Buick Championship
- Thread starter pharlap
- Start date
WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY O'HERN PLAYED. THAT 1ST RND +3 SURE HURT HIS CHANCES. VERY WIDE OPEN FIELD LIKE LAST WEEK.
Outright plays (total stake per play: 1.5pts)
Zach Johnson to win 25/1 e.w. @ Boyle Sports
Tempted by Kenny Perry in this field, but will opt for Johnson and O'Hern in this price range. Johnson's form had been rather sporadic this year with a 3rd place finish in the WGC World Matchplay Championship and a 2nd place in the BellSouth Classic matched by no other top-10 finishes, but that was until the Colonial. He didn't finish in the top-10 that time either, but he opened with a 65 to be in 2nd place and would continue that form into the next two weeks with finishes of 5th and 2nd. His missed cut at Winged Foot can be easily dismissed so that leaves him in the middle of some sustained form. With a 3rd place on his course debut in 2004 also on his record, he looks a strong player in this weakened field.
Nick O'Hern to win 25/1 e.w. available generally
O'Hern has yet to play in this event, but he is a player who tends to put in long stretches of top-10 finishes or at the very least being in contention each week. And is on such a roll at the moment. Last week, he conceded 12 shots in the first round to Ben Curtis, but finished in 2nd place, just five shots behind the leader. That comes on the back of a 6th place finish in the U.S. Open and a concentration on playing this Tour full-time, when he struggled to combine a full schedule on both the European and PGA Tour last year. The effect was ultimately fatigue last year and that is the only concern this week, because of the U.S. Open two weeks ago and a Tuesday morning finish in last week's event. That would be good reason to oppose virtually every player, but the momentum that O'Hern generates is different and he will be backed at these odds in this company.
Woody Austin to win 80/1 e.w. @ Sportingbet and Sporting Odds
Ignore his missed cut in the Barclays Classic. When he finished 3rd in the U.S. Open qualifier on the Monday, he had played 84 holes in the last three days. In his own words, "I guarantee you there will be no shots hit (today). I guarantee you I am not even thinking about hitting a golf shot. I am dead." He had just finished 7th in the weather-affected Memorial Tournament, though he had been playing in the final group with Carl Pettersson in the last round and conceded that nerves had got the better of him, and would finish a very solid 32nd in the U.S. Open. His final round problems at Muirfield Village aside, that is very good form for a 80/1 shot and then there is his history on this course. He won in 2004 and finished 9th last year and on neither occasion was he playing as well entering this event. Again in his own words, "It?s hard to keep up, give myself a chance to win with the technology now and all these young guys. There are a few shot-makers? courses left, and maybe I'll have a few chances." One of his few chances is around the par-70 TPC at River Highlands where, like Johnson and O'Hern, his advantage over the young power-hitters in the shot-making department should be significant.
Zach Johnson to win 25/1 e.w. @ Boyle Sports
Tempted by Kenny Perry in this field, but will opt for Johnson and O'Hern in this price range. Johnson's form had been rather sporadic this year with a 3rd place finish in the WGC World Matchplay Championship and a 2nd place in the BellSouth Classic matched by no other top-10 finishes, but that was until the Colonial. He didn't finish in the top-10 that time either, but he opened with a 65 to be in 2nd place and would continue that form into the next two weeks with finishes of 5th and 2nd. His missed cut at Winged Foot can be easily dismissed so that leaves him in the middle of some sustained form. With a 3rd place on his course debut in 2004 also on his record, he looks a strong player in this weakened field.
Nick O'Hern to win 25/1 e.w. available generally
O'Hern has yet to play in this event, but he is a player who tends to put in long stretches of top-10 finishes or at the very least being in contention each week. And is on such a roll at the moment. Last week, he conceded 12 shots in the first round to Ben Curtis, but finished in 2nd place, just five shots behind the leader. That comes on the back of a 6th place finish in the U.S. Open and a concentration on playing this Tour full-time, when he struggled to combine a full schedule on both the European and PGA Tour last year. The effect was ultimately fatigue last year and that is the only concern this week, because of the U.S. Open two weeks ago and a Tuesday morning finish in last week's event. That would be good reason to oppose virtually every player, but the momentum that O'Hern generates is different and he will be backed at these odds in this company.
Woody Austin to win 80/1 e.w. @ Sportingbet and Sporting Odds
Ignore his missed cut in the Barclays Classic. When he finished 3rd in the U.S. Open qualifier on the Monday, he had played 84 holes in the last three days. In his own words, "I guarantee you there will be no shots hit (today). I guarantee you I am not even thinking about hitting a golf shot. I am dead." He had just finished 7th in the weather-affected Memorial Tournament, though he had been playing in the final group with Carl Pettersson in the last round and conceded that nerves had got the better of him, and would finish a very solid 32nd in the U.S. Open. His final round problems at Muirfield Village aside, that is very good form for a 80/1 shot and then there is his history on this course. He won in 2004 and finished 9th last year and on neither occasion was he playing as well entering this event. Again in his own words, "It?s hard to keep up, give myself a chance to win with the technology now and all these young guys. There are a few shot-makers? courses left, and maybe I'll have a few chances." One of his few chances is around the par-70 TPC at River Highlands where, like Johnson and O'Hern, his advantage over the young power-hitters in the shot-making department should be significant.
