Round 1 play (2pts):
Rory Sabbatini to beat Bo Van Pelt +120 @ 5Dimes [also available @ Paddy Power]
This price appears to be based on their form towards the end of last season when BVP finished the season in great form. But that was three months ago! Van Pelt didn't play in any of the off-season events and his record at Waialae hardly suggests that he will rediscover that previous form - he has missed his last three cuts here. By contrast, Sabbatini finished 5th in the Shark Shootout just before Christmas and is famed for taking his family to Hawaii for several weeks just before the season starts. They return to the place of their wedding, but Sabbatini hardly misses a day from the golf course. This is presumably why he always plays so well in Hawaii - twice a runner-up in the Tournament of Champions (2001 and 2010) and twice a runner-up in this event (2006 and 2008). In other years, he has also come close to taking this title - he was 7th after 54 holes last year, 12th in 2009, and so on. He attibutes his good play in Hawaii to his ability to play in wind and that is something that Van Pelt struggles with. As such, I'm surprised to see Sabbatini as such a large dog in this matchup.
