Outright plays (1.5pts):
Jimmy Walker to win 25/1 e.w. @ SkyBet and Paddy Power
Walker ended his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour in style with five top-10 finishes in the last three months of the season and he has certainly carried on that form this year. He won the opening event on the Tour schedule - the Panama Championship - and then finished 8th last week, only the 2nd American in the top-10. In this second week of the Australasian leg, the American players are expected to perform much better, so Walker should have a good chance of securing another victory this week.
Scott Gutschewski to win 40/1 e.w. @ SkyBet and Paddy Power
Gutschewski was the other American to finish in the top-10 last week and he was the highest ranked in 5th place. Considering that he only got his first 2003 Nationwide Tour start at the Omaha Classic in August via a sponsor's exemption and that for five weeks he kept earning his way into the following week's event by finishing in the top-25, it is remarkable story of seizing the opportunity. By the end of 2003, he had played in 12 Nationwide Tour events, winning one of them and thus securing his Card for this year. He also finished first in the Tour's par-4 scoring average, birdie average and par breakers stat categories for 2003 as well as 2nd for scoring average. With scoring on this course heavily dependent on the par-4s and par-5s - last year the top-4 on the leaderboard were all in the top-4 in par-4 scoring and top-4 in par-5-scoring - there is more reason to support Gutschewski. As well as ranking 1st in the Nationwide Tour's par-4 scoring average last year [Walker was 3rd], he ranked 5th in par-5 scoring average [Walker was 10th]. He is certainly a player to watch for the future and this looks a very big price.
Jason Caron to win 50/1 e.w. @ Five Dimes [0.75pts to win; 0.75pts to finish in top-five]
Unlike the other selections who are starting their 2nd year on the Nationwide Tour, Caron is back on this Tour after a year on the PGA Tour where he struggled to make the weekends each week. But having finished 4th and 17th in the two Tour events this year, he may yet bounce back for next season. It certainly helps this week that he played in this event last year and he finished in the top-10. With his confidence restored, he looks more than capable of repeating that feat.
Jimmy Walker to win 25/1 e.w. @ SkyBet and Paddy Power
Walker ended his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour in style with five top-10 finishes in the last three months of the season and he has certainly carried on that form this year. He won the opening event on the Tour schedule - the Panama Championship - and then finished 8th last week, only the 2nd American in the top-10. In this second week of the Australasian leg, the American players are expected to perform much better, so Walker should have a good chance of securing another victory this week.
Scott Gutschewski to win 40/1 e.w. @ SkyBet and Paddy Power
Gutschewski was the other American to finish in the top-10 last week and he was the highest ranked in 5th place. Considering that he only got his first 2003 Nationwide Tour start at the Omaha Classic in August via a sponsor's exemption and that for five weeks he kept earning his way into the following week's event by finishing in the top-25, it is remarkable story of seizing the opportunity. By the end of 2003, he had played in 12 Nationwide Tour events, winning one of them and thus securing his Card for this year. He also finished first in the Tour's par-4 scoring average, birdie average and par breakers stat categories for 2003 as well as 2nd for scoring average. With scoring on this course heavily dependent on the par-4s and par-5s - last year the top-4 on the leaderboard were all in the top-4 in par-4 scoring and top-4 in par-5-scoring - there is more reason to support Gutschewski. As well as ranking 1st in the Nationwide Tour's par-4 scoring average last year [Walker was 3rd], he ranked 5th in par-5 scoring average [Walker was 10th]. He is certainly a player to watch for the future and this looks a very big price.
Jason Caron to win 50/1 e.w. @ Five Dimes [0.75pts to win; 0.75pts to finish in top-five]
Unlike the other selections who are starting their 2nd year on the Nationwide Tour, Caron is back on this Tour after a year on the PGA Tour where he struggled to make the weekends each week. But having finished 4th and 17th in the two Tour events this year, he may yet bounce back for next season. It certainly helps this week that he played in this event last year and he finished in the top-10. With his confidence restored, he looks more than capable of repeating that feat.