Crappy Week, Need some Good Stuff
Zach Johnson WINS BUICK CHAMPIO+20.00
Stewart Cink WINS BUICK CHAMPIO+20.00
Tom Pernice Jr OV/Carl Petterss-1.35
Tim Herron OV/Vaughn Taylor-1.15
Zach Johnson WINS BUICK CHAMPIO+20.00
Stewart Cink WINS BUICK CHAMPIO+20.00
Tom Pernice Jr OV/Carl Petterss-1.35
Tim Herron OV/Vaughn Taylor-1.15
1st round matchups 2 units each
at 5dimes
06/29/06 KENNY PERRY (1ST RND) -135 SCOTT VERPLANK (1ST RND)
06/29/06 JEFF MAGGERT (1ST RND) -105 JUSTIN LEONARD (1ST RND)
06/29/06 DARRON STILES (1ST RND) -111 JOHN ROLLINS (1ST RND)
at Wsex
Curtis+.5 +118 over Verplank
at 5dimes
06/29/06 KENNY PERRY (1ST RND) -135 SCOTT VERPLANK (1ST RND)
06/29/06 JEFF MAGGERT (1ST RND) -105 JUSTIN LEONARD (1ST RND)
06/29/06 DARRON STILES (1ST RND) -111 JOHN ROLLINS (1ST RND)
at Wsex
Curtis+.5 +118 over Verplank
Last edited:
I lucked into Markus Brier(40/1) during the last week in which my focus seemed so suspect across the board on all Tours. Hard to duplicate that, but these are the ones that are taking me wherever.
Outrights:
Nick O'Hern(25/1) e.w.
- - Can just repeat last week's post: "His best form has been known to last and last, even through emotionally draining performances. He can thrive if Estes' caddy is right from the year he won (at Potomac re Potomac) that, "it's a get up and down course." Would be righteous if good ol' Nick O'Hern lifts Stan out of his slump.
Justin Rose(66/1) e.w.
- - When nothing else stands out it doesn't take much for me to fall back on this one as my regular irregular. A frustrating cancellation of the Open qualifier just adds to an interesting month of June as broken down by Justin at his website: http://justinrose.com/
Paul Azinger(125/1) e.w.
- - Course definitely suits, the time looks and feels decent enough, seems value, could definitely back much worse than this pick.
Billy Andrade(50/1)(1/5 for 1-6) e.w.
Zach Johnson(22/1) e.w.
- - Next on the list, it sort of came down to neither or both.
GL
Outrights:
Nick O'Hern(25/1) e.w.
- - Can just repeat last week's post: "His best form has been known to last and last, even through emotionally draining performances. He can thrive if Estes' caddy is right from the year he won (at Potomac re Potomac) that, "it's a get up and down course." Would be righteous if good ol' Nick O'Hern lifts Stan out of his slump.
Justin Rose(66/1) e.w.
- - When nothing else stands out it doesn't take much for me to fall back on this one as my regular irregular. A frustrating cancellation of the Open qualifier just adds to an interesting month of June as broken down by Justin at his website: http://justinrose.com/
Paul Azinger(125/1) e.w.
- - Course definitely suits, the time looks and feels decent enough, seems value, could definitely back much worse than this pick.
Billy Andrade(50/1)(1/5 for 1-6) e.w.
Zach Johnson(22/1) e.w.
- - Next on the list, it sort of came down to neither or both.
GL
- Feb 26, 2001
- 13,593
- 164
- 63
FINAL RESULT: 1-2; -0.56pts
Johnson 21st
O'Hern 31st
Austin 5th
Could have been a decent payout, but Austin missed from 9, 11 and 15 feet in the closing three holes for the birdie that would have pulled him out of the four-way tie for 5th place. Earlier in the week, Zach Johnson had three bogies in a row as soon as he took sole possession of the lead on Friday.
PGA Tour ytd: 11-60; -14.20pts
All Tours ytd
Outrights: 37-159; -35.42pts
Matchups: 43-36; -8.40pts
Johnson 21st
O'Hern 31st
Austin 5th
Could have been a decent payout, but Austin missed from 9, 11 and 15 feet in the closing three holes for the birdie that would have pulled him out of the four-way tie for 5th place. Earlier in the week, Zach Johnson had three bogies in a row as soon as he took sole possession of the lead on Friday.
PGA Tour ytd: 11-60; -14.20pts
All Tours ytd
Outrights: 37-159; -35.42pts
Matchups: 43-36; -8.40pts
