels, winning twice on Tour last year and motivation will be key this week.
Zach Johnson to win 18/1 e.w. @ BetInternet and Victor Chandler
Motivation will not be a problem for the defending champion either and moreso this week than any other because of the scheduling of this event. As much as the course itself (particularly notable in that the Tour moves back to Bentgrass greens this week), the motivation from being defending champion leads to a strong performance in this event. In the last four years the defending champion has finished 3rd, 4th, 3rd and 6th. On the back of successive finishes of 3rd, 8th and 8th this month, Johnson should continue the fine record of defending champions in this event.
Luke Donald to win 18/1 e.w. @ Expekt
Donald may be expected to suffer from the late Monday finish more than most as he had been the leader with one round to play and only finished one shot out of a playoff, but it was his first start in a month so he should instead be fresher than most and at the age of 27, fatigue should not be a factor yet. There are plenty of positives that he can take from last week, particularly in how he played on the back nine after a very frustrating first nine holes on Monday and he is in extremely good form. In seven starts this year, he has finished inside the top-13 in all but one of them. A top-10 finish last year showed that he can master this course where putting is far more important than driving and he really is one of the best young players on the Tour at the moment.
