Outright plays (total stake per play: 1pt)
Jim Furyk to win 11/2 @ Centrebet
Had been a no-play at 5/1, but just creeps into the marginally acceptable odds range at 11/2. His impressive record at Warwick Hills is well-documented: his last 33 rounds at this course have been under par with six consecutive top-10 finishes and if Tiger Woods had been absent last year as he is this year, he would have won his 2nd Buick Open title in four years. In his own words, "I'm going to show up and play the golf courses where I feel I have the best chances, and this would be one of them." After runners-up finishes in two of his last three events - one of them was via a playoff and the other should have been in a playoff - his usual determination will be heightened somewhat this week. After all, he does have to atone that choice of club on the 17th tee at Oakmont!
Kenny Perry to win 28/1 @ Five Dimes and Centrebet (0.5pts) & to finish in the top-five 5/1 @ Five Dimes (ties paid in full)
He really should have been a profitable pick last week. After the weight loss and the tip at the Memorial Tournament that earned him a 3rd place finish that week, he would finish the first round last week in 3rd position, but dropped three shots over the closing holes in the second round and was always on the fringes of contention after that. The form and the confidence is clearly still there, so this should be another week in which he contends for the title. It also helps that he won this title in 2001 and has recorded top-15 finishes in his last three visits. The greens are soft after recent rain and he is a player who can really get on a low scoring streak.
Lucas Glover to win 50/1 e.w. @ SkyBet, Sportingbet, Sporting Odds, William Hill and BetDirect
His form figures are largely uninspiring and that is presumably the reason for these inflated odds despite the poor field. But his recent finishes have included 8th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, 29th (despite a final day over-par round) in the Crowne Plaza Invitational and, most importantly, a 5th place position after the opening round of the U.S. Open. Okay, he shot 80 in the second round and missed the cut by one, but the indications are there that his game is improving. And he was 2nd with one round to play last year. Okay, he shot 72 and finished 15th, but there were two strong mitigating factors: (i) he was playing with Tiger Woods in the final group; and (ii) he ranked 13th in the U.S. Ryder Cup points list with just two more weeks to go, so the pressure to maintain his high finish and virtually secure a place in the Ryder Cup team was immense. Neither of these factors will be present this year, so hopefully he can repeat his form of those first 54 holes.
