Matchup plays (1 unit unless stated):
Paul Azinger to beat Carl Pettersson -118 @
Expekt [2 units]
Azinger lost his game around the Players Championship last year and never like a Ryder Cup player despite a top-10 finish in the Buick Open. He even missed the cut by 11 shots last week. But there are some reasons for optimism this week. He closed with a 66 last week and his record in this event is very good, plus he won the title in 1991. Should make the cut, which should be enough to beat Pettersson who also lost his game after Spring last year. He was struggling to make cuts at the end of 2002 and it was quite a surprise that he came through the PGA Tour Q-School. This is his first start in this event and in this format and he just looks one to oppose for the time being.
Per-Ulrik Johansson to beat Ty Tryon -118 @
Expekt
Tryon is another who will be opposed until good reason is shown not to. He has missed both his cuts this year and seven of his last ten. With no course form either, he is easily opposed with Johansson who played here last year and but for a closing 74 last week which meant he missed the cut by a single shot, he would have made two cuts out of three this year.
Rocco Mediate to beat Pat Perez +100 @
BlueSq
Did consider Mediate for the outrights - he won this title in 1999 - so will gladly side with him at these odds. Now free of back trouble, he has shot all eight rounds under par this season (seven of them in the 60s) with the highlight being a runners-up spot in the Mercedes Championships. There is no doubting Perez's form after he shot 61 in round two last week, but it was tainted by a failure to convert 10 birdies in his opening 11 holes into a sub-60 round and his form was disappointing thereafter. There is also the spectre of his final hole collapse last year when poised to win this event. In interviews, he has admitted that he is sick of constantly answering questions about it and he will be just glad when this week is over. Given his temperament and that interview, he looks unlikely to repeat last season's efforts and Rocco's 11-2-0 h2h record over the past year is more than enough reason to back him at evens.
