Outright plays (total stake per play: 1.5pts)
Vijay Singh to win 14/1 e.w. @ Stan James, Victor Chandler, Paddy Power, BetFred and BetDirect
A larger price than I would have expected after his final round charge last week saw him finish 5th. He had shown good form in the Dunhill Links Championship two weeks previously to be inside the top-4 in each of the first three rounds, so he has been showing some of his form from the first half of the season. If he continues to do so this week, 14s will certainly look generous. He has seven top-3 finishes in the last three years in Florida, including a win here in 2004 and 2nd in 2003 and deserves to be favourite to win yet again in October.
Stewart Cink to win 33/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Cink has taken a well-earned rest after his exploits in the Ryder Cup. He was very impressive that week and could have won the following week in the American Express Championship, but the Ryder Cup finally took its toll in the final round. He fell out of the top-5 that day, but he has still managed to finish inside that mark in four of his last six events in the U.S. and he did finish 3rd in this event last year when in poor form. That is not the case this year and he could certainly be a strong challenger again.
Nick Watney to win 100/1 e.w. @ Sportingbet, Sporting Odds and Tote
Watney has done enough in the last month to ensure that he does not return to Q-School as he did last year in his rookie season when finishing just two places outside the top-125 and automatic retention of his Tour Card. In his last four starts, he has finished 8th, 6th and 5th and, just as impressively, he shot 70 or less in the final round on each occasion to show that he can cope with the pressure of being in contention at the weekend and having the pressure of still making sure of his 2007 Tour Card. Now he is high enough up the Money List (73rd) that a top-20 finish will earn him entry into the limited field events such as Bay Hill, the Memorial and the Colonial. But in his current form, he can certainly aim much higher and confirm the potential that he showed at Fresno State University.
Vijay Singh to win 14/1 e.w. @ Stan James, Victor Chandler, Paddy Power, BetFred and BetDirect
A larger price than I would have expected after his final round charge last week saw him finish 5th. He had shown good form in the Dunhill Links Championship two weeks previously to be inside the top-4 in each of the first three rounds, so he has been showing some of his form from the first half of the season. If he continues to do so this week, 14s will certainly look generous. He has seven top-3 finishes in the last three years in Florida, including a win here in 2004 and 2nd in 2003 and deserves to be favourite to win yet again in October.
Stewart Cink to win 33/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Cink has taken a well-earned rest after his exploits in the Ryder Cup. He was very impressive that week and could have won the following week in the American Express Championship, but the Ryder Cup finally took its toll in the final round. He fell out of the top-5 that day, but he has still managed to finish inside that mark in four of his last six events in the U.S. and he did finish 3rd in this event last year when in poor form. That is not the case this year and he could certainly be a strong challenger again.
Nick Watney to win 100/1 e.w. @ Sportingbet, Sporting Odds and Tote
Watney has done enough in the last month to ensure that he does not return to Q-School as he did last year in his rookie season when finishing just two places outside the top-125 and automatic retention of his Tour Card. In his last four starts, he has finished 8th, 6th and 5th and, just as impressively, he shot 70 or less in the final round on each occasion to show that he can cope with the pressure of being in contention at the weekend and having the pressure of still making sure of his 2007 Tour Card. Now he is high enough up the Money List (73rd) that a top-20 finish will earn him entry into the limited field events such as Bay Hill, the Memorial and the Colonial. But in his current form, he can certainly aim much higher and confirm the potential that he showed at Fresno State University.
