Round 1 plays (4pts):
Lee Westwood to beat David Toms -125 @ 5Dimes [also available @ Stan James, Pinnacle, The Greek and Carib]
A winner here in 2010 on his debut (11th on his other visit) and in good form with three top-10 finishes in five starts since The Masters, including one win ... it all points to a good week from Westwood. Of course, Toms is a multiple-winner of this event, but the last time was a decade ago and he has finished ahead of Westwood just once since the 2013 Masters, so I don't see it happening this week.
Lee Westwood to beat Ryan Palmer -115 @ 5Dimes
Palmer is another with a good record at TPC Southwind - top-5 in each of the last two years - but unlike Westwood, he has just one top-20 finish since The Masters and has a poor h2h record against the Englishman, particularly over the first three rounds. For instance, Westwood leads him 9-2-2 in rd1 since the start of the last season. Westwood has the consistency to be player to side with in matchups; Palmer does not which is why he remains outside the top-50 in the World Rankings.
Boo Weekley to beat Justin Leonard -120 @ Paddy Power
Opposing Leonard who came through 36 holes of qualifying on Monday to earn a place in the U.S. Open for the first time in four years. That was rather a suprise given that he has failed to secure a top-30 in any of his last ten events. Like Toms, he is a multiple-winner of this event, but that is distant history and he is certainly opposable in 2014.
[unofficial rd1 system plays: Gay tb Hadley -110; Curtis tb Bae -103]
