OUTRIGHTS:
Trevor Immelman(50/1) e.w.
- - Something comparable to or better than the enhancements Zach Johnson achieved over the remaining course of the season after winning his Masters in 2007 accurately expresses my expectation for Master Trevor in 2008 . . . now's the time for a big bit of that, and it's just the way his game appeared to me to be trending at Birkdale.
Rocco Mediate(125/1) e.w.
- - Great with his long irons, fine with his driver. Check. Everyone at Birkdale had their swings and tempo blown way out of whack, some veteran grinders like Furyk managed despite, some like Kim just took longer to have the point driven home; someone with a week off to sort things out. Check. His storyline on the 2008 season is pretty much a written and closed chapter and now it?s time to talk about it for years to come. Not check. . . . Gets my cash this week over Leonard and Casey as on song in propelling their Ryder Cup push.
Stuart Appleby(80/1) e.w.
- - My huckleberry for this event every year since I met his girlfriend, Ashley Saleet, at the 2002 P.G.A. at Hazeltine, and will remain so for every year until one or the other of us gives up our respective pursuits.
http://www.pgatour.com/2008/tournaments/r476/07/29/ross.stenson/index.html
Phil Mickelson(12/1) e.w.
- - There are issues, but there are answers. Class is temporary, but form is permanent, or something . . . Chalk it up as a bad hunch on the right time and the right place.
Darren Clarke(150/1) e.w.
- - I love the change of scenery. I love the reappearance on the big stage. I love the wind under the wings coming from a special invite for next week. I don't dislike the pairing with Harrington.
My post before Abu Dhabi, after a profitable wager on Joburg Open:
Darren Clarke(33/1) e.w.
- - From my post last week at madjacksports on Clarke(16/1 e.w.), when I couldn't log on to UBF in the wee hours: I'm all in for a good while I suspect. . . . Everything tells me Darren is keen to go, and he just needs to not want it so badly that he gets in his own way, and he'll tap into his class in really short order. A candidate to soar - I mean soar - in 2008 IF his balky putter then gets uncommonly friendly, and that then happening would not surprise me in the least.
I've been judicious in avoiding Darren on the really grainy greens in Asia, but I believe the greens this week are less peculiar than many. In the interim, I've seen him exhibit more or less ideal equanimity about the process . . . Post-Masters brings a fresh start on Phase II of his season, and an uncommon pairing with Greg Norman adds spice . . . Now, cue more flailing.
I though Dazzler would kick on better than he has, and I've been reasonably judicious with my handsome profit because that balky putter has defined his efforts in Europe, but nothing has changed . . .
"I'm all in for a good while I suspect."
OUTRIGHTS:
David Duval(150/1) e.w.
- - This price is way off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . way, way off. :yup
Yong-Eun Yang(200/1) e.w.
- - When his name hung around on the leaderboard last week, my first and only thought was, "Jeez, it's about time". Riding with that thought this week.
Lee Janzen(200/1) e.w.
- - I just can't get excited about the short prices on the cast of players with the roles of favorites this week, even though quite a few of those names are sure to be up there come Sunday. If I was getting invested that way, I'd have to be leaning to Brian Davis or Nicholas Thompson . . . Instead, chalk this up to a dumb hunch.
GL
